Benefits For Chronic Illnesses Through Massage Therapy



Benefits for Chronic Illnesses through Massage TherapyBrandy Schnacker, Jessica ShirkWashburn University School of NursingNU 504 Integrative Healing ModalitiesDr. Mary Ellen McBrideApril 27, 2010Benefits for Chronic Illnesses through Massage TherapyIntroductionPatients with chronic illness need to be able to explore different treatment options that do not attribute only to Western Medicine. Massage therapy is an option for patients to explore when other avenues of treatment have been tried with no positive outcomes. Massage has multiple techniques that can be offered to the patient based on their level of illness. Massage therapy has many benefits in that enhances the overall health of the body by improving circulation, joint function, soft tissue mobility/plasticity, and normalizing the body’s ability to withstand stress (Healthy U: Your Pathway to Wellness). Therapeutic massage, a general term for soft tissue manipulation by using touch and movement, reduces stress and anxiety while promoting relaxation (Sturgeon, Wetta-Hall, Hart, Good, & Dakhil, 2009). Massage therapy has been proven to assist cancer patients in relieving anxiety, nausea, pain, and fatigue by promoting relaxation and calming muscle tissue. Massage can be dated back to early Chinese history to before 2700BC. The earliest documentation of massage appears in The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine (Lee, 2005). Currently massage practices can be contributed to Per Henrik Ling of Sweden and to an Amsterdam physician Johann Georg Mezger (Russel, Sumler, Beinhorn, & Frenkel, 2008). Review of LiteratureIntroductionThe literature was selected because of the experiences that we had getting a message. We both had experiences that were relaxing and relieved stress. Through investigating the research we used the following terms; message therapy, chronic illness, and alternative pain relief. The databases used were Cinal on the Washburn University library website. American Message Therapy website was also very helpful in understanding how massage therapy benefits patients with chronic illness. Through the research we narrowed our search to patients with cancer and how the massage therapy benefited their treatment and controlled their symptoms from the different treatments.Critique of StudiesEach of the studies showed how massage therapy contributes to helping patients with cancer manage their symptoms through the different sessions. The first of the six articles is on how massage therapy plays a role in cancer care. It gives information on the history of massage and where it originated. The article explains the programs goals of the therapy sessions in that they would improve circulation, decrease muscle tension, pain, anxiety, and stress (Russel, Sumler, Beinhorn, & Frenkel, 2008). They way that they measured the results is by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory scores and a Symptom Checklist. During the therapy sessions they used licensed massage therapists and they provided Therapeutic Touch and aromatherapy with the massage techniques. The results showed that the massage techniques provided decreased pain and anxiety with going to the cancer treatment sessions.The second article shows how massage therapy relieves nausea in women who have breast cancer and are undergoing chemotherapy (Billhult, Bergbom, & Stener-Victorin, 2007). During this study the patients received 20-minute massage of the foot /lower leg and hand/lower arm in women with breast cancer during their treatment. The other group received friendly visits from staff during their treatment. The groups contained 39 women who were undergoing chemotherapy treatment for breast cancers. The women were divided into the two groups randomly.The results were obtain be using the Visual Analogue scale for nausea and anxiety. The other scale used with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale. According to the VAS the massage treatment reduced the nausea in the patients as compared to the control group. It also showed a reduction in anxiety of those patients with the massage therapy. According to the HAD the massage therapy did not decrease the depression level in patients with the massage therapy. The result was the same in the control groups as the experimental group. In their study they should that massage therapy can be useful in lowering nausea in patient with breast cancer.The third article shows the effects of massage therapy on the quality of life of patients with breast cancer (Sturgeon, Wetta-Hall, Hart, Good, & Dakhil, 2009). In this study, there were 51 female patients selected to study the results of massage therapy on breast cancer. The study is to measure the anxiety, pain, nausea, sleep quality, and distress of patient with breast cancer and massage therapy. The patients received massage therapy three times a week for a five week study. During the massage therapy sessions the type of massage used were Swedish techniques. They also used massage oils and the different types of strokes that go with Swedish massage. They started with effleurage which are gentle, rhythmic, gliding strokes. Then they proceeded to petrissage which is gentle kneading and friction. The massage therapy sessions lasted 30 minutes and then they were asked to record medications and nausea episodes over that week. The scales used are State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Visual Analogue Scale, Rhodes Index of Nausea, Vomiting, and Retching scale, and Symptom Distress Scale. According to the scales it showed that massage therapy decreased patients pain and distress level, reduced patient’s episodes of nausea and vomiting. In conclusion the study recommends that future studies include therapy protocols and more frequent sessions that could be longer. The fourth article demonstrates how massage can be used for patients that have tension headaches related to psychological measures. A tension-type headache (TTH) is 15 days per month and the chronic form dull aching headache that affects a 15 or more days per month (Moraska & Chandler, 2009). In this study there were 18 subjects that were chosen to participate in this study. This study was to explain how massage therapy can be used to focus on myofascial trigger points, on psychological measures associated with tension-type headache (Moraska & Chandler, 2009). Each subject was to receive twelve 45-minute massages over a 6-week period however they had to be at least 48 hours apart. The massages they were to receive were to focus on the cervical and cranial regions with the help of reducing myofascial trigger point (MTrP) activity. There were many different tests that the subjects had to answer during this six week period. The tests were State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Daily Stress Inventory (DSI). The PSS, BDI-II and STAI were administered at the beginning and at the end of the trial. The results of these tests were that the headaches were decreased by the massages that they subjects received.The fifth article that was chosen demonstrates how massage is increasingly being considered as a means of relieving the pain many cancer patients experience (Liu, 2008). Massage is reported to be one of the most commonly used complementary therapies for cancer pain relief (Liu, 2008). This article was demonstrating the different studies that have been done to prove that massage does help relieve stress and pain in cancer patients. One study highlighted in this study was conducted on nine patients that had been diagnosed with cancer. These patients received 30-minute massages over two consecutive evenings. The result of this study was that the 30-minute did reduce the pain and anxiety of these patients. The conclusion of this article is to give all healthcare professionals evidence to assist them in talking with their patients about the role of massage being able to improve their pain and anxiety.The sixth article that was chosen is a case study that was able to highlight the therapeutic benefits of combining the skills of the Registered Nurse and massage therapist (Lee, 2005). The known benefits of massage therapy are: soothing, stimulating and healing (Lee, 2005). This case study was performed on one patient. This patient had a chronic illness and had developed peripheral neuropathy along with his illness. The patient was given the conventional treatments to help reduce his pain but nothing was effective. The regimen that this patient experienced for massage was weekly over a three month, then reduced to fortnightly and then after six months is was reduced to monthly. Along with way of decreasing the frequency of the massage and intensity of the massage was increased. The results of this article was to show the benefits of therapy provided by a nurse/massage therapist includes a holistic approach to dealing with not only the patient’s problem with muscle, ligaments and tendons, but also the overall health and quality of life of that patient (Lee, 2005).ConclusionIn conclusion through the articles we are able to understand how massage works and the different types of massage techniques there is. In the articles it shows that massage therapy reduces pain and nausea in patients with cancers. It could be a positive alternative for patients to help reduce their symptoms. Massage can be demonstrated in these articles by how they can reduce stress within the body which can make pain increase. Massage has been proven in these studies to have a positive outcome for the patients and should be considered for patients with cancer and chronic illness to improve their quality of life.Theoretical FrameworkThe theoretical framework that best supports the use of massage therapy would be Rogers’ Science of Unitary Human Beings. Rogers’ model supports massage therapy in that massage is used over the entire body and not just one specific area, like Rogers’ who is an open, mutual process of energy fields that are within the human body. Massage therapy consists of effleurage strokes that are gentle, rhythmic, and gliding strokes and then can progress up to petrissage with are gentle kneading and friction strokes (Sturgeon, Wetta-Hall, Hart, Good, & Dakhil, 2009). These different strokes can be shown in Rogers’ theory in that the rhythms of strokes show the flow of energy to promote health potential. Rogers’ Science of Unitary Human Beings is a theory that is holistically based to include the human being as a whole entity. The human being energy field has a unique pattern in that each person’s illness or health whether good or bad are not separate they coincide with each other. Rogers’ theory is not linear it has many different dimensions that the human being energy field has to flow through (Leddy, 2006). Cultural, Legal, and Ethical IssuesAs an Advanced Nurse Practitioner (APN) this could be included into their practice. The APN would need to assess their patients appropriately to insure that the patient is really in agreement with receiving massage. Culture is a very big hurdle to overcome with certain patients. There are some cultures that do not like to be touched by other people. There are so many different cultures in the world today that an APN does have to do his or her homework before offering alternative medications to these patients. If an APN decides that massage is a great therapy for a certain patient and that patient does not approve and is continued to be forced into massage then the patient has grounds for malpractice against that APN. Any APN needs to be careful and cautious about the cultures within his or her practice.The ethical aspect of this integrative modality is that the APN has to respect their patient and their feelings. If the patient does not want massage, even if the APN knows it would work for them, then the APN cannot force this alternative therapy on them. Nobody can make somebody do something they do not want to. Incorporation into Advanced Nursing PracticeMassage therapy is feasible to incorporate in an APN practice; it is a simple and harmless technique. The one problem is that most insurance companies at the time do not cover it on their plans, so people would not be able to afford it most massage therapy times cost anywhere from $60 to $100 for a hour session. As an APN advice on ways to reduce stress on the body is always appreciated, with massage therapy a patient can go to a therapist and have them show simple massage techniques that patients could have family do at home. Stress is so hard are the body and you as patients need to have any possible ways to relax, so they can completely focus on their treatment.Massage therapy is a valuable integrative modality in that it increases the bodies’ circulation, releases muscle tension, and promotes relaxation, which is common symptoms in patients with chronic illness (Russel, Sumler, Beinhorn, & Frenkel, 2008). If a patients have alternative ways to control their symptoms from cancer treatment, as what was researched for this paper, people would be more likely to continue their treatments, because of the stress they cause on the body (Sturgeon, Wetta-Hall, Hart, Good, & Dakhil, 2009).Potential nursing research studies could be how massage therapy helps reduce patient’s blood sugars. Stress in the body is a major contributor to increased blood sugars for patients. During my massage therapy sessions I noticed reduced blood sugars from when I started my massage to the end of the session. If you patient is relaxed and has no pain then they will possible have lower A1C and better glucose control of their diabetes. Each patient is individual and not all the results would be the same and that is with every research project.Limitations of the use by an APN is that a thorough background history has to be understood before recommending any new treatment sessions, because of possible complications. Some chronic illnesses should not have massages’, like DVT’s because of the chance of breaking loose a clot. Most conditions that patient’s have a massage therapy session is likely to help reduce their pain and stress levels.ConclusionMassage therapy can be beneficial to most patients with chronic conditions, especially cancer patients as seen in the research done. According to the studies researched most patients had reduced pain and nausea symptoms if they had massage therapy treatments during their chemotherapy sessions. The relief of stress that comes with the diagnosis of cancer was also reduced with the help of massage. Throughout the studies massage was given a positive review and should be further researched to give the patients the best care that they can get. The issue of cost and repayment by insurance companies are still a concern for most patients, so they don’t continue with the massage treatments after the study is done, so that is something that needs to be understood by the insurance companies.References(n.d.). Retrieved February 24, 2010, from Healthy U: Your Pathway to Wellness: (n.d.). Retrieved Feburary 21, 2010, from Massage Therapy: , A., Bergbom, I., & Stener-Victorin, E. (2007). Massage Relieves Nausea in Women with Breast Cancer Who Are Undergoing Chemotherapy. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine , 12 (1), 53-57.Leddy, S. K. (2006). Intergrative Health Promotion. Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones and Barlett Publishers.Lee, L. M. (2005). Is massage only a feel good thearpy? ACCNS Journal for Community Nurses , 10 (3), 23-24.Liu, Y. (2008). The role of massage therapy in the relief of cancer pain. Nursing Standard , 22 (21), 35-40.Massage and Serious Health Conditions. (n.d.). Retrieved Feburary 24, 2010, from American Massage Therapy Association: , A., & Chandler, C. (2009). Changes in Psychological Parameters in Paitents with Tension-type Headache Following Massage Therapy: A Pilot Study. Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy , 17 (2), 86-94.Russel, N. C., Sumler, S.-S., Beinhorn, C. M., & Frenkel, M. A. (2008). Role of Massage Thearpy in Cancer Care. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine , 14 (2), 209-214.Sturgeon, M., Wetta-Hall, R., Hart, T., Good, M., & Dakhil, S. (2009). Effects of Therapeutic Massage on the Quality of Life Among Patients with Breast Cancer During Treatment. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine , 15 (4), 373-380. ................
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