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Pain Relief for Cancer Patients

A recent study funded in part by the National Institutes of Health/National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that massage therapy may have immediate effects on pain and mood for patients with advanced cancer.

Researchers at 15 United States hospices in the Population-based Palliative Care Research Network investigated the benefits of massage versus simple touch therapy—placing both hands on specific body sites—in patients with advanced cancer. The study group of 380 participants who were experiencing moderate to severe pain was randomly assigned to receive six 30-minute sessions of either massage or simple touch therapy over a two-week period.

Results showed both groups experienced significant improvements in pain relief, physical and emotional distress and quality of life. Improvement in pain and mood immediately following treatment was greater with massage than with simple touch, but researchers did not find sustained effects for either therapy.

The researchers concluded that massage therapy may provide some immediate relief for patients with advanced cancer. They also suggest that simple touch, which can be provided by family members and volunteers, may help these patients as well.

Pain and depressed mood are common problems for patients with advanced cancer. While drug therapies can reduce symptoms, they don't always work and often have troublesome side effects. A recent study in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics found that even though pain is one of the most common symptoms of cancer patients, many of them do not receive adequate therapy for the pain caused by their disease or treatments.

Symptom relief is an important part of end-of-life care, and small studies have suggested that massage therapy may benefit people with advanced cancer. Researchers think that massage may interrupt the cycle of distress, offering brief physical and psychological benefits. Physically, massage may decrease inflammation and edema, increase blood and lymphatic circulation, and relax muscle spasms. Psychologically, massage may promote relaxation, release endorphins and distract from pain and depression.

"When patients near the end of life, the goals of medical care change from trying to cure disease to making the patient as comfortable as possible," says Jean S. Kutner, MD, MSPH, head of the massage/touch therapy study which appeared in the Annals of Internal Medicine. "This study is important because it shows massage is a safe and effective way to provide immediate relief to patients with advanced cancer."

Sources: Science Daily; National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

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