Is massage for pain relief feasible for cancer patients?

The onset of malignant tumor is often accompanied by general discomfort, and in the late stage of the disease, the severe pain is often unbearable for patients. Therefore, when the pain occurs again, patients often choose massage for pain relief, thinking that it can reduce the pain and no side effects will occur in physical therapy. But is massage for pain relief really applicable to all cancer patients? Tumor patients, especially those with advanced malignant tumors, often feel severe pain and feel uncomfortable due to metastasis. Cancer pain in turn often makes tumor patients suffer and their quality of life is greatly reduced. Although there are various effective pain relievers for treating cancer pain, some family members worry that long-term application of pain relievers will have side effects and cause drug resistance, so they often like to give massage to patients or ask massage therapists to do so, thinking that this can reduce patients’ pain and give comfort and warmth, and physical therapy will not have any side effects. Never give a random massage to a cancer patient. Although there is no evidence that massage or massage can promote the spread of cancer, massage does not help to kill cancer cells, at the same time, it may be harmful, especially for patients with advanced bone metastases, their bones are fragile compared to tofu crumbs, and fractures may occur with very light force. If the patient has potential bone metastasis but it is not detected, massage or massage which can be tolerated by the general public may cause fracture to the tumor patient and cause unnecessary pain. Of course, this issue cannot be generalized. During the patient’s recovery process, massage and functional exercise in limbs, joints, muscles, meridians and other places without cancer foci are allowed and beneficial. This can prevent the disuse of limbs caused by muscle atrophy and joint ankylosis. Late stage patients often feel uncomfortable and don’t know what to do. At this time, family members can give limb massage to make patients comfortable, warm them up and relieve their pain.