Enlarged lymph node, melanoma patient?

[Wesley M]

I have seforum.xxxe 1 melanoma and now have an enlarged lymph node in my right groin.  Knowing this info would you do a deep tissue massage?  My MT won't unless I get permission from my doctor (completly understandable).  What can happen if I get a deep tissue and have a swollen lymph node..anything?Thanks.

 

[toon]

Enlarged lymph node, melanoma patient?

First and foremost, discuss your concerns with your doctor before even consider getting a massage, specifically as it involves your lymphatic system. A swollen lymph node in and of itself isn't a disasterous thing, it could simply mean that your lymphatic system is working or it could be that that particular node has been stressed (node tend not to want to be touched and a sensitive).With that said, I would still talk with your doctor and your therapist should not work on you without permission and possibly discussing your condition with your doctor.Good luck and good health.

 

[alllllly]

i agree with gaspen on the fact that your practitioner should not be working on you without your doctors permission.  I am doing alot of research right now on oncology massage.  My thought and what i have learned so far is that you should not be getting deep tissue massages to begin with if you have cancer.  Also whether or not you do receive a deep tissue massage the cancer site itself should be avoided.  

 

[Dr. DOLY]

Hi Debi65,While I agree with the other posts that you should get your doctor's ok with getting massage, the part of your question about what can happen hasn't really been answered.  As a relatively new MT, I am definitely no expert on this, however the theory that I am aware of is that massaging around an area that has cancer cells may cause cells to dislodge and result in a metastasis of the cancer to another area of the body.  If you follow this theory then massage for someone with cancer would be contra-indicated.  However, there are other theories about massage and cancer and I'd recommend you do some research yourself and decide in conjunction with your doctor what the best complementary therapies are to include with your treatment.  I'm aware of the Touch Research Institute which I think is in Florida and they do specifically reseach touch therapies - you may want to start there.I hope that everything goes well with your treatment.

 

[h2opolochik1]

Enlarged lymph node, melanoma patient?

First off, I wish you well, and hope your treatments work well for you.If I were your MT, I would refuse to work before consulting with your Oncologist too. Its a very big responsibility, and you don't want to do any harm.I recently backed out of treating a family member of a long standing client who has lymphoma. He has refused any treatment from doctors, so I have no doctor to confer with! I am his wife's MT, and he has another MT (a fellow at a nearby chiro's office), who performs regular, deep tissue work for him. The wife wanted him to see me, but I declined. She kept saying that I couldn't do him any harm, and he needed my style of deep work. I don't believe that, necessarily. I know their whole family. If I threw all caution to the wind & did as they asked before being fully informed by a medical professional, what kind of situation could I be playing into? I'm not even talking legal responsibilities here, and there are those too. The emotional issues alone were enough for me to decide against taking him as a client.Now I know your situation is uniquely yours, and not the same as the story I just told. But I just want to say, that at least you and your MT have a doctor to help make informed choices with. IMO, deep tissue work (near the groin in your case), would be over-taxing the lymph nodes in that area. they are already working a heavy lode, as witnessed by the inflamation/swelling.Wishing you the best,Jill/sagetherapist

 

[Steph P]

Jill,I guess this is wandering farther off topic, but I think you raise an interesting, related issue... how to handle, or whether to handle (no pun intended) clients who acknowledge medical problems and have made informed decisions to not seek, or to not follow a traditional medical treatment path, as in the  xample you cited.  In the original example, I guess I wasn't clear that the deep tissue work was going to be at/near the site of the elarged lymph gland...where I would concur with you (stay away from the elarged/inflammed node) Perhaps this is more appropriate as an ethical question than a treatment question.... but, I guess I would like to think that somewhere, there is room to treat folks who reject the "western medical" approach and truly seek alternative healing modalities, *AND* are willing to be responsible for those choices.    I guess with cancer in particular, there often comes a point where western medicine holds out chance of extended days/weeks/months, but at a potentially very high cost both in quality of life as well as $$$.  Each person chooses with their own support system when, if ever,  they are done seeking cures or extensions on life at any cost, and instead chooses to make the best/most of what life brings them.   (Hospice being a westernized model that comes to mind.)I think massage can often provide tremendous short-term QOL improvement, and if the client has shifted to short term measurements, does that not offer a way in to provide effective treatment? ... I know, in our litigous (sp?) society, surely someone will sue someone over something... but they do that now anyway!Rob