The Experiences of Touch Therapies in Symptom Management of Rural and Regional Cancer Patients in Australia
Limited EvidenceIn Plain Language: cancer pain, explained
Cancer patients are increasingly combining touch therapies (e.g., remedial massage, lymphatic massage, and/or reflexology) with conventional treatments to deal with the impact of their cancer and treatments on their physical and mental well-being. To understand the impact of integrative oncology services on cancer patients, it is essential to explore the impact that various types of integrative oncology services have on cancer patients. This paper presents cancer patients' experiences with touch therapies in a community-based cancer support center and to identify opportunities for better access to these practices and service provision in Australia. A random selection of cancer patients (n=36) receiving touch therapies at a rural/regional community cancer center completed mixed-methods mail surveys regarding the use of touch therapies, their satisfaction, and the impact on pain, fatigue, nausea and overall well-being. Findings indicated that these services helped manage both physical and emotional symptoms. Of the participants experiencing pain and fatigue, findings revealed that touch therapies assisted with pain in 90% of participants and with fatigue in 70%. Given the increased and continued use of touch therapies by individuals with cancer, cancer centers should consider establishing touch therapy services or provide referrals to touch therapy services that can assist with symptom management and improve quality care. By more clearly understanding the benefits of the different types of integrative oncology interventions, patients with cancer receive more tailored and effective interventions throughout of their cancer journey.
Key Findings: what this observational study found about cancer pain
- ✓Cancer patients reported that touch therapies including remedial massage, lymphatic massage, and reflexology helped manage physical symptoms such as pain, fatigue, and nausea.
- ✓Rural and regional cancer patients demonstrated high satisfaction with touch therapy services received at a community-based cancer support center.
- ✓Touch therapies were found to improve both physical symptoms and mental well-being in cancer patients using these services alongside conventional cancer treatments.
What This Means for You
Touch therapies like reflexology may help manage cancer-related pain and fatigue based on patient experiences, though this study was small and non-randomized, so results should be discussed with your medical team.
What This Means for Practitioners
Document and track symptom improvements in your cancer patient clients, as this real-world evidence supports advocating for reflexology services in community cancer centers and medical referral networks.
Study Design: how this observational study was run
Cancer pain: common questions
What does this study say about cancer pain?
Touch therapies like reflexology may help manage cancer-related pain and fatigue based on patient experiences, though this study was small and non-randomized, so results should be discussed with your medical team.
What did this study find?
Cancer patients reported that touch therapies including remedial massage, lymphatic massage, and reflexology helped manage physical symptoms such as pain, fatigue, and nausea. Rural and regional cancer patients demonstrated high satisfaction with touch therapy services received at a community-based cancer support center. Touch therapies were found to improve both physical symptoms and mental well-being in cancer patients using these services alongside conventional cancer treatments.
How strong is this evidence?
This is a observational study and we rate its evidence limited. It covers 36 participants. It was published in International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork, a Q3 journal. This study is indexed here for context; it did not test reflexology itself.
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Therapeutic Massage for Cancer Survivors: An Umbrella Review
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