By Susan Van Dongen, Special Writer
To be coping with cancer is to be poked by needles to draw blood for tests, prodded for tumors, treated with radiation, laser ablation and other techniques, dealt heavy doses of chemotherapy and other drugs.
The patient sometimes finds him- or herself dissolving into a mere case, not a person with a heart and soul.
That is why a new generation of massage therapists working with cancer patients wants to help them reconnect with their body as a magnificent creation that deserves compassion and tenderness, not something that is diseased and sick.
Practitioners specializing in oncology massage also want to lift the spirit of the individual, bring an element of pleasure and peace to a life that might be filled with pain and worry.
Lisa Caleca, owner of Serenity Therapeutic Massage LLC in Cranbury, said she feels it is a calling for her to help the cancer patient along his or her healing journey, to put as much positive energy into the body and soul of the individual.
”Love and service is my motto, compassion and encouragement without pity,” said Ms. Caleca, a resident of Monroe Township “It’s a whole part of the healing process to help them stay as positive as possible through the experience. A lot of my patients are survivors, and they have the attitude, they don’t pity themselves. Still, they need to be lifted up.”
Not so long ago, doctors might not have suggested massage for their cancer patients. Full disclosure: My mother fought the disease from 1998-2003, and at one point, we were going to get her a gift certificate for massage, but her oncologist said absolutely not. (And when I suggested energy work like Reiki, she made a face and said, “That sounds weird.”)
That thinking has evolved, however. When my father battled cancer in 2004-05, his nearby chapter of Gilda’s House (the organization named for the late Gilda Radnor that provides support for cancer patients) offered free Reiki sessions, and my sister, aunt and myself gave him Reiki as well.
Ms. Caleca reflected there used to be a fear massage would spread the cancer, push it through the body.
”What causes cancer to spread has nothing to do with touch because if that was the case, breathing or walking would cause cancer to spread, anything that involves moving the muscles, moving the lymphatic system around,” she said.
That being said, oncology massage is quite different from regular therapeutic massage, and Ms. Caleca went through special certification for her practice. In 1998, she was certified as a massage therapist at Health Choices Center for the Healing Arts in Belle Mead. Then, last summer, she began to pursue certification in oncology massage at North Jersey Massage Training Center in Parsippany.
Studying with Cheryl Chapman (“a big guru of oncology massage,” Ms. Caleca said), last year she became certified in oncology/hospice/AIDS massage and went on to get certification for mastectomy massage as of December 2010.
The biggest difference between oncology massage and regular therapeutic massage is in the level of touch, Ms. Caleca said. She added, however, every oncology massage is different.
”For people who are dealing with cancer, they are often in so much pain, all they can handle is the lightest human touch,” she said. “We honor the consequences of the chemotherapy and radiation, and we work within the stages of cancer to increase the levels of dopamine and endorphins, which help fight pain and nausea.”
The healing modality of Reiki is especially positive for the cancer patient, proponents assert. Ms. Caleca is a Reiki master and incorporates the practice as well as foot reflexology and aromatherapy into her massage.
”I like to stimulate the olfactory nerves since it’s the oldest sense in the human body,” she said. “It’s the first to develop in the fetus so memory recall is very much related to the sense of smell. I like to establish a spiritual aspect with my clients and frequently use frankincense for the spiritual and grounding aspect of massage.”
Princeton Radiology is among the facilities and organizations Ms. Caleca has worked with. In the winter of 2011, during its Breast Cancer Awareness Week, she volunteered to do massage as part of its Wellness Day. Ms. Caleca also volunteers at Mary’s Place by the Sea in Ocean Grove, a retreat for women with breast cancer. She also has offered her services at the YWCA in Princeton and through it got connected with The Elixir Fund, a 501(c)(3) charity organization based in Princeton Junction, raising awareness of cancer and giving support to cancer patients and their caregivers.
”The Elixir Fund was founded based on my brother, Kevin’s, experience with cancer treatment,” said founder and CEO Meg McQuarrie. “He went through multiple rounds of chemo, radiation on his brain and spine and stem cell treatment. He was rarely if ever sick, and he attributed that to maintaining his comfort during treatment. A primary aspect of that was massage and gentle touch.”
She added, “Kevin was a massage therapist with experience in reflexology. We found that massage, particularly foot massage, provided him great comfort and helped alleviate nausea. Later, as his diseased progressed, we as his caregivers were more hesitant to touch him because we didn’t want to hurt him, but that was exactly what he needed. Gentle head massage and light touch on his shoulders were so important to him in terms of maintaining some normalcy. Avoiding touch made him much more aware that he was sick.”
Ms. McQuarrie reflected a diagnosis of cancer can take over the lives of not only the patients, but those who support them in their journey. The Elixir Fund works to find ways to help people take a break from cancer, perhaps by watching a funny movie while undergoing treatment or receiving a massage or manicure. The group also helps to ease a person’s journey with cancer by helping them to access support services such as meals, transportation or complementary services such as yoga, massage or meditation.
”Massage has always been a cornerstone of the Elixir programs because we’ve seen firsthand just how effective it can be for both patients and caregivers,” Ms. McQuarrie said. “Cancer can be an out-of-body experience. Massage and gentle touch help to reconnect patients to the world around them. It is also a relaxing experience and a time to sit quietly and to take a break.”
Lisa Caleca practices oncology massage at Serenity Therapeutic Massage, 109 S. Main St., Suite 19, Cranbury, 609-235-9141, serenitytherapeuticmassage.net. The Elixir Fund on the Web: http://elixirfund.org.
Susan Van Dongen is a frequent contributor to The Packet, who, from 1998-2005, was a caregiver to both parents during their lengthy journeys through cancer. She is a second-level Reiki practitioner.
