Combatting Chemo Brain: The Benefits of Oncology Massage

By Jessica Moore, LMT, CLT

. https://www.junebugmassage.com/

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Combatting Chemo Brain: The Benefits of Oncology Massage

What Is “Chemo Brain”?

“Chemo brain,” or cancer-related cognitive impairment, refers to mental fog and cognitive issues that can occur before, during, or after cancer treatment. Despite the name, it’s not just a product of chemotherapy. It can also result from radiation, hormone therapy, surgery, and the stress of living with cancer. Symptoms include:

• Difficulty concentrating: Trouble focusing, multitasking, or following conversations.
• Searching for words: Struggling to recall or using incorrect words.
• Slower thinking: Thinking through complex problems takes more time and effort.
• Mental fatigue: A sense of brain tiredness or even pain.

These symptoms can be frustrating and affect daily life, relationships, and work performance.

What Can You Do?

As common as it is, chemo brain is poorly understood. However, evidence supports three main tools to help:

• Brain training: Keep your mind active with puzzles, riddles, or memory games. Do something different each day.
• Counseling: A skilled counselor can help you track patterns, manage stressors, and develop coping strategies.
• Connecting mindfully: Find ways to slow down and observe your emotions and the sensations in your body. This might feel especially hard during cancer treatment, so try a few things and see what works. Consider taking a meditation class, practicing yoga or tai chi, or receiving bodywork like reiki or massage.

The Role of Oncology Massage

Though chemo brain affects thinking, it’s closely tied to physical and emotional health. Stress, fatigue, pain, and sleep issues all play a role—and oncology massage addresses these factors together. Here’s how:

• Reducing Stress: Cancer treatment can put the body in a state of chronic stress, raising cortisol levels that impair focus. Massage helps lower cortisol and increases serotonin and dopamine, enhancing mood and clarity.
• Managing Pain: Pain can cloud thinking. Massage releases endorphins (natural painkillers) and serotonin, helping both pain and digestion. Gentle touch can also relieve nausea.
• Improving Sleep and Reducing Fatigue: Both fatigue and poor sleep are major contributors to chemo brain. Oncology massage can help improve sleep quality, allowing the brain to rest and recharge.
• Improving Focus and Memory: Dopamine helps you maintain focus, and serotonin helps you remember facts and events. Both of these hormones are part of the body’s relaxation response.

Oncology massage is a proactive tool for managing a complex side effect of cancer treatment, which can help you heal as a whole person—physically, emotionally, and cognitively.