Product Description

Medicine Hands debunks a pervasive health myth that massage is anathema for those suffering with cancer. The idea that cancer can metastasize as a result of massage is not rooted in any science. This book cites clinical evidence that proves just the opposite. Touch and massage are vital to a cancer patient’s health and well-being.

Medicine Hands is a practical book written for both health professionals and the lay person. Research is highlighted with anecdotes, stories, and vignettes of cancer patients, massage therapists, caregivers, hospice workers and other health professionals. Practical information is presented on administering touch, drug-related considerations, providing care at home, and dealing with hospital and hospice situations.

Medicine Hands is an invaluable resource for:
Massage therapists and other touch therapists
Cancer patients and their caregivers and families
Oncologists and cancer treatment centers
Natural health clinics
Massage and alternative medicine educational settings
Health care professionals: nurses, doctors, hospice workers

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #863751 in Books
• Published on: 1999-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Review

About the Author
Gayle MacDonald, M.S., L.M.T, a long time health educator and veteran massage therapist, finds that her personal and professional interests are inseparable. It was after suffering ill health herself that she became the health and physical educator she had always wanted to be. She continues to teach in her native Oregon, helping others to expand their awareness that in massage they are performing a service that integrates the sacred with the mundane, and that they not only touch their patients body, but also their heart, mind and soul.

Customer Reviews

Massage does ease physical & emotional pain.
The American Cancer Society has recently listed Massage as a form of releif of pain for cancer patients. This was a big step and Gayle MacDonald's book is the next step. Often times the touch that cancer patients are recieving is not comforting, it is only related to often painful treatment. To be touched by someone with a compasionate intent is amazing. Gayle exlpains that healing touch is not the ability of a person to literaly touch and cure someone, healing is a sense of peace, a pain free hour, quality of end of life. Gayle does an amazing job of getting thoughts and techniques out to help people wishing to become more educated in this area of massage. Gayle is sharing imortant knowledge and it is written in a way that a student, Massage Therapist of 10 years, or family member of someone with cancer can read and gain an amazing understanding of the best way to treat those with cancer.

A wealth of information...
I found this book to be a true inspiration for me. I found out about it through one of the Massage magazines and I can honestly say it was one of the best and most important purchaces I made since I graduted from massage school in 1999.

I have used it as a reference while doing volunteer as an LMT on the oncology unit at my local hospital and it was extremely helpful. Staff and students alike were very impressed with it when I showed it to them. The layout of this book is very user friendly and the appendixes and references in the back were excellent.

I personally feel it's a good ideal to get further training related to the oncology in the clincal enviroment as far as massage concerned. Yet this book was also very clear as about the limitaions and contraindications which made me feel at ease. This book is an excellent starting point for thoes wishing to give care to people facing Cancer and is quite thorough in all topic covered. It can help the therapist, student therapist and/or caregiver understand the challenges and rewards of providing the gift of touch at a time when it maybe needed it most.

a wonderfully insightful book
As a massage therapist, I was trained that massage was generally contraindicated for cancer patients. Gayle does a wonderful job of explaining why massage is appropriate, the chemistry behind metastisis and the issues around massage treatment along the continuum of cancer treatment. It also has a chapter on death and dying that I recommend to many patients. I have made this a required text in the therapeutic massage program as our local community college.