Massage for the Terminally Ill
I have been practicing massage for 17 years now. I have worked on thousands of clients over the years. I have worked on all shapes and sizes of bodies, ages, folks with all sorts of ailments, athletes, clients with no major health problems, and those who are very sick. I love all my clients and always learn something from everyone I touch. But I love working with those who are severely ill, injured and/are bed ridden for one reason or another. I have worked in hospital settings, providing massage to cancer and heart patients, patients who suddenly were paralyzed from accidents. I have worked with a number of diseases and conditions such as Fibromyalgia, MS, cerebral palsy, arthritis and other bone conditions, scoliosis, recovering addicts, depression and anxiety patients, those who have tried to harm oneself, pre and post surgery patients, end of life and high risk pregnancies, just too name a handful. Though working with this population of people can be challenging in a mental capacity--it is hard to see folks suffering--it is also highly rewarding. I am always in awe of the body and it's ability to heal, to push on and to often thrive in many of these situations. I am also humbled by the courage and strength of those who know they are dying. I am often brought to tears when working with the ill and injured, not because I feel sorry for them, but because I am have empathy and feel honored to touch a client when they might be at their worst and suffering. I often feel peace, as the client relaxes, begins to let go of their fear, and allow the massage session to ground them. So what are some reasons to receive massage when terminally ill, or severely injured (knowing they will not fully recover) such as a spinal injury:
* Therapeutic touch is a stimulus we all need for physical and emotional existence. We need touch like we need food or water or air. It nourishes us. This is proven in babies who are never held or touched. They fight to survive, and often do not grow and sometimes die. People who are very ill may look frightful or too fragile, causing friends and family the fear of touching them, even if there is not a medical contraindication. Loving therapeutic touch makes the ill client feel lovable, more secure and helps decrease anxiety and fear.
*A therapeutic session allows the ill or injured client to open their heart and let go of fear and other disturbing factors. The client feels safe. They can absorb the empathy given freely to them by their massage therapist who has no judgement.
*For some clients, massage may allow them to have a spiritual experience, especially at the end of life. It may help them be more aware of the perception of life after death, and with that, peace. Even those who are not religious can experience this sense of peace towards the end, when given loving touch and attention, without fear or judgement.
As a therapist, I see the person, not just the illness, injury or disease. Humans are multidimensional. We are layered. We still have individual personalities, even when unable to speak or respond. We have life experiences embedded in our skin, our bones, muscles, and cells. Think of your spirit or energy as an onion. We are not just one thing or one experience. We are dynamic, even if illness or disease is taking us away from this plane called Earh. A person suddenly paralyzed is still they same dynamic human, even if their body works differently. In such a life changing event, a paraplegic may feel less themselves, hopeless or fearful. But deep down, they are still themselves. Massage and therapeutic touch may help remind them that they are indeed still a human being-- someone worth loving and someone worth touching.
I am not a psycho therapist. This is just my observations from watching clients and touching them over the past 17 years. It is what I feel energetically and physically with my hands. It is also what I observe in their expressions or things they may say to me. When I am very grounded and open, I can actually feel their emotions, as they can feel mine. This is what is so amazing about being a massage therapist. We learn to "see" beyond what we actually see with our eyes. Working with these types of folks is both healing for the client and for the therapist. In essence, touch is everything.