Remedial Massage Archives - Natural Medicine Week

Massage for Trouble Free Running

Benefits of Running

Running is a great form of exercise. Wherever we are, we can put on a pair of running shoes, head out and enjoy the fresh air and views. Running gives us a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke[1] and can help us to maintain a healthy muscle/fat ratio.

It’s also great for the mind, improving our cognition and reducing our risk of dementia.[2] Mental health also benefits. In fact, a regular running routine has been shown to be as effective as psychotherapy for depression and anxiety.[3]

Avoiding injury

Whilst running is great to keep us in shape, strengthens our muscles and to keep us happy, pounding those pavements can also put stress on the ankles, knees and hips. Hamstrings and other leg muscles also tighten naturally as they strengthen and this compounds the stress on the joints.

Therefore to avoid injuries, it’s important to set up a routine to lengthen muscles and so release the pressure on joints.

Loosening muscles

There are two main ways to loosen muscles – massage and stretching. Stretching is best done after warming up. Slow and gentle works best, tricking the muscles into relaxing and lengthening. Also, incorporating yoga or Tai chi into your fitness regime supports your body’s suppleness and increases body awareness.

Massage

Regular remedial massage appointments are a great way to avoid injury and massage. Though more research is needed on the benefits of sports massage for runners, a recent review[4] found that massage helps to reduce or prevent delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). It also helps with flexibility.

Self Massage

In between massages, and when you are low on cash, a daily five to ten minute self massage session can not only help release muscles but also help sleep, if done before bed.

Add a few drops of your favourite essential oil to a tablespoon of coconut or sunflower oil, and you’re ready to go.

Legs

Start massaging over your thighs and calves legs with long, firm strokes working towards the heart, gradually easing into tighter spots with more focused circular motions. The key is to move slowly and smoothly – and to increase pressure gradually.

What massage therapists call ‘good pain’ is helpful, i.e. a pressure that feels pleasant though firm – and as if it’s releasing tension. Make sure to ease off if you feel any sharp pain or discomfort. To start off , it’s better to go more gently, until you get used to your body’s reaction to massage. Everyone is different with some people reacting better to lighter rather than deeper pressure.

Feet

Feet do so much for us and a good foot rub is the key to keeping them working well. Massage all toes, maybe gradually stretching them out and using small circular motions using your thumbs . Along the top of the foot, work gently between the tendons and then around the heel and the bony parts of the ankle.

On the sole, the area under the big toe often benefits from special attention. Especially if you have any back issues, working firmly along the inner edge of the sole and the outside of the outer bony part of the ankle can be very beneficial, as these areas coincide to the spine and the pelvic regions respectively.

Cautions

If you are pregnant, taking medication or already have an injury, be sure to consult with the relevant health care professional before starting any massage treatment.

If doing massage yourself, always avoid broken skin, injuries and bruises to avoid infection and developing blood clots.

Being in Tune With Your Body

Taking time to listen to your body is both calming and helpful. Being in tune with what our muscles and joints are feeling, we can adjust our running schedules to avoid injury and so enjoy the benefits that being a regular runner brings.

[1] Lee DC, Pate RR, Lavie CJ, Sui X, Church TS, Blair SN. Leisure-time running reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014 Aug 5;64(5):472-81. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2014.04.058. Erratum in: J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014 Oct 7;64(14):1537. PMID: 25082581; PMCID: PMC4131752.

[2] De Miguel Z, Khoury N, Betley MJ, Lehallier B, Willoughby D, Olsson N, Yang AC, Hahn O, Lu N, Vest RT, Bonanno LN, Yerra L, Zhang L, Saw NL, Fairchild JK, Lee D, Zhang H, McAlpine PL, Contrepois K, Shamloo M, Elias JE, Rando TA, Wyss-Coray T. Exercise plasma boosts memory and dampens brain inflammation via clusterin. Nature. 2021 Dec;600(7889):494-499. doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-04183-x. Epub 2021 Dec 8. PMID: 34880498; PMCID: PMC9721468.

[3] Markotić V, Pokrajčić V, Babić M, Radančević D, Grle M, Miljko M, Kosović V, Jurić I, Karlović Vidaković M. The Positive Effects of Running on Mental Health. Psychiatr Danub. 2020 Sep;32(Suppl 2):233-235. PMID: 32970641.

[4] Davis HL, Alabed S, Chico TJA. Effect of sports massage on performance and recovery: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine 2020;6:e000614. doi:10.1136/ bmjsem-2019-00061

If you’ve had surgery or radiation as part of your cancer treatment, chances are you were told what to expect in terms of recovery times, healing timelines, maybe even how your scar might look. But what often gets left out of the conversation is how that scar might feel—physically and emotionally—long after the treatment is over.

For many people, scar tissue isn’t just a mark on the skin. It can feel tight, numb, tender, hypersensitive, or just plain not right. It might pull when you move, limit your range of motion, or make daily tasks more difficult. Sometimes it tingles or causes strange nerve sensations—pins and needles, crawling feelings, burning or itching that just won’t go away.

Some people describe their scar as not feeling like a part of their body at all. Others feel a wave of emotion every time they look at it—a reminder of fear, pain, or vulnerability. And then there’s radiated tissue. It can become thickened, rigid, and less mobile than surrounding areas, creating even more restriction and discomfort.

These side effects are real. And they are common. But they’re also often unspoken—because so many people feel like they should just be grateful to be alive.

And of course, you are. You’ve been through something incredibly hard, and you’ve come through it. But gratitude and discomfort can exist in the same body. You can be thankful and still deserve to feel better in your own skin.

Why Scar Tissue Acts the Way It Does

Scar tissue is your body’s natural way of repairing itself after injury or surgery. But unlike regular soft tissue, scar tissue isn’t as elastic or mobile. It tends to stick to the layers beneath it, making movement feel stiff or restricted. This can affect how your shoulder lifts, how your chest expands when you breathe, or how easily you reach for something in a cupboard.

Radiated tissue adds another layer. Radiation can change the quality of the tissue itself—it can become thicker, drier, and less able to stretch or move with you. This stiffness can show up months or even years after treatment.

Nerve endings in the area can also become affected, leading to sensations like numbness, tingling, or hypersensitivity. These changes aren’t always visible—but they are very real to live with.

Massage Can Help—Gently

One thing that often surprises people is that massage can be a powerful tool in improving scar mobility and reducing discomfort—when done safely and gently.

We’re not talking about deep tissue or aggressive techniques here. Oncology-trained massage therapists use gentle, non-inflammatory scar work that encourages the tissue to soften, glide, and move more freely. Over time, this can help the scar feel more like regular soft tissue, increasing comfort and range of motion.

This kind of touch also helps re-integrate the area into your sense of self. Many people say that after regular scar massage, their scar doesn’t feel like a foreign object anymore—it feels more like them. That emotional shift is just as important as the physical one.

You Deserve Relief

So often, people think they just have to put up with the ongoing effects of cancer treatment. They’re told the treatment is over, and they assume this tightness, numbness, or discomfort is just the “new normal.” But it doesn’t have to be.

You don’t have to suffer in silence.
You don’t have to ignore your discomfort just because “it’s not as bad as chemo.”
And you certainly don’t need to wait until something feels unbearable to seek support.

Your body deserves care, even now—especially now. Gentle scar and radiated tissue massage can make a meaningful difference, not just in how you move, but in how you feel in your body.

Finding the Right Support

Look for a massage therapist who is trained in oncology massage. They understand the unique needs of people affected by cancer, including how to work with scar tissue safely, and how to respect the emotional layers that may come with it. They’ll listen to your experience, adjust the session to suit you, and help you take small, steady steps toward feeling more like yourself again.

Because healing doesn’t stop when treatment ends.

And you don’t have to carry the invisible weight of scar tissue—physically or emotionally—on your own.

Ready to Feel More Like Yourself Again?
If you’ve been living with scar-related discomfort, tightness, or strange sensations, it’s not “just you” and it’s not “just how it has to be.” Gentle, oncology-trained massage therapy can help ease those side effects and reconnect you to your body.

You deserve care, comfort, and support—at every stage of your healing.

Find a Qualified Oncology Massage Therapist Near You → https://instituteofoncologymassage.com.au/find-a-therapist/

Creating calm: How oncology massage supports the nervous system during and after cancer

When you’ve been through a cancer diagnosis, treatment, and the long tail of recovery, calm can feel like a distant memory. Even long after the last treatment has ended, the stress can linger—quietly or loudly—always waiting to be triggered by a follow-up scan, a doctor’s appointment, or a new ache that brings up that all-too-familiar fear: What if it’s back?

This ongoing state of alert isn’t just emotional. It’s also physiological. And it’s one of the reasons why oncology massage is such a powerful support tool — not just during active treatment, but for months and even years after.

Understanding stress and the nervous system

Our bodies are hard-wired to respond to danger. The sympathetic nervous system is what kicks in during stressful or threatening situations — this is often called the “fight or flight” response. It’s incredibly useful when we’re in actual danger. But when we stay in that heightened state for too long, it takes a toll on our wellbeing.

Cancer, and everything that comes with it, can keep us locked in this fight-or-flight mode for extended periods. From the moment of diagnosis, the body and mind may begin cycling through fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. Medical treatments, hospital visits, physical side effects, and disruptions to daily life only add to this load. Even once treatment ends, many people continue to live with low-level (or high-level) stress that’s triggered again and again.

This is where the parasympathetic nervous system comes in. Sometimes called the “rest and digest” system, it helps slow the heart rate, deepen the breath, relax muscles, and support digestion, immune function, and healing. The goal isn’t to switch off your stress completely — because life doesn’t work that way — but rather to create moments of calm, to remind your body that safety and softness are possible.

What is oncology massage?

Oncology massage is a specialised form of massage therapy designed specifically for people who are living with or beyond cancer. It’s tailored to your unique medical history, treatment stage, side effects, and energy levels. Therapists trained in oncology massage understand how to adapt techniques safely — using lighter pressure, positioning for comfort, and always working with the body, not against it.

But more than that, oncology massage is deeply intentional. It’s not about fixing or forcing — it’s about meeting you where you are. Whether you’re in the middle of chemotherapy or five years post treatment, the aim is to create a safe, nurturing space where your body and nervous system can finally exhale.

Massage as a calming experience

One of the key benefits of oncology massage is its ability to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Through gentle, rhythmical touch, your body receives a clear message: You’re safe. You can rest now.

When this shift occurs, a cascade of physiological changes begins:

Heart rate and blood pressure may decrease
Breathing becomes slower and deeper
Muscle tension softens
Digestion and immune function improve
The mind becomes quieter and more settled

For many people, this experience of dropping into calmness is profound. It can feel like a reset — not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well.

Calm is needed — during and after treatment

While massage is often sought out to help with physical symptoms like fatigue, nausea, or pain, the emotional support it provides is just as powerful. Oncology massage offers a pause from the medical world, a moment where you are seen as a whole person — not a patient, not a condition.

But it’s not just useful during active treatment. The need for calming support often increases after treatment ends. This is something many people aren’t prepared for. You’re expected to “bounce back” or return to normal, but instead you may find yourself facing:

“Scanxiety” in the lead-up to regular scans or check-ups
Fear triggered by new symptoms, however minor
Anxiety when someone you know receives a diagnosis
Lingering exhaustion, grief, or uncertainty

The nervous system doesn’t just switch off because treatment ends. In fact, it may be working overtime to process everything that’s happened. Regular oncology massage during survivorship can offer ongoing regulation — helping the body to settle and reconnect with a sense of peace.

A gentle anchor in a storm

There’s a unique kind of relief that comes when someone lays hands on you with skill, care, and kindness. For many people, oncology massage becomes a sanctuary. It’s a place where they can feel held, supported, and listened to — without having to explain or perform or be “brave”.

And that is healing in and of itself.

If you or someone you love is navigating cancer or its aftershocks, consider oncology massage not as a luxury, but as part of your wellbeing toolkit. It can be a gentle, powerful way to shift your body out of survival mode and into a place of rest, repair, and renewal.