Oncology Massage is More Than Post-Surgical Care: What RMTs are Missing
For many Registered Massage Therapists (RMTs), oncology massage still gets boxed into one narrow moment in time: post-surgical, cleared by the doctor, low pressure, avoid everything else.
If that is where your training came to a halt, you are not alone. However, it is where a massive gap in patient care begins.
Cancer is not a singular event, and oncology massage is not a singular phase of care. When we reduce it to post-op support only, we miss the patients who need us the most, and we undeserve the ones already on our treatment tables.
Let’s talk about what’s actually happening across the cancer care continuum, and where massage therapy fits ethically, safely, and meaningfully at each stage.
The Cancer Care Continuum: More Than One ChapterMinimal Coverage in Massage Education
One of the most significant misconceptions in massage therapy education is treating “oncology” as a singular clinical category. In reality, oncology patients move through distinct phases, each with different goals, risks, and support needs.
Active Treatment
This includes chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, hormone therapy, or combinations of all of the aforementioned.
What therapists often assume:
Massage isn’t appropriate
It is too risky
We should wait until treatment is complete
What actually happens:
Patients experience pain, fatigue, neuropathy, nausea, anxiety, sleep disruption, and a loss of body trusty
Many are clear and encouraged to receive manual care
Massage therapy, when properly adapted, can improve comfort, circulation tolerance, nervous system regulation, and overall quality of life
Avoiding these patients entirely does not reduce risk; it removes support during the most difficult phase of their care.
Remission
Remission is often treated like the “finish line.” Treatment ends, scans look good, and patients are told to get back to normal. However, clinically, remission is often where delayed side effects begins showing up.
Common issue massage therapists were not taught to expect:
Persistent fatigue
Scare tissue and restricted movement
Peripheral neuropathy
Lymphatic compromise
Joint pain related to hormone therapies
Heightened pain sensitivity and nervous system dysregulation
These patients do not need spa massage, and they do not need to be avoided. They need informed, adaptable care that understands cancer history and ongoing clinical context, not past tense.
Long-Term Survivorship
Here is the phase that gets missed the most.
Many cancer survivors live with long-term or permanent changes to their bodies. Some are managing cancer as a chronic condition, and others are years out, but still dealing with pain, mobility issues, swelling, or nervous system exhaustion.
This is where massage therapy can play a long-term, supportive role, similar to how we approach chronic pain or neurological conditions.
Yet, many RMTs stop asking about cancer history after the intake box is checked.
Survivorship care requires:
Ongoing re-assessment
Awareness of late-onset side effects
Understanding cumulative treatment exposure
Confidence in adapting pressure, positioning, pacing, and goals
This is not “speciality care for a few,” it is modern massage therapy practice.
Side Effects Most RMTs Were Never Taught About
Traditional massage therapy education often focuses on contraindications, without teaching the why behind them, or how they evolve over time.
As a result, RMTs miss or misunderstand:
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy
Radiation fibrosis and tissue fragility
Bone density changes related to cancer or medications
Lymphedema risk beyond mastectomy
Autonomic nervous system changes
Chronic inflammation and fatigue syndromes
Without this knowledge, RMTs either:
Avoid oncology clients altogether, or
Treat them like non-oncology patients and hope for the best
Neither option serves the patients, nor protects the massage therapist.
Why Oncology Patients Often Need Ongoing Massage Care
Cancer care does not end when treatment ends. Patients are navigating:
Bodies that no longer respond the same way
Lingering pain and stiffness
Emotional stress layered with physical symptoms
Fear of re-injury or recurrence
A healthcare system that often discharges them once treatment is “successful”
Massage therapy can provide consistent, adaptable, supportive care, but only when therapists are trained to understand oncology as a long-term clinical landscape.
This isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing better.
How Massage Fits Ethically Into Every Phase of Cancer Care
Ethical oncology massage isn’t about rigid rules; it’s about informed clinical reasoning. That means:
Understanding treatment timing and intent
Adapting pressure, techniques, and session structure
Communicating clearly and confidently with clients
Knowing when to modify, pause, or refer
Working with medical care, not around it
When therapists understand oncology properly, massage becomes:
Safer
More effective
More professionally integrated
More accessible to patients who are too often turned away
The Gap Isn’t Your Fault, But it is Your Responsibility
Most RMTs were never given the education needed to feel confident treating oncology patients across all phases of care. That gap was not created by you, but closing it is a part of being a modern, ethical practitioner.
This is exactly what we unpack in Foundations of Oncology Massage Therapy. No just what to avoid, but:
What to look for
How to adapt
How to think clinically
How to support cancer patients safely, confidently, and long-term
Because oncology massage is not a niche. It is essential care.
Resources
Curious whether oncology education is right for you? Same Stars Academy has an upcoming Foundations of Oncology Massage Therapy: Level 1 course scheduled in Alberta for April this year. Click here to learn more!
If you ever feel unsure where to start, our team is always here to help. You can call or email us anytime for guidance or support.
