Effects of back massage on chemotherapy-related fatigue and anxiety

Back massage is a method of care to help reduce fatigue, stress, anxiety, ... for patients after cancer chemotherapy. Thereby, improving the mood and health of the patient.

Fatigue is usually a lack of energy and can be relieved by a good night's sleep. Fatigue in cancer patients is a state of excessive systemic fatigue, not relieved by sleep, which can persist for 1-6 months or longer. Fatigue can prevent a person from performing normal activities.
Cancer-related fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of cancer and also a side effect of disease treatments. Causes of fatigue in cancer patients include: Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, bone marrow transplantation, biological therapy, cancer cell growth, poor nutrition,...

As far as chemotherapy is concerned, any chemotherapy drug can cause fatigue. Fatigue often appears several weeks after chemotherapy. In some patients, fatigue persists for several days. Others experience fatigue during and even after treatment.
About the principle of chemotherapy causes fatigue: Cancer chemotherapy reduces the number of red blood cells, causing anemia. Red blood cells carry oxygen to every organ in the body. When the body tissues do not receive enough oxygen, the patient will feel tired.
Besides, some drugs used to treat side effects such as pain, nausea, depression, anxiety and convulsions, etc. can also cause fatigue. In addition, stress, anxiety, depression, etc. can aggravate feelings of fatigue in cancer patients.

Some of the remedies used to reduce fatigue and anxiety in cancer patients include:
Herbs and supplements: According to oncologists, the use of vitamin E, vitamin C, selenium and beta- Carotenoids can negatively affect the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Instead, patients should use other herbs and supplements such as: Ginger (controls nausea and vomiting but can thin the blood so it should not be taken before surgery), zinc (helps prevent nausea and vomiting). changing taste, allowing the patient to eat better), Glutamine (reducing mouth sores, pain and weakness or numbness in hands and feet), ginseng (reducing fatigue caused by cancer),...; Acupuncture: This is a method of inserting very small needles into the skin to improve the flow of energy throughout the body. Acupuncture helps with pain, nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, anxiety and hot flashes; Massage: A study conducted on 1,290 cancer patients found that those who received massage experienced significant reductions in pain, anxiety, fatigue and nausea; Hypnosis: Specialists will put the patient into a state of deep focus, focusing on things other than cancer symptoms. Hypnosis relieves pain, anxiety, stress and nausea; Exercise: Regular moderate-intensity exercise helps increase energy in the body. Research has shown that cancer patients who maintain a moderate exercise routine have a better quality of life and better treatment outcomes; Essential oils: Patients can heat aromatic oils to scent their rooms, add essential oils to bath water or use them for massage. Essential oils help relieve nausea, relieve pain, and manage stress.

A study was conducted to determine the effect of back massage - an interventional care measure - on chemotherapy-induced acute fatigue and anxiety in cancer chemotherapy patients. This study was performed on 40 patients.
In the study, it was determined that the stress, anxiety and fatigue of cancer chemotherapy patients all decreased after receiving massage. Thus, it can be seen that back massage during cancer chemotherapy will help care for patients better.
Fatigue and anxiety are common side effects after cancer chemotherapy. Patients can apply the above measures to reduce stress and fatigue, thereby having better health and more optimistic mood to fight cancer.

References: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, webmd.com