HOW SAFE IS ONCOLOGY MASSAGE?

“Until recently, there was genuine concern that massage could spread cancer. We now know that is hokum, but we do nevertheless have to be cautious because there is a real risk of making lymphoedema worse if you don’t know what you are doing.

“Manual lymphatic drainage is a highly skilled procedure and therapists trained in it tend to work in hospices and hospitals, not spas.

“Weavers’ House Spa has adapted some of its standard treatments to ensure there are no contraindications for those with cancer. For instance, we use ‘lotioning’ pressure, which is featherlight and all about reassurance, relaxation and comfort, rather than getting right into those shoulder knots and working on them until you break them up.

“Our job is to make guests feel better, to soothe them and to help them forget their troubles for an hour or two. It is not to turn people away, or to make them feel bad about themselves.

“The emphasis is on inclusion – not on telling people who will already have had so many restrictions imposed on them that they can’t have this or that – and on modifying our touch, technique and products to enable them to enjoy the spa experience. We want people to feel special, not ‘special’.

“In the past, the matter of insurance had a part to play in spas having to exclude people with cancer and other conditions. But it was also to do with the duty of care we felt towards clients. We didn’t want to do something that might hurt them.”