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I am purposefully posting this in the main forum because I have just experienced exclusion and discrimination based on my status as a cancer (treatment) survivor.
For years I have had deep tissue massage for chronic pain in my shoulder. However, I have been turned away by Hand & Stone because I have had cancer treatment. Now I supposedly need a certified oncological masseuse and unfortunately they don’t have any.
Why? Well, well supposedly ordinary deep tissue massage “spreads cancer.” Um, really? I don’t think so! What a bunch of total BS. If this were really true (which it isn’t) then they shouldn’t give anyone deep tissue massage since undiagnosed does not at all mean “cancer free.” Do they give warnings before deep tissue massage that it may spread your undiagnosed cancer? Of course not.
(The truth: They are afraid of lawsuits. End of story.)
So, now I have to pay extra for a specially oncologically trained masseuse who will oh so barely stroke my oh so incredibly fragile body (instead of giving me real deep tissue massage) and charge me extra for it. Or I can just say: “Screw them!” and learn how to use a ping pong ball and a sock.
BTW, I asked when I will be touchable again and I was told 6 months after the end of treatment with a note from my oncologist.
Honestly, screw them.
BTW, this is a blanket policy for all cancer. Even if you get a bit of basal cell carcinoma frozen off, no massage for you for six months.
It's probably because massage therapy is alternative medicine, sometimes complementary medicine, but it's not conventional medicine. Nonconventional therapy and treatments are viewed with fear by many, especially when cancer is involved.
It does seem to be heavy-handed but it's a private business and has the right to do this. Maybe they are erring on the side of caution. The fact that you want a different part of your body massaged seems irrelevant to me if there are legitimate concerns. Your body is a whole unit, not made up of independently functioning parts.
It's probably because massage therapy is alternative medicine, sometimes complementary medicine, but it's not conventional medicine. Nonconventional therapy and treatments are viewed with fear by many, especially when cancer is involved.
It does seem to be heavy-handed but it's a private business and has the right to do this. Maybe they are erring on the side of caution. The fact that you want a different part of your body massaged seems irrelevant to me if there are legitimate concerns. Your body is a whole unit, not made up of independently functioning parts.
If my oncologists say it is fine, why shouldn’t it be fine? Does the spa understand my cancer and my needs better than my oncologists? or are they just cancer survivor phobic?
Also, private business doesn’t actually have the right to decide whom they serve. They can’t discriminate against protected classes and cancer survivors are protected under the umbrella of the ADA.
I am torn about this because from a holistic perspective, an argument could be made that massage could *somehow* be "disturbing." If I were a massage therapist, I might be concerned because you wouldn't want to do anything that could negatively impact the client.
I also understand as a client that you WANT to be massaged, and feel discriminated against.
Maybe a good alternative would be reflexology, or in big cities Chinese Foot Massage . . .
She sympathized and said that the situation sucks, but this kind of exclusion is undoubtedly part of their “practice act.” I couldn’t get her to explain exactly what this is, but apparently it has something to do with our state law governing massage therapy licensing.
The practice act is the state law that governs the practice of a health care profession, including massage therapy. If a licensed professional does something that violates their practice act, their license could be disciplined by suspension, fines, even revocation.
I'm not saying that the masssage therapy practice act in OP's state prohibits massage for cancer patients. I'm simply defining "practice act" in general terms.
If my oncologists say it is fine, why shouldn’t it be fine?
Your oncologists said it's fine but didn't prescribe it. Convince them to prescribe it and refer you to a certified oncological masseuse; maybe your insurance would cover that.
Quote:
Does the spa understand my cancer and my needs better than my oncologists?
No, I wouldn't think that a spa understands your cancer which should be good enough reason to avoid them and see a certified oncological masseuse for now.
Quote:
Also, private business doesn’t actually have the right to decide whom they serve. They can’t discriminate against protected classes and cancer survivors are protected under the umbrella of the ADA.
If you have a disability, but cancer is not always considered a disability. The business has told you they don't have a certified oncological masseuse, and that they could serve you after a specified amount of time.
I am torn about this because from a holistic perspective, an argument could be made that massage could *somehow* be "disturbing." If I were a massage therapist, I might be concerned because you wouldn't want to do anything that could negatively impact the client.
I also understand as a client that you WANT to be massaged, and feel discriminated against.
Maybe a good alternative would be reflexology, or in big cities Chinese Foot Massage . . .
Thanks for that balanced view!
It’s not that I just want to be massaged for relaxation or to feel good (although these are all valid reasons for getting a massage, maybe even more valid for cancer treatment survivors who have suffered so many insults to their body), it’s that I have a chronic pain condition localized to upper left part of my body, primarily my left upper back (my locally advanced i.e. non-metastatic cancer is/was only on the right side of my body). I’ve had the condition for almost twenty years now and have been through so much. Over time, with much trial and error, I have found that I can best manage the condition through rest and modification of my activities, as well as daily stretching and weighted exercise coupled with really good deep tissue massage in that area at least twice a month.
It’s not just that I don’t want to be in pain in that area for 6+ months, but I am concerned that if I let it go that long with no work, the problem will deteriorate. I was actually worried about this during the chemoradiation because I couldn’t do my exercises for a while ... and it did deteriorate somewhat. That is why I was so much looking forward to starting up this treatment again.
I know this might sound strange, but I have found really good massage therapists much much better than physical therapists (although I did have one amazing physical therapist). It’s also not easy to find an affordable massage therapist that works for me. I found one at this place. She is no longer there (she is back in school studying nursing ... or something related). But I am pretty sure they have other good therapists there as well. Guess I won’t know for a while.
Another thing I liked about this place is that it was so convenient. A seven minute drive max. The specialized oncological massage therapist to whom they referred me works 35 minutes away — on a route that involves lots of traffic. I don’t even know if her schedule will match mine or if she will be charging more for a specialized service I neither want nor need. But even if all this works out, I am pretty sure I don’t want to slog my way through 1h 10 minutes of dangerous traffic for a massage. I suppose I will if I have to, but this all feels like some kind of discrimination and unwarranted denial of service to me.
I am also thinking of trying to find an independent therapist who will take me as I am. But I just feel so weary at the thought. And frankly just incredibly hurt. Honestly, this was not the worst experience I’ve had so far in my cancer journey, but definitely the second worst.
Oh yes, one final reason I don’t want some kind of specially-licensed oncology massage therapist is that I am now emotionally done done done done with having my whole life revolve around friggin’ cancer. The absolute last thing I want want when I go for a massage is to have someone talk about my cancer, be sensitive about my cancer, attempt to have a “healing touch” or whatever, or address my cancer in any way. It was localized to one side of my body (that is not the side I care about), yes I know the body is a whole and not the sum of the parts, but massaging and manipulating an area where there was no treatment is simply not going to hurt me or spread the cancer or whatever. Also, the special oil they use is not going to somehow seep into my system and somehow do something untoward. Also, I am feeling fine and my blood tests are all normal (at least the ones related to cancer treatment).
I honestly think there is some discrimination going on since cancer elicits such an exaggerated response from them whereas other conditions don’t seem to. I also suffer from a heart arrythmia that causes bizarre pre-syncope episodes from time to time, but they don’t seem at all that concerned about my having a fatal arrythmia during massage and dropping dead.
Also, frustratingly, they were OK with me having massage therapy before chemoradiation, while I was still being worked up — when I actually had cancer for sure. Now that I am post-chemoradiation, have recovered really well from treatment and have preliminary scans are suggesting something close to a complete response, now they won’t touch me.
Earlier, I said that they will not treat anyone who has cancer, no matter what kind. The actual truth is that they will treat you if you have cancer as long as you haven’t yet had chemo, radiation or surgery. So, if I had chosen to forego treatment and just let my cancer grow, I could still be getting my massage. Wow.
Are you in the position to purchase a massage chair? There are good ones in the $1500 range and it might help with your chronic condition.
I think if I were in your shoes I would go to someone you trust and ask them to only work on the area you would like attention on - if this is someone new, no need to address the cancer - just ask for attention in that one area and leave it at that.
Are you in the position to purchase a massage chair? There are good ones in the $1500 range and it might help with your chronic condition.
I think if I were in your shoes I would go to someone you trust and ask them to only work on the area you would like attention on - if this is someone new, no need to address the cancer - just ask for attention in that one area and leave it at that.
Yeah, I’ll probably wind up doing that after the holidays are over.
And, yep, I already own a pricey massage chair. Actually what is better than the chair is putting a ping pong ball in a sock, draping the sock over your shoulder, then self-massaging by leaning against a wall manipulating your back to get the ball in just the right spot. I always bring my ping pong ball & sock along on vacations just in case .... But nothing beats a therapist with a great brain, the right touch and lots of experience.
BTW, out of curiosity I asked for legal advice on Avvo and already had one lawyer write back saying that in his view their policy was clearly discriminatory, but the key question was whether or not Hand and Stone was sufficiently involved in interstate trade to fall under title III of the American with Disabilities act. He gave me a number to call in the Justice Department to get more info.
But just to be clear, it’s not like I’m currently planning on further ruining my life by getting involved in lawsuit
It’s not that I just want to be massaged for relaxation or to feel good (although these are all valid reasons for getting a massage, maybe even more valid for cancer treatment survivors who have suffered so many insults to their body), it’s that I have a chronic pain condition localized to upper left part of my body, primarily my left upper back (my locally advanced i.e. non-metastatic cancer is/was only on the right side of my body). I’ve had the condition for almost twenty years now and have been through so much. Over time, with much trial and error, I have found that I can best manage the condition through rest and modification of my activities, as well as daily stretching and weighted exercise coupled with really good deep tissue massage in that area at least twice a month.
It’s not just that I don’t want to be in pain in that area for 6+ months, but I am concerned that if I let it go that long with no work, the problem will deteriorate. I was actually worried about this during the chemoradiation because I couldn’t do my exercises for a while ... and it did deteriorate somewhat. That is why I was so much looking forward to starting up this treatment again.
I know this might sound strange, but I have found really good massage therapists much much better than physical therapists (although I did have one amazing physical therapist). It’s also not easy to find an affordable massage therapist that works for me. I found one at this place. She is no longer there (she is back in school studying nursing ... or something related). But I am pretty sure they have other good therapists there as well. Guess I won’t know for a while.
Another thing I liked about this place is that it was so convenient. A seven minute drive max. The specialized oncological massage therapist to whom they referred me works 35 minutes away — on a route that involves lots of traffic. I don’t even know if her schedule will match mine or if she will be charging more for a specialized service I neither want nor need. But even if all this works out, I am pretty sure I don’t want to slog my way through 1h 10 minutes of dangerous traffic for a massage. I suppose I will if I have to, but this all feels like some kind of discrimination and unwarranted denial of service to me.
I am also thinking of trying to find an independent therapist who will take me as I am. But I just feel so weary at the thought. And frankly just incredibly hurt. Honestly, this was not the worst experience I’ve had so far in my cancer journey, but definitely the second worst.
Oh yes, one final reason I don’t want some kind of specially-licensed oncology massage therapist is that I am now emotionally done done done done with having my whole life revolve around friggin’ cancer. The absolute last thing I want want when I go for a massage is to have someone talk about my cancer, be sensitive about my cancer, attempt to have a “healing touch” or whatever, or address my cancer in any way. It was localized to one side of my body (that is not the side I care about), yes I know the body is a whole and not the sum of the parts, but massaging and manipulating an area where there was no treatment is simply not going to hurt me or spread the cancer or whatever. Also, the special oil they use is not going to somehow seep into my system and somehow do something untoward. Also, I am feeling fine and my blood tests are all normal (at least the ones related to cancer treatment).
I honestly think there is some discrimination going on since cancer elicits such an exaggerated response from them whereas other conditions don’t seem to. I also suffer from a heart arrythmia that causes bizarre pre-syncope episodes from time to time, but they don’t seem at all that concerned about my having a fatal arrythmia during massage and dropping dead.
Also, frustratingly, they were OK with me having massage therapy before chemoradiation, while I was still being worked up — when I actually had cancer for sure. Now that I am post-chemoradiation, have recovered really well from treatment and have preliminary scans are suggesting something close to a complete response, now they won’t touch me.
Earlier, I said that they will not treat anyone who has cancer, no matter what kind. The actual truth is that they will treat you if you have cancer as long as you haven’t yet had chemo, radiation or surgery. So, if I had chosen to forego treatment and just let my cancer grow, I could still be getting my massage. Wow.
The spa did the right thing by referring you to a specialist. Other services, doctors, etc., make referrals to specialists all the time when they are not qualified to provide a service. Nothing discriminatory about it.
From MassageTherapy.com:
With proper training, there is always a way for a practitioner to provide skilled touch to those undergoing treatment for cancer. It is wise, however, for bodyworkers to decline massaging cancer patients if they are not yet trained to do so. A practitioner who is not knowledgeable about the special needs of cancer patients should help the client find another therapist who is ...
Each of the three forms of cancer treatment - surgery, chemotherapy and radiation - require certain adaptations to the massage session.
And it goes on to explain why.
You are upset because the spa doesn't allow unqualified employees to work on you.
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