School to Study Massage for Pediatric Oncology Patients

Massage's roles in pediatric oncology will be studied in Canada, thanks to a grant from a children's health foundation there.

The SickKids Foundation presented the $86,923 (U.S.) grant to Centennial College, in Toronto, Ontario, in late March, according to a college press release.

Researchers will study whether gentle massage techniques can be taught easily to parents with children with cancer, and if by teaching parents how to massage their child, both parents and children will feel better.

In a growing number of clinical studies, massage therapy shows promise as a complementary treatment for children with cancer to reduce pain and increase quality of life, according to the release. It also shows promise as an intervention that helps reduce depression and anxiety in the parent giving the massage.

The objective of the study is to develop and test an educational program, for hospital and at-home use, on parent-delivered massage therapy for children with cancer. The program will include in-person instruction, follow-up support, and DVD and print materials.

The investigation team is made up of a national consortium of massage-therapy practitioners, researchers and pediatric oncology specialists. If successful, the educational materials will be made widely available to families. The proejct was scheduled to begin April 1, after this publication's deadline.