A new pilot study shows that aromatherapy massage relieves constipation in cancer patients. Constipation is oftentimes a side effect of drugs used in cancer treatment.
Researchers from the Department of Oncology, Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong, China, set out to determine the effects of aromatherapy on advanced cancer patients’ constipation, according to a report published on www.pubmed.gov and supplied by Elsevier, publisher of the journal the research appeared in.
The researchers noted that, “The findings of this study suggest aroma massage can help to relieve constipation in patients with advanced cancer.”
“Effectiveness of aroma massage on advanced cancer patients with constipation: A pilot study” will run in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice (2011 Feb;17(1):37-43).
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