Team Challenge, Crohn’s and Colitis Walk/Run

Posted in: Uncategorized by chirocare on March 29, 2010

Team Challenge is the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s new endurance training program. This exciting new fundraising program trains you to run or walk a half marathon while helping the Foundation raise funds to find a cure for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

On Saturday May 8th and Saturday May 22nd Dr. Tushaus will be at Creve Coeur Park helping the runners and walkers of Team Challenge.  Pre and post-event Sports Massage is a perfect way to avoid injury while training and keep the competitive edge while racing.  Dr. Tushaus and MollieShea volunteer their time to help the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation’s Mid-America Chapter practice for the half marathons this Summer is Boston and Napa. 

For more information go to ccteamchallenge.org

Massage Therapy and Mesothelioma

Posted in: Blog by chirocare on March 18, 2010

Mesothelioma.com is a leading web resource for those affected by mesothelioma cancer, a rare form of cancer that occurs in the lining of the lungs and abdomen.  In recent years Massage Therapy has been increasingly intergrated into palliative cancer treatment programs, including those for patients battling mesothelioma.  Mesothelioma.com counts massage therapy as an Alternative Treatment along with Chiropractic, Acupuncture and TENS therapy.  

Individuals who suffer from mesothelioma, a debilitating and painful form of cancer, may greatly benefit from massage. Massage is not a curative treatment option, but when combined with traditional cancer treatment methods, such as chemotherapy, massage can be an integral part of a mesothelioma patient’s healing plan. Patients who experience massage in conjunction with other treatments have reported a lessening of pain and an overall feeling of calm and relaxation.  Patients who wish to implement massage into their treatment plan should consult with their physician prior to beginning any new methods.

Please visit Meothelioma.com for more information.

Therapeutic Massage and Palliative Cancer Therapy

In recent years the role of alternative therapies in cancer care has transformed the way many patients cope with illness and related side of effects. An older paradigm suggested that cancer could only be effectively treated with traditional treatments like surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Many patients refused this notion and sought alternative therapies outside of their treatment regimen not were not only relaxing but eased side-effects associated with traditional treatment regimens, including those caused y chemotherapy drugs.

Today, not only patients but also the medical establishment recognizes the importance of alternative therapies, and particularly the importance of massage therapy in comprehensive cancer care. Massage, like most alternative cancer therapies, is most effective when used in conjunction with traditional treatments.

Massage is unique in alternative cancer therapy because it is able to remedy feelings of isolation that many patients battling a difficult disease encounter. The experience of human contact is particularly important when facing a difficult diagnosis and massage can provide that unique experience to cancer patients, who often succumb to feelings of being overwhelmed by the nature of their diagnosis, family implications, and other difficulties associated with cancer treatments.

Often, the most valuable treatments to patients battling a difficult diagnosis are those which can allow the patient to be as comfortable as possible. Patients battling aggressive cancers, such as mesothelioma, often forgo traditional treatments which will put their body through a great deal of stress and discomfort in favor of those such as massage, which provide peace of mind and comfort. Patients undergoing chemotherapy often find that treatments which are able to relax their mind and body, will dramatically lessen side effects like nausea, restlessness, and fever.

As with any treatment, massage therapy may or may not benefit a particular patient’s treatment regimen. However, given the positive experience many patients have benefited from, it is certainly worth exploring. Maximizing your cancer treatment with cooperation between patient, family, and physician will allow patients to live longer, healthier, and be more comfortable, which is the goal of all comprehensive therapies.