After just one 10-minute massage, pain levels decreased significantly. Relaxation therapies speed recovery from cancer surgery . Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic studied 130 people scheduled to have surgery for colorectal cancer. Compared with those who received no music, those who listened to calming music before and after surgery experienced significantly less anxiety, less pain, and faster return of bowel function. They also used 50 percent less medication, and left the hospital sooner.
Exercise helps treat cancer-treatment side effects .
In addition to nausea, chemotherapy, radiation, and bone marrow transplantation are notorious causes of severe fatigue, diarrhea, pain, and loss of muscle strength. German researchers adapted a stationary cycle to allow people receiving high-dose chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants to exercise in bed. The exercise group experienced significantly less fatigue, diarrhea, pain, and loss of strength, and they were able to leave the hospital sooner. Gar Hildenbrand, GL et al. Jaakkola, K et al.