Are Massage & Reflexology Safe During Cancer Treatment? The Truth You Need to Know with BJW

If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer—or are in remission—you may have found yourself asking:

“Is massage still safe for me?”

It’s a simple question, but the answer? Not so simple.

At Bee’s Journey Wellness, I work with cancer clients every day—some who’ve been turned away by well-meaning therapists, and others who were treated without proper safeguarding. So this blog is here to clarify the real risks, the myths, and the potential healing benefits of massage and holistic therapy during cancer treatment and recovery.

🚫 Why Some Clients Are Turned Away from Massage

It often comes as a shock to clients in active treatment—or even long into remission—to hear that many therapists consider cancer a contraindication for massage.

In fact, during standard massage training, the phrase is often repeated:

“Once a cancer patient, always a cancer patient.”

This isn’t a reflection on you as a person—it’s a reflection of the limited scope of most foundational massage qualifications.

Courses such as VTCT and ITEC, which govern the standard certifications for massage therapists in the UK, do not include cancer in their curriculum. Because of this, cancer is automatically treated as a contraindication—and working with someone affected by cancer is not covered by insurance unless the therapist has taken further specialist training.

Most therapists are therefore rightly taught to avoid working with cancer patients entirely—even those long in remission—unless they have the proper qualifications.

⚠️ But What’s More Concerning...

...are the clients who’ve been treated anyway—by therapists who don’t hold specialist oncology qualifications. Often unknowingly, these therapists are working outside their scope of practice, risking complications, discomfort, or unintended harm.

This is why the question “Is massage safe during cancer?” needs to be followed with: “Who is the therapist, and what is their training?”

🎓 My Oncology Training: What Makes It Different

Only about 5% of therapists in the UK hold the qualifications required to work safely and effectively with cancer clients—and even then, not all training is created equal.

Some “oncology massage certifications” are awarded after a single day of attendance. No exams, no case studies, no critical thinking. Just a certificate and a handshake.

My training was nothing like that.

It included:

• In-depth oncology and pathology modules

• Reading and understanding patient notes

• Communicating with hospital consultants, ward teams, and hospice staff

• Rigorous case studies, essays, and final assessments

• Hands-on training in palliative care and end-of-life support

And most importantly: it was backed by thousands of hours of real-world experience with clients facing every stage of cancer.

✅ So—Is Massage Safe for Cancer?

Yes—if you’re in good hands.

With the right therapist, oncology massage and holistic care can be not only safe but profoundly supportive.

💛 What Are the Benefits?

Clients report a range of improvements, including:

• Better sleep, appetite, and pain tolerance

• Reduced nausea, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm

• Greater sense of calm, control, and connection

• A safe space to process difficult emotions without judgement

• A feeling of empowerment, in a time when much feels out of your hands

Massage won’t cure cancer—but it can change your experience of it.

🤝 My Approach

Every client I work with receives a bespoke treatment plan. There is no “routine” in this work—because every body is different, and so is every cancer journey.

Sessions may involve:

• Gentle, nurturing massage techniques

• Reflexology to support digestion, energy flow, and rest

• Guided breathwork or stillness

• Emotional holding space to just be

I see my work as a privilege. To be trusted during such a personal, vulnerable time is something I take deeply to heart.

🌿 Want to Know More?

If you or a loved one is navigating cancer and wondering whether holistic therapy might help, I invite you to reach out for a free

15-minute consultation. There’s no pressure—just information, space, and support.