Massage therapists get specialised training

A number of cancer patients and those who had the disease in the past have been receiving free medical massages from students of an ongoing Oncology Massage Training programme.

In recent days, women whose bodies have been afflicted by cancer, have been benefiting from touch therapy treatments from massage therapists participating in the course being offered by SRB International Training Spa and TVET Council Barbados.

The 21 therapists have been paying attention to the specific treatment needs of the participating clients during the training sessions taking place at the Council’s Hastings House West, Balmoral Gap, Hastings, Christ Church, under the guidance of medical massage for cancer patients’ specialist Christine Clinton. She came in from the United States to teach the classes that started last Thursday.

During classes on Monday, several of the clients shared how they felt about their experience with members of the media. Forty-seven-year-old Melanie Goodman-Welch, a five year breast cancer survivor who has experienced the touch of the students’ hands on two occasions, said her body has been able to move easier since she received her treatments.

Goodman-Welch, who suffers from lymphedema as a result of having lymph nodes removed as part of her treatment, said the oncology massage has contributed to her feeling less pain.

“My breast cancer was on my right side, so my right arm is oftentimes really heavy and it’s heavy to the point where it hurts. So the draining techniques that were done on me yesterday were very beneficial. My arm was very heavy
under the armpit and now I can move it way better,”
Goodman-Welch said.

Nikita Griffith, 34, who is currently on medication for cancer, said when she received her first treatment on Sunday, she immediately felt better circulation in her legs. Griffith, who has to use a wheelchair because she is paralysed from her waist down, said it was good to experience a relaxed feeling.

Griffith said because cancer is a mental and physical burden, she is happy that the Oncology Massage Training is taking place.

“I just wanted this for so long. People just study appearance but my advice to any cancer patient or anyone who needs a good massage is to just come out because you only live once. You have to enjoy life as it comes. Just experience the massage, don’t be afraid to face no one,” Griffith said

Fifty-two-year-old Carolyn Corbin was also one who benefitted from two medical massage treatments which she said contributed significantly to easing the pain she was feeling prior to the sessions.

“The session was really good. I really believe that this is a very good thing going because I know persons who did not have this treatment or therapy and they stiffen up and kind of get withdrawn. But for me, as a cancer survivor and both my mom and my dad got cancer and I see what they went through and this is very encouraging. If they offer 20 treatments I coming,” Corbin said.

During an official opening of the six weeks course on Monday, Executive Director of TVET Council Henderson Eastmond said the Council was pleased to be partnering with SRB International Spa to organise the course.

Eastmond said the Oncology training is the first of TVET working with broad sector bodies to address the need for advanced cutting-edged training for technical professions, including careers in medicine, creative industries, and agriculture, among others.

“We want to bring training to the island that we don’t have. We want to upscale our workforce. We have a higher level thrust in terms of the higher level NVQ/CVQ standards that we are partnering with our institutions to deliver, and this course is a part of that too.

“We have people here from the Samuel Jackman Prescod Institute (SJPI), we have people here from the Barbados Community College (BCC), the major training institutions. When we up-skill them, then we will be able to up-skill the population. We are looking to develop technical degrees for these institutions to deliver in technical areas that the university doesn’t do,” Eastmond said.

At the end of the course, the students will receive an international qualification from the Standards Authority

for Touch in Cancer Care (SATCC), the International Therapy Examination Council (ITEC), and the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Body Works, among others.

Clinton said the training was an important initiative to boost Barbados’ cancer care offerings and to encourage persons living with the health issue to live a better life and to live comfortably in their own skin.

Clinton said it was important for massage therapists to understand that they do not have to deny cancer patients treatments because they do not understand what to do and how to do it. “So these classes are all about improving the skill sets of these therapists that no matter where they are in the world, if they are working on cruise ships or they are working outside the island that they bring these skills with them.

“These are lifelong skills and in order to continue with SATC standards, they are re-evaluated every two years. So we know that we are going to be teaching the very best and your therapist here on the island will be the very best,” Clinton said.

Previously, students of PBHT School of Holistic Therapies Inc. also received training in oncology massage in 2012. (AH)