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Mercy Medi-Spa Massage Therapist Mia Harper demonstrates hand-massage technique for patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

The Medi-Spa At Mercy Offers Massage Therapy For Breast Cancer Patients With Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

The Red Devils, a Baltimore-based nonprofit organization that funds services to improve the quality of life of breast cancer patients in Maryland, has provided support to The Medi-Spa at Mercy to offer massage for patients being treated for breast cancer at the hospital in downtown Baltimore, MD.

Research has shown that massage therapy is beneficial in reducing anxiety, pain, nausea, depression, fatigue and even to boost the immune system of women with breast cancer. Massage can also improve a patient's sleep, reduce scar tissue and stimulate lymphatic flow.

Medi-Spa massage therapist Mia Harper has begun using a new form of hand-massage to treat neuropathy, a condition that causes patients to lose their sense of touch, one of the biggest issues patients encounter during the course of chemotherapy. Ms. Harper instructs patients and their families how to perform the technique themselves so they can continue their therapy once they leave the hospital.

Harper also leads meditation groups and performs Reiki therapy with patients. She also works with patients in the chemotherapy infusion center, Institute for Cancer Care at Mercy, providing hand and foot massage. For details, be sure to check out the June 2009 issue of MASSAGE magazine (www.massagemag.com) which features an interview with Ms. Harper at The Medi-Spa at Mercy.

Located in the lobby of the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Center at Mercy (227 St. Paul Street), The Medi-Spa offers an integrative fusion of rejuvenation treatments, spa services, eastern therapies, and wellness programs that empower the body to heal itself and maintain the balance that encourages individuals to live life at their optimum capacity.

The Medi-Spa is staffed with licensed professionals of skin care, massage therapy, acupuncture, naturopathy and homeopathy. Medi-Spa therapists work to increase energy, providing balance and a sense of well-being while encouraging change from within. For more information, contact Medi-Spa director and esthetician, Donna Chang, R.N., at 410-332-9540 or call 1-800-M.D.-Mercy.