Mammoirs: From Breast Scare to Breast Care - Breast Remedy

Is ALL Massage Just Palliative Care?

Aubrey Lesicki — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 04:37:24 +0000

Palliative: Medical care that relieves pain, symptoms and stress caused by serious illnesses, improving patients' quality of life. ~ https://getpalliativecare.org/whatis/

...Offers pain and symptom management and emotional and spiritual support when you face a chronic, debilitating or life-threatening illness. ~ http://www.mayoclinic.org

Is ALL massage just palliative care? What started this inquiry is my disillusionment with evidence-based medicine. I have recently viewed many posts citing “massage myths”. These center around whether or not there is sufficient "evidence" that massage has any influence on "toxins" (let's call them cellular metabolites and have a different conversation) or if drinking water is helpful after massage (only if you don't already drink enough water, so probably YES). I'm tired of being told there is "not sufficient evidence" that massage improves anything, except to reduce pain.

After watching the living-fascia-in-motion video “Strolling Under the Skin” by Dr. Jean-Claude Guimberteau, I no longer believe we currently have the technology available to adequately study the effects of massage in a cost effective manner. Massage is potentially treating fascia and lymph fluid at a microscopic level. No massage therapists have access to this level of micro technology to truly see how fascia is being altered by massage. At least not in a way that will “prove” to Newtonian scientists that massage is an invaluable medical treatment. The video refers to fascial structure as “fractal chaos”. Our current “double blind study” methodology is primitive when compared to the quantum physics involved in such a dynamic system.

That being said, so what?? Billions of dollars are spent on massage each year (AMTA Industry Fact Sheet). I cannot argue with the evidence of capitalism. If massage wasn’t beneficial for many conditions, people would not pull hard-earned money out of their pockets to spend on it. I choose to treat each of my clients as an experiment of n=1. That does not mean that I do not study massage techniques, theory and research in developing my treatments with clients. But the primary qualities I look for in a treatment are “Is it helping without harming?” not, "Does a (questionably sponsored) study tell me it works?"

So let’s say that massage doesn’t “fix” ANYTHING. It is completely ineffective in altering any medical condition whatsoever. The power of palliating symptoms can be the difference between life and suicide for some clients. I recently received a thank you card from a client stating “…not sure I could have made it through that period without you.” I will defer to higher minds than mine to develop a statistically significant experiment demonstrating that particular effect of massage.

In the 21st century, the medical model is moving toward teamwork, with a multidisciplinary approach to treatment. Perhaps massage therapy - in and of itself - is not the cure-all we would like it to be. However, when it is mixed with other types of bodywork (osteopathy, acupuncture, psychology, physical therapy, etc) in a holistic manner, how could that synergy change the results? Perhaps 1 + 1 = 3?

Diminishing the power of massage strictly because the effects cannot be documented on a piece of paper in a linear way is short-sighted. It also gives insurance companies more ammunition to deny coverage for massage therapy. Some other questions that we could be asking instead:

How are clients more consistent with their other medical treatments when they are made more comfortable through massage?
How does the effect of touch improve the mindset of clients such that they appreciate their bodies and make other healthy, positive changes in their lifestyle?
How many toxic pain medicines were avoided due to the pain relieving effects of massage?

Apparently these anecdotal effects are worth billions of dollars to citizens in the US, but only worth about $58 per hour to Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

And I will always see them as priceless.

~Aubrey

PS: If the term "Palliative Care" confuses you, please please register for Meg Robsahm's hospice massage and oncology massage classes. She magically makes these intimidating topics simple, yet profound. Her Master's in Education was clearly earned - her teaching style engages all types of learners. I have enjoyed every minute of class I have spent with her.

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Board of Massage Business Meeting : 09-11-2015

Aubrey Lesicki — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 07:54:14 +0000

To best follow along with this report, please download a copy of the draft of the proposed code changes here. You can see the current code here. I know this is long, but these are the notes I took during the meeting and I wanted to get this information out right away. I’m notating 5.5 hours of talk, so it takes a few pages. I can’t spoon feed you everything! - JK! ;-)
Download a pdf to read offline here.

Another way to keep up with all this information: please consider attending my monthly Massage Mastermind meetings in West Seattle. I will relate the most recent updates, people will ask questions, we will all brainstorm how to be a bigger part of this process, as well as how to modify our current practices to prepare for some of these changes. It’s way fun and there are snacks! Next one is scheduled for September 29th at 6:30pm.

Board of Massage Business Meeting 09-11-2015

Discussed license transfer credentialing process - proposed using the MBLEx or national test and certain minimum number of hours for training, plus certain amount of time in practice with license in good standing. This went over well with the Board and the audience and this text will likely be added to the code.

LICENSING

246-830-035 : licensing without examination

This section will be changed to "licensure by endorsement" and completely re-written for next meeting to include details listed above. The goal is to remove the wording that applicants must attend a WA Board approved school, because we live in a big world with more massage schools than the Board could ever review, so maybe it’s a little short sited to require every therapist moving to Washington attend a school in Washington before they can work here and earn a living.

246-830-201 : scope of examination

Discussion of limiting the number of times a student can re-take the exam. There is concern because people are taking the test multiple times to steal the exam questions. In some cases the same person repeated the test over a dozen times! I had no idea that stealing exam questions pays that well. I’m in the wrong business. Also the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) is proposing a max limit because their studies show that a person failing a test 6 times will never pass it (USMLE test for medical doctors, as well as physical therapy licensing exam both have a max number of retakes). They are going to wait to see what happens at the next FSMTB meeting month and draft for next meeting a new policy. This will most likely state that the student must return to school to repeat remedial training after 3 failed attempts, then bar the student from practicing after 6 failed attempts. It was also proposed to have a certain minimum passing grade to re-take the exam.

EDUCATION

246-830-420 : approval of massage school apprenticeship program

Discussion of creating a minimum ratio of number of instructors to students and the minimum level of experience, similar to the 3 years of expertise required for teaching continuing ed. They will defer to suggestions from Washington Workforce for these guidelines. WA Workforce will be invited to the next meeting. You will begin to notice a pattern of deferring to other organizations if you stay tuned.

246-830-xxx : denial or withdrawal of approval for a massage program

Again, concern about fraud. In some cases students were found to be not actually completing the class hours that the school said they did, but passing them anyway. Proposed adding an auditing procedure to review a school's records to verify they are not pushing students through or allowing a fake transcript. This would require the board to delineate exactly what records they want the schools to have on file. This will be a new section called “auditing".

246-830-xxx : reinstatement of approval for a massage or apprenticeship program

Discussion to clarify the difference between approval lapsing due to being late to submit renewal paperwork, versus if the approval was revoked. Language is obviously unclear, because the Board spent 10 minutes discussing what it meant, changing their minds, and then realizing they really weren’t sure what was intended in the first place. There needs also to be a process for an investigation if there is complaint, versus a site review as part of the school approval process. Language needs to change to clarify remedying deficiencies vs revocation of approved status. This will go back to legal counsel to rework.

246-830-xxx : appeal rights

This section will be moved above the reinstatement section

246-830-430 : training

(2D) no more than 8 hours of training per day or maximum number of massages performed per day. Discussion to review this requirement with WA Workforce. Likely will change to no more than 8 hrs in a given day and no more than 5 days in a given week.

(2F) no more than ??? Hours of online training: this will be deferred to public comment from school owners as to what would work for them. Guidelines will likely include a maximum number of online hours allowed and what topics of study will be eligible. The Board is really hesitant to allow any online curriculum. I am having a hard time not being a bigoted age-ist here. Yes, massage therapy is a hands on profession, but I don’t need to sit in a classroom to learn about the contents of a cell or the hormones secreted by the pituitary. It could benefit the schools and the students to be able to utilize some video lectures online in the curriculum. Reduce some fossil fuel emissions, hug some trees, rinse and repeat.

(3) text added "the curriculum in massage therapy must include at least the following."

(3a)This used to be 130 hours of anatomy, physiology and kinesiology. Lengthy discussion to now make this say Will now say ninety hours A&P and 40 hours kinesiology. Any previously approved school will stay approved and have to meet this requirement at their next recertification date.

(3c) 265 hours will be reduced to 215 and a new, separate subsection (3d) will likely be created requiring minimum 50 hours of student clinic, which is overseen by faculty (not just anyone) and has a certain minimum ratio of instructors to students (discussed previously). Of course, there is no mention at any point during this discussion, nor at previous meetings, of actually amending any of this language to be greater than 500 hours of training. I can hear steam coming out of the ears of my colleagues, but they keep their cool and I am proud of them.

(4) English language proficiency requirements may be needed because there are practitioners being brought under investigation and legal counsel is having to provide interpreters for them. This is expensive for the State. Also, some concern that these practitioners can't communicate with other health care practitioners and could be a safety risk. And frequently diploma mills are issuing fake certificates to immigrants who are being sold into brothels. This could potentially help reduce this. Requiring TOEFL was discussed. Also was discussed how to word this without being discriminatory. The word “profiling” was bandied about with much concern. Will possibly put this requirement into the school approval process requirement, and put the onus on the schools to review students for proficiency. You could palpate the indignation in the room when they suggested that one!

246-830-440 : curriculum - academic standard - faculty student clinic

Possibly include reference to an instructor-student ratio at this section (clearly there needs to be some consolidation around this, since there is reference to it in three different sections).

246-830-475 : continuing education

(B) discussion on removing the CPR requirements to move to the license renewal section, so going forward, a CPR class would no longer count toward the 24 total hours. If you have let your CPR card expire, best start looking into renewing it. The Board is not going to budge on this.

MASSAGE BUSINESS

246-830-xxx : equipment

The reflexology group thoroughly re-worked these last year, so the Board will refer to their language and put that in here.

246-830-xxx : hygiene

No changes. This section is important though, as I have seen this happen at many places (though I would never, ahem, be guilty of this myself, ahem.) “Impervious material must cover, full length, all massage tables or pads, directly under fresh sheets and linens or disposable paper sheets.” That means that there needs to be something plastic-ish between the sheet and the fluffy lambs wool thing. Unless you are washing the fluffy lambs wool thing between every client. oops.

DISCIPLINARY

246-830-xxx : scope of practice

(1a) Gluteal cleft, below tip of cleft, anus and rectum; NOTE: I made a comment that this line has an error and should read "Gluteal cleft below tip of coccyx, anus and rectum;

246-830-xxx : breast massage

246-830-xxx : draping

These areas were skipped as they had been discussed in detail during the Jan 9 and March 6 meetings. Not to my satisfaction, but nobody asked me. More on this in the public comment section.

246-830-xxx : recordkeeping

Discussion to make record keeping exceptions for brief chair massages. It did not go over well with the Board.

Public Comment is supposed to happen now, but the discussion has gone over time and one of the Board members needs to leave early, so the school reviewed two states to see if they would meet WA State requirements to be eligible for license transfer here. There was some disagreement here about Roberts Rules of Order. Then they decided to move Public Comment until after lunch. They clearly need to eat if they are arguing about Roberts Rules, because nobody with healthy blood sugar cares about this. This schedule change is unfortunate, though, because not everyone could stay that long and some public attendees had to leave.

*LUNCH *

I had the opportunity to speak with some of the therapists and massage school owners in attendance. The repeated theme was that therapists are trying very hard to have input in this process and are not seeing ANY response from the comments they are submitting in writing or in person at the meeting. In essence, suggestions are being made repeatedly, but they are not showing up in the Board’s discussion, nor in the draft itself. What gives?

PUBLIC COMMENT

The overwhelming message from the public is they are NOT happy with the procedure for reviewing the draft and the public feels excluded. The most recent draft of the code is not being released to attendees, there is NO detail as to which sections of the code will be discussed or not discussed during the meeting, and there is NO response to letters mailed and emailed with comments, questions and suggestions. The gestalt is that there is a huge lack of TRANSPARENCY in this process. There is no listing on the Massage Therapist page of the DOH website that all these huge changes are under way. At one point the Board reveals that there is a place on the website to make comments on the current draft (!!!!!). No one in the audience is aware of this and wants to know more. One of the Board members doesn’t think it is necessary for the Board to “spoon feed” us this information. Snap! I get on my tablet and spend 10 minutes searching for this comment section on the interwebs. Can’t find it. Spent another 20 minutes at home looking for it. Can’t find it. I have emailed the Board asking for the link and will share it when I have it.

In that vein, public attendees offered to host Town Hall type meetings or panels that the Board members would be encouraged to attend. (Or you could attend my Mastermind. Just sayin’.) The hope is that this would help therapists understand the proposed changes and possibly suggest other avenues for change that would work better for therapists and for the public. If the Board explained some of its rational for these changes, maybe therapists would get behind it instead of getting adversarial. (There is definitely some heat behind some of the comments made, so this is no small point. If this process is going to last at least another SIX months, we better all stay friendly.)

The breast massage section needs to include a reference to wellness, as opposed to only allowing breast massage for a "medical condition”. I see heads nod on the Board, but I don’t see where this turns into any change in the draft code, or where it will show up on the next agenda. I have stated at a previous meeting, and submitted in writing that the training requirements to perform breast massage should be better delineated. Another public member made a similar comment. I have no indication that this suggestion will make it into the draft. But I will persevere….

There was considerable concern about the record keeping requirements. Particularly, who owns the records and is responsible for maintenance? Many therapists are independent contractors and are hired to work at companies on site. Does the company or the therapist need to maintain these records? If a therapist is employed at a clinic, who is responsible for those records if the therapist leaves that job? Another significant concern was to how it would be possible at a large public event to track all of these records? It seems largely untenable. If there isn’t some sort of give on this, therapists are not going to be volunteering to give chair massages at charity events. It will be too time consuming to get all this paperwork together and maintain it afterwards. One public attendee had a BRILLIANT suggestion: she maintains her chair massage records by date of event, as opposed to alphabetically. That way she doesn’t have 3 million manila folders with one half-sheet of paper in them.

The draping section with consent for undraping is confusing. It was suggested to consider putting part of this in the record keeping section, to include a requirement for a written consent that delineates certain draping borders that will be utilized during treatment. People again mentioned that draping male chests seems ludicrous. The Board is seriously attached to this one though and feels they have discussed it enough. I was there when they discussed it and I still don’t quite get it.

Multiple public attendees expressed desire to have the minimum hours required for massage training to be increased from 500 to 625 hours. The majority of states in the US have adopted training requirements that are higher than 500 hours and Washington is now behind the times.

This is where the magic happens!! The Board members finally explain that the primary objective of the code is to protect the public safety and reduce the cost of investigations. That’s it. So if you have a concern about any of the proposed changes and you cannot make an argument that it will save money or help protect the public, you will not be heard. Public attendees begin to site multiple examples of how the increase in required hours will benefit public safety. This includes a suggestion that more professional conduct teaching as part of primary training would reduce public complaints and investigations. I feel like someone has just handed me the Rosetta Stone to bureaucromancy. Public comment section is over. The meeting continues, but my allergy to stale hot air can no longer be remedied with eye rolling and I make my escape.

If you are excited, confused, scared, fired up, nauseous from all this information- do consider attending my monthly Massage Mastermind meetings in West Seattle. I was serious about the fun and the snacks! Click here to register.

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What is Massage Mastermind?

Aubrey Lesicki — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 06:42:42 +0000

“The ‘Master Mind’ may be defined as coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.” ~Napoleon Hill

Mastermind is a concept originally made popular by Napoleon Hill in his book “Think and Grow Rich” (1938)"* Napoleon Hill experienced the “Master Mind” twenty-five years prior to publishing his book. He kindly gave credit for this concept to the steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. I really appreciate the ideas of spirit and energy that this author brings to business and finance, especially at a time in history when the world was experiencing extreme financial tragedy.

In some ways this is a very similar time. Many massage therapists have business and clinic situations that appear to be overwhelming. Bodyworkers tend to be solo practitioners. We got into this field because we like helping people and have a healing touch. Anatomy and pathology fascinates us. Our natural curiosity about people and their problems draws clients to us. It can be extremely challenging to apply these innate skills to advertising strategies, accounting spreadsheets and office scheduling policies. It’s just not our cup of herbal tea. What if we could come together with other health care practitioners and vent our frustrations, hear how others have solved their problems and perhaps pick up a new business skill in the process? Let’s leave our ideas of scarcity and competition at home. Instead, let’s open ourselves to the power of synchronicity and common purpose...

...Enter Massage Mastermind!

The format: A facilitator speaks on a popular topic (for instance, the current proposed legislative changes in Washington for Massage Therapy) and the attendees utilize or disregard this information as they see fit. Ideally, the lecture will spark ideas to focus on a particular business or clinical situation. After the lecture, everyone divides into groups to bring concentrated attention to a particular challenge at hand. Each person takes a turn outlining her problem and receiving feedback from teammates. The round is completed when the student has an action plan that is appropriate for to move forward. What I love about the Mastermind format, is that people from different walks of life come together with the intent of listening to a stranger’s problems and helping her come up with the best possible solutions. I am very excited to be offering these monthly, evening Mastermind Classes in a structured but relaxed and inspiring format.

The cost is $25 per class and you will receive a certificate for 2 CEs at the end of each evening. Register here.

Think and Grow Rich : This book is now considered public domain and can be perused online free of charge

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Proposed Changes to Regulations on Breast Massage in Washington State

Aubrey Lesicki — Sat, 16 May 2015 00:19:00 +0000

I am writing to let everyone know about proposed changes in the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) regarding breast massage in Washington State. This year the WAC for massage therapy is being reviewed and updated - in its ENTIRETY. This is a big undertaking. The Board of Massage for the Department of Health is meeting every eight weeks for the next year to see this completed mid 2016. The Board is proposing a new section of the code specifically delineating the do’s and don’ts of breast massage. Proposed changes will include requiring separate written consent for treating breast tissue and undraping the breast, offering a chaperone to be present during the treatment, having a written prescription prior to working on the nipple, and maintaining records documenting training for massage to the nipple.

A written copy of the proposed changes was circulated at the meeting on May 8th. Reviewing this draft, I felt it was not in the public’s best interest to have a training requirement for massage therapy to the nipple, but not the rest of the breast. I know of one primary massage school in Washington State that includes any breast massage as part of its curriculum. This is a service that is sorely needed by women with breast health issues, but needs to be performed with adequate care and competency. Currently, the vast majority of massage therapists have no training in breast anatomy and breast massage. It would be a shame to do all the work of addressing this service in the WAC and then have it misused or misunderstood. Thus, I am sending this letter (below) to the Board of Massage. You are welcome to copy it and personalize it for yourself. Megan Brown is the Program Manager for the Board of Massage and she welcomes input from everyone. Her email is Megan.Brown@doh.wa.gov. The next meeting is July 10th at 9am in Tumwater, WA.

Dear Board Members, I am writing to propose that subsection 3-a of proposed draft rules WAC 246-830-xxx on Breast Massage be moved to subsection 1-e of the same rule. As it is currently proposed, additional training beyond primary massage education, would only be required for areola treatment, but not required for massage of the rest of the breast.

Women in many different phases of life, from lactation and wellness, to surgery and oncology, will be seeking this service. This is a highly specialized arena in women's health and, thus, requires a high level of experience and maturity. Depending on a therapist's area of expertise, this training might include extensive study of oncology massage, obstetrical massage, lymphatic massage and/or surgical massage, in addition to specialized breast care training.

I regularly practice breast massage with my clients, as well as teaching continuing education classes in breast care, so I may be considered biased. But my experience with massage students is that there is a complete dearth of training on the topic of breast anatomy, physiology, and pathology in primary massage schools. Personally, I had to travel all over the country to find high level training in breast massage. I put forth this effort because this treatment is so beneficial for relieving breast health issues.

Breast massage should be readily available for women experiencing breast pain, engorgement, breast cancer, and post-surgical scarring, as well as for wellness and spa massage. But not without advanced training. It would be a terrible loss for a woman to avoid these healthful services because she was treated inappropriately by someone who was not familiar with the issues involved in treating this delicate tissue.

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How Breast Cancer Care Affects Massage Therapists

Aubrey Lesicki — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 12:13:42 +0000

On March 3, 2015, Meg Robsahm and I hosted a pilot class on Breast Cancer Recovery. The title of the class was "How Breast Cancer Care Affects Massage Therapists."

I have had breast cancer recovery training on my bucket list for awhile now. My curriculumn development has thus far focused on healthy breast massage. But there are 2.7 million breast cancer survivors, and 1.6 million breast biopsies are performed every year. Depending on the source of reference, only 10-20% of these biopsies are actually breast cancer (1). So every year, approximately 1.4 million women think they might have breast cancer, and then find out they don't. So there is this segment of the population that has been drafted by the War on Breast Cancer, but not asked to fight on the front lines. These women need also need support.

During the lecture, two women highly recommended a class sponsored by Klose Training on breast cancer recovery. And it is coming to Seattle March 21-22. I have wanted to take this class for awhile, but I had other commitments and a low cash flow, so I didn't register. Yet two women in one night brought up this class. And the next morning, I received a message from the school offering me $100 discount off the registration price if I could fill a vacant spot in the class. I take messages in threes pretty seriously.

So I’m rearranging my schedule to accommodate this class, but rearranging my bank account is a little trickier. The class is $450, I have a $100 discount, but I still need $350. So I’m here to make a deal.

The pilot class on March 3rd went very well. But it was made abundantly clear that this material is urgently needed in the bodywork community. I would like to make it so that massage therapists have access to the same information as the physical therapists at a reasonable cost.

The next class to be offered is a 3-hour, video lecture on breast cancer recovery in a bodywork practice, to be released April 29th. The class will tell 2 stories. The first story is the development of a breast tumor in a client that presents to a massage therapy office. How does a massage therapist safely support this woman during that transition? The second story (and to my mind the more exciting story) is about a woman who was offered breast massage and self-care education and how that changed the outcome.

The regular price is $45, but since this is new material, I would like to offer it to you for $35. If 10 people register by Monday, that will raise the necessary funds for me to attend the Klose class. I will further offer a $35 discount on the continuing education workshop to be developed from this material. This is a bit of an extended rain check, as a hands-on workshop will not be forthcoming for another 8-12 months. Consider it a long-term investment in the future of breast health.

Click here to purchase this lecture. Or share this information with a bodywork professional or breast cancer survivor that would value this opportunity.

Use this link if the comment box and share link do not appear below.

(1) http://knowerror.com/biopsy-types/breast/

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Is breast massage hard to learn?

Aubrey Lesicki — Sat, 21 Feb 2015 23:51:33 +0000

I love my job. I don't think of it as "hard" in the physical sense, when compared to other labors. But sometimes I feel so worn out at the end of the day and I can't comprehend what happened.

There are different kinds of "hard" in the world. During breast massage class, and during treatment sessions, I have to answer many daunting questions. What is a cyst? Why would I get a mammogram instead of an thermogram? How do I reduce chest pain in a client recovering from breast reconstruction? It is a constant shuffle between memories of facts I have researched, stories I have experienced, calculations I have made about how much material to teach in this lecture/session, and promises I must keep to the students to give them what they came here for, rather than what I think they "should" get. This requires giving responsible and impartial information. It is mentally challenging. After class, it is sometimes hard for me to speak with anyone using more than monosyllabic responses.

On a deeper level, it has taken me years to suss out how my proprioceptors (sensing nerves) communicate information to me, and how to translate these messages into therapeutic movements and words. There is a dearth of education available on breast massage and I have had to create some of the work as I go. While working hands-on with a client, I am gathering dozens of pieces of data. How does this tissue feel? What is its story? Where does it relate to other areas of tension? Is it medically safe for me to work here? Does the client feel emotionally safe with me treating her breast tissue? Why is she crying?

This woman is grieving the loss of a loved one to breast cancer. That woman is releasing the anger of a breast surgery gone awry. This woman is rejoicing in experiencing safe, comforting touch in an area that was once abused. My proprioceptors physically pick up this emotional data too, in a way that I can't explain. It can be overwhelming to be in this moment, but not of this moment, at the same time.

When this happens, I return to my lessons in Vipassana meditation. It's not about me. I don't have to know all the answers. It's not my job to fix every hurt in the world. I just need to listen to my heart and truly hear what is said to me, then move and speak (or remain silent) accordingly. "Don't fix, just be," it says. This discipline of presence argues with the codependent doctrine learned early in my life. Winning the debate can exact a spiritual toll.

But by the end of the treatment, the women are smiling and hopeful. They leave the clinic with "em-power tools." At return visits, they report actually doing their self-care assignments (!!) and I can feel the improvement in the breast tissue texture and now it's my turn to smile.

So I have stopped comparing myself to others. When feeling into my fatigue at the end of the day, I recognize a sense of accomplishment and gratitude that feeds my soul. A muscle has been exercised that extends my presencing endurance and leaves me curious as to what the next session will bring. In this life I bring a crucible in which women join together and add ingredients from their lives to advance breast care for the generations to come. That much is enough.

I share this to let massage therapists know some of the things they might experience when getting involved in therapeutic breast massage. The dedication to learning and teaching a new skill may be demanding, but it has made me a better practitioner and a better person in all areas of my life.

Consider how you might begin to explore this topic. Please comment below about one small thing that you want to do to start this journey. It can be as simple as sharing a link to one of my pages that inspires you to reach out to others, or downloading my self-care handouts to learn how to better care for your own breasts. Register for a class in Seattle. It may be hard at first, but you will be rewarded for your courage.

Use this link if the comment box and share link do not appear below.

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Afraid of Breast Cancer? A Little Knowledge is the Breast Remedy.

Aubrey Lesicki — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 22:06:27 +0000

*Please, stop feeling badly about your breasts. *

Just stop it. Right now.

"But breast cancer runs in my family." So what. Only 10% of cancers are due to inherited genetic mutations. (1)

"But my breasts hurt so often. The doctor said they are fibrocystic." Unfortunately, you are in the majority. Over 50% of women have fibrocystic breasts and/or dense breasts. (2) When this many women have a condition, perhaps it should not be treated as a disease? Massage is known to reduce adhesions and decrease congestion. Specifically, breast massage could help. You could learn to do this for yourself in 5 minutes. (3)

"I don't want to touch my breasts. I might find something." Over 90% of breast lumps investigated are found to be benign (4). There is a difference between lumps and bumps. Practicing hands-on techniques with a breast model will help you learn the difference. You can purchase a model for yourself for a nominal fee. (5)

"So many breast cancer correlations are out of my control (e.g. age of onset of puberty, not breast feeding, age of onset of menopause). What can I really do to prevent this?" Many natural diet (eating foods rich in iodine, magnesium, vitamin D) and lifestyle changes (exercise) are showing promise for improving breast health. Taking what we know about the cause of breast cancer can lead us away from breast scare and toward breast care. (6)

"What about the 1-in-8 chance of developing breast cancer?" A 1-in-8 chance of developing breast cancer also means you have an 88% chance of NOT developing breast cancer. In depth study reveals that this risk changes throughout your lifetime. (7) Let’s all remember that we can choose to think and act in more positive ways. Being afraid increases cortisol and anxiety. This sympathetic nervous response has recently been found to increase the chances of breast cancer metastasizing. (8) Meanwhile, positive attitudes improve health in myriad ways.

Evolutionary biologists now theorize that the development of breasts in humans may be responsible for increasing our frontal lobe development and advancing our species! (9) Let's nourish these amazing endowments; honor and keep them 'till death do us part.

Empower yourself with education. Join me and other amazing women at the Centered in Wellness clinic in Kirkland for a fun and fact-filled conversation on Wednesday, February 25th at 7pm. It will be fruitful- attendees will receive free self-care education materials and a coupon for a 15% discount toward a massage and/or education session with Aubrey, your mammarologist. (10)

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(1) http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/understand_bc/statistics (2) http://www.breasthealthproject.com/breast-cysts.html (3) http://www.breastremedyseattle.com/self-care-handouts/ (4) http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/womens-health/in-depth/breast-lump/art-20044839 (5) https://mammacare.com/product/self-breast-exam-kit/ (6) http://blog.dslrf.org/?p=56 (Dr. Susan Love) (7) McGinn, Kerry Ann; The Young Woman's Breast Health Book: Breast changes that are not cancer, for women in their 20s, 30s, & 40s; 2012 Gray Dog Press; Spokane, WA (8) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK84265/ (9) Williams, Florence; Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History; 2012, W. W. Norton & Company, New York City, NY (10) http://www.breastremedyseattle.com/about-aubrey/

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Alternative treatments to support breast cancer care coming to U-W?

Aubrey Lesicki — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 22:02:05 +0000

In April 2014, Aubrey was invited to the 12th Annual Harborview Medical Center to participate in the Palliative Care Conference. This was sponsored by the University of Washington Palliative Care Center of Excellence. Leila Kozak PhD, a Clinical Champion from the VA Puget Sound Health System, presented "Evidence, Indications and Integration of Complementary Therapies for Comfort Care." Here is a link to Leila's lecture.

Sadly, U-W Palliative Care Center of Excellence is one of the few major university programs that is still lacking a complementary and alternative medicine program as an integrated part of their end of life and cancer care centers. This was the first year the conference invited alternative medicine practitioners to participate.

The conference was attended by many medical professionals from throughout the Puget Sound area. Aubrey and many other alternative medicine practitioners offered short complementary sessions on massage, reflexology, acupuncture, healing touch, aromatherapy and music healing. Hundreds of conventional medical clinicians were able to experience what comfort alternative medicine can bring to those suffering through chronic illness or at the end of life.

Based on the response to the lecture and the sample sessions, it is hopeful that U-W will move forward with adding this much needed service to its program. Alternative medicine is invaluable addition to treatment plans supporting women undergoing breast cancer care.

In the meantime, here is something you can do to support your loved ones healing their breast cancer. Leila co-authored "Compassionate Intention As a Therapeutic Intervention by Partners of Cancer Patients: Effects of Distant Intention on the Patients' Autonomic Nervous System” (1) . Here is a link to the abstract.

This study was able to determine that a person’s autonomic nervous system was activated when someone sent them healing intention from a distance.

The next Palliative Care Conference is April 27-28, 2015 , in Seattle's University District. It is a multi-disciplinary event and all health care professionals are welcome to attend. Alternatively, consider attending the seminar "How breast cancer care affects massage therapists" hosted by the Trillium Institute for Bodywork on March 3, 2015 at 5pm (also in the U District). Meg Robsahm is certified in oncology massage and has been teaching Massage for People Living with Cancer for many years. She and I will co-teach ways in which breast cancer recovery presents itself in a bodywork practice, as well as breast cancer resources to educate you and your clients.

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(1) The Journal of Science and Healing
Volume 4, Issue 4 , Pages 235-243, July 2008
Dean Radin, PhDemail address, Jerome Stone, MA, RN, Ellen Levine, PhD, Shahram Eskandarnejad, MD, Marilyn Schlitz, PhD, Leila Kozak, PhD, Dorothy Mandel, PhD, Gail Hayssen

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Diuretics and Breast Pain

Aubrey Lesicki — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 22:44:11 +0000

I recently treated a client who is dealing with "pitting edema with unknown etiology." The major difference between "unknown" and "idiopathic" edema is that the client hasn't completed a work up yet to rule out all the possible causes. So he has "we haven't figured it out yet edema" as opposed to "we have no idea edema." The client pleaded ignorance to my inquiries, but I can't stand not knowing why something is broken and wanted to learn other questions I could ask, so I called Dr. Google for a consultation. The good doctor found me an excellent article on MedicineNet.com that succinctly explains all the edemas that are not lymphedema. It's well worth the fifteen minutes to peruse. I came away with a great pathology refresher and a clearer understanding of which edemas need to be treated with more caution and TLC, versus using the deep tissue "giterdun" protocol. But the most interesting fact for me was: Some potassium-sparing diuretics (eplerenone, spironolactone) cause breast swelling and tenderness (gynecomastia). These medicines increase the amount of water released by the kidney by blocking the hormone aldosterone. Incidentally, these are also used as a treatment for hormonal acne.

So I am adding that to my list of possible causes for breast pain. Therapeutic breast massage can help many breast conditions, but I can't massage medications. A thorough health history is your breast friend to successfully support breast health. Join me for my continuing education class "Breast Massage and the Breast Pain Client" to learn more about my intake forms for breast massage.

List of possible causes for breast pain: Asthma/bronchitis, Augmentation, Biopsy, Bras, Breast massage deficiency, Caffeine, Congestive heart failure, Cyst, Heart attack, Heart burn, Hormones, Idiopathy, Infection, Lactation, Lump, Lumpectomy, Mammogram, Mastectomy, Mastitis, Menstruation, Nerve damage, Nipple piercing, Pectoralis muscle strain, Peri-menopause, Pregnancy, Puberty, Radiation, Rib fracture, Shingles, Thoracic outlet syndrome, Tittie twister, Vertebral subluxation

And potassium-sparing diuretics.

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Breast Massage for Lyme Disease related Lymphadenopathy?

Aubrey Lesicki — Thu, 25 Dec 2014 07:13:12 +0000

It can't be a coincidence that LYMe and LYMph are almost the same word! But to drain or not to drain, that is the question.

I'm seeing some online chatter about completely avoiding lymphatic drainage for patients with Lyme disease. On the other hand, some therapists are considering these patients be treated with lymph drainage therapy, as if they had Stage 0 lymphedema (like they have had lymph nodes removed). This article seems to have spurred some of this discussion.

The research delineates that live Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes (from ticks) accumulate in the lymph nodes, disrupting their function and potentially their structure. Damaged lymph nodes bad!

I am keeping this in mind for its potiential effects on breast tissue. A build up of Lyme affected lymph nodes in the underarm could lead to significant congestion in the breasts and cause breast pain, similar to that experienced after lumpectomy with lymph node dissection. What if some of the benign "breast lumps" that women experience were enlarged lymph nodes from these bugs?

In my practice at Holistic Healing Arts, I work with several "Lymies" and found this very insightful. My experience is that lymphatic massage can in fact reduce some of the detox or Herx reactions that patients experience from other treatments, as they are trying to eliminate the Lyme infection. As far as protocol for lymphatic drainage with these patients, I do a thorough lymph assessment (mapping) and carefully correlate this with their symptoms (every patient is unique).

From there I treat very slowly and minimally in the symptomatic areas until I know how the patient will react. I also stay in close communication with the rest of the health care team and make sure the patient has a good plan for self-care and access to Lyme-experienced medical care if they do have a symptom flare. And no deep tissue massage - my patients with Lyme disease seem to all report having had bad reactions after deep tissue massage.

I hope this is useful. Please comment below with your thoughts on this issue. Or you may schedule a complementary phone consultation, if you have questions about receiving lymph drainage massage to optimize your detox treatments.

If you are interested in advancing your treatment skills, I am teaching a "Love Your Lymph" continuing education class (open to all health professionals). Click here for registration information.

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