The benefits of complementary therapy in hospices

This week celebrates the benefits of complementary therapies and we are raising awareness of the range of services offered by the Farleigh therapists.

There are many myths and misconceptions about giving complementary therapies to those who have a life-limiting illness. Despite being unfounded they persist, which risks a person not receiving care that could improve their quality of life at the most difficult time – and improving life is what palliative care is all about – to live well until you die.

It is a misconception that hospices only look after people in the last few days or weeks of life, in a hospital like setting. Many hospices care for people for months or even years if they have a condition such as motor neurone disease. This care could be on site at a hospice but is just as often in the person’s own home.

Farleigh Hospice cares for family members, taking the approach that it is just as important to care for the carers as the patient, and sometimes the bereaved.

While it is well known that hospices, such as Farleigh, offer support such as pain relief using conventional medicine, they also offer a holistic approach to care for the whole person in other ways including complementary therapies. Complementary therapies are non-invasive and can be used alongside conventional medicine as support therapies.

In complementary therapies there is no invasion into the body, no needles, no ingestion, it is all about touch therapy, and this can have a very strong effect in people who are unwell. This can be any illness, but more specifically towards the end of life when patients often do not experience a lot of non-functional touch.

There is ongoing scientific research into a field referred to as ‘affective touch’. With both reflexology and massage, the therapist is applying empathic touch that is non-functional. It is there purely to allow the patient to experience human to human touch. This type of touch is also a large part of some mammals’ social contact and being part of a family group. It’s the reason you see great apes gently grooming each other.

During effleurage, the gentle stroking movements, the pressure applied stimulates specific mechanoreceptors in the body, called C-Tactile afferents (CTs), which are sensitive to pressure and vibration. When slow gentle ‘affective touch’ movements are used, this has a soothing or calming function on the receiver. The gentle stimulation sends signals to the brain which reduces muscle tension and relaxes the patient.

This stimulation of the CTs nervous pathway only works at skin-to-skin temperature and with a slow movement. Research has shown that this type of touch works directly with the area of the brain and that is involved in rebalancing of the body. We naturally do this in massage and reflexology when we start with effleurage and this gentle stroking activates a whole area of the nervous system. The nervous system is important in people in palliative care because it is the area that helps to reduce pain.

Massage and reflexology give a gentle, non-functional touch at a time when this can be very limited for patients. There are mechanoreceptors on the base of the feet, so when a therapist is working on this area in either in reflexology or massage a small number of scientific studies have shown this can help in relieving pain, nausea, and constipation.

With the nervous system being engaged with the effleurage, and then the reflex points being worked it on it can aid sleep, wellbeing and relaxation, release tension and improve mood, which is especially important in those at end of life.

Often patients receiving palliative care are touched by healthcare professionals only because it is necessary as part of their care. Family and friends often fear touching their loved one, they may just squeeze their hand or give them a quick hug.

Lynda, who was a patient in our Inpatient Unit had trouble sleeping, was restless and felt her pain got worse at night. One of the non-clinical staff, who was trained in massage gave her a gentle hand and arm massage. That night Lynda slept from 9.00pm to 6.00am, and said it was the first good night’s sleep she had had in many weeks.

Ruth Skinner, Wellbeing and Complementary Therapy Coordinator at Farleigh Hospice said, “A little hand massage enables people to relax and feel calm, that reduces fear which in turn reduces pain. It’s the touch of caring - communication without words - and even right at the end-of-life patients can benefit.

"At Farleigh, complementary therapies are offered to both patients and carers. During reflexology, applying light pressure on reflex points encourages balance within the body and allows time to communicate without words which can relieve anxiety stress and tension, promoting calmness and relaxation.

"The reflexology treatment also allows time and space for a person to reconnect with themselves and to regain balance and wellbeing at a time of uncertainty.”

Tracey Smith, Association of Reflexologists Head of Reflexology Support and Research said “Research seems to show that complementary therapy definitely improves quality of life, even in those at end of life. Sometimes people can be under the impression that massage and reflexology can spread or speed up cancer. Were this true, then the many hospices and cancer centres around the UK would not be offering complementary therapies to patients.

Sometimes science and complementary therapy don’t have that much overlap, but I trained first as a scientist, and actually as therapists we are putting into practice what the science is telling us.”

Cancer Research state on their website that, “There are clinical trials looking at how certain complementary therapies might affect the immune system. Sometimes it might feel as though your doctor makes many of the decisions about your treatment. It can feel like you don't have much control over what happens to you.

"Many people say complementary therapy lets them take a more active role in their treatment. Some people might get a lot of comfort and satisfaction from the touch, talk and time that a complementary therapist usually offers. A good therapist can play a supportive role during cancer treatment and recovery.

"For example, a skilled and caring aromatherapist can take the time to make you feel cared for. This might help improve your quality of life.”

Ruth from Farleigh continues, “At Farleigh we offer a range of complementary therapies to our patients and their carers. Treatments are tailored to the person, based on their individual need. I do reflexology on hands and feet.

"When offering aromatherapy, I provide ‘sniff sticks’ which help people breathe deeply and relax. This enhances their breathing technique and is empowering for them as it’s something a patient can do for themselves. Aromatherapy can be used with massage, reflexology and reiki. When the person inhales the same scent from the sniff stick at home their subconscious takes them back to the same state of relaxation as during their treatment. For carers we give back and shoulder massage to help relieve their tension and for our inpatients it’s a very gentle touch.

Laura, who had motor neurone disease, received care from Farleigh including reflexology, reiki, massage. She said, “All of the therapies benefited me in one way or another, both physically and/or emotionally. The massage is most beneficial physically as I get muscular cramps and pain which are definitely eased by the massage.

The reiki helped me emotionally as I had a great sense of calm when undergoing it. My husband Terry was in the room, and he actually zoned out and experienced the calmness as well. I also like the reflexology as this gives me a sense of wellbeing and definitely pinpoints areas that are causing problems and seems to realign them.

I would definitely recommend that people with a life-limiting condition try various things. I find that either physically or emotionally every complementary therapy I have tried has had a positive effect.”

(Article first published 20 March 2025)