Massage Therapist Helps Spot Skin Cancer on Patient

Online, April 28, 2011 (Newswire.com) - There are numerous benefits associated with getting massages regularly. To name just a few, massage helps to relieve stress, lower blood pressure, relieve tension-related headaches and strengthen the immune system. And now something new can be added to the list.

While Greg Robertson, owner of the Massage Envy Spa locations in Flemington and Hillsborough, was getting his regular bi-weekly deep tissue massage, he was given a bit of advice from one of his massage therapists that he wasn't expecting to hear. An irregular bump on his back prompted the therapist, Colleen Shaughnessy, to tell him to get checked out for skin cancer by a professional immediately.

"Within two days the bump had surfaced to the top of my skin and had turned into the size of a quarter," says Mr. Robertson. "I did the biopsy and about a week and a half later, the results came back saying I had an infiltrating squamous cell; skin cancer. Had I not gotten that massage, I may not have known for a while since I didn't feel it."

Ms. Shaughnessy has worked at the Massage Envy Spa location in Hillsborough for over a year now and has been a New Jersey certified massage therapist for the same amount of time. She has also been a licensed esthetician for almost half a decade. "I looked at Greg's bump and knew immediately that it just didn't look right," she says. "Obviously I'm not a doctor, but after you do something for a while, you end up getting an eye for what does and doesn't look right."

Thanks to Ms. Shaughnessy's keen eye, Mr. Robertson was able to nip the problem in the bud and get it taken care of immediately. "Any time you hear the word cancer, it's a scary thing," he says. "I thank God that I'm fortunate enough to own a spa where I essentially get checked on a bi-weekly basis. Even though Colleen wasn't looking for it, through giving the massage, she was able to find it."

Studies show getting regular massage therapy treatments can do wonders for a patient. People who suffer from things like anorexia, anxiety, back pain, depression, multiple sclerosis and even premenstrual syndrome can all reduce their symptoms by merely getting regular massage therapy. And if getting a massage means potentially discovering a disease like cancer, everyone should be flocking to their nearest Massage Envy.