GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- A West Michigan hospital is now offering a new service for cancer patients.
Mercy Health Saint Mary's will now offer oncology massages, specifically for people who have or have had cancer."
It will be offered as an outpatient service for a fee, and it's free for those receiving inpatient care
The hospital says for a long time, they could not offer cancer patients massages, because the treatment is different for people with cancer.
Licensed therapists are trained using traditional massage therapy techniques, while adapting to side effects of chemo and radiation.
Officials say this will help reduce stress for patients, increase sleep, promote relaxation and minimize pain.
