We don’t just provide complementary therapies. We provide a bit of TLC at a really difficult time, or relief from some of the uncomfortable symptoms of cancer and the side effects of cancer treatments. We work hand-in-hand with clinicians to support and complement patients’ treatment.
Michelle Holmes, Maggie's Middlesbrough Centre Lead
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy combines gentle massage, structured therapeutic touch and essential oils extracted from flowers, plants, fruit and seeds. It can help ease anxiety and reduce pain, nausea, constipation, insomnia and skin conditions.
Your therapist will use the information you give them to choose the right essential oil. It is not always necessary to remove a lot of clothing as a full body massage may not be the best therapy for you, often a hand or foot massage may be offered.
If having body massage the therapist will leave the room whilst you remove clothing and cover yourself with towels.
Auricular acupuncture
Auricular acupuncture is a therapy that uses fine needles inserted into specific parts of the ear.
The outer ear has a prolific nerve supply that can directly influence the body’s response to stress, releasing natural “feel good” chemicals in the body.
This therapy can help reduce the frequency and intensity of hot flushes, aid relaxation, and reduce anxiety, tension and insomnia.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture uses very fine, sterile needles inserted into various points on the body to balance the flow of energy. It can be used to help a variety of conditions including stress, pain, peripheral neuropathy and side effects of chemotherapy treatments.
Clinical hypnotherapy
Hypnosis is essentially deep relaxation. A qualified hypnotherapist will introduce you to a range of techniques that, with experience and practice, you can build into a tool box of effective skills to provide support in a variety of ways.
These tools could include: rapid relaxation, help in reducing stress and anxiety, and lowered muscle tension which can assist in alleviating pain and improve breathing.
Hypnosis is not something that is done to you. You relax yourself under the guidance of our trained and qualified clinical hypnotherapist.
Unlike stage hypnosis where people may appear to be totally out of control, clinical hypnotherapy is all about putting you in control throughout the process.
Reflexology
Reflexology is a simple therapy that uses massage techniques and gentle pressure on the feet or hands.
It helps to aid relaxation and can reduce anxiety, pain, nausea, constipation and insomnia.
Reiki
Reiki is a Japanese therapy designed to boost the sense of wellbeing. It can help to aid relaxation and reduce pain, tension, stress, anxiety, insomnia, hot flushes and lethargy.
At your first consultation a fully trained reiki therapist will ask you for some background details, including your medical history, treatment and symptoms to helpidentify the best treatment for you.
You will lie on a treatment couch or sit in a reclining chair while the therapist uses gentle stroking or light finger pressure either on or just above certain points on your body.