How complementary therapy supports our care

This week is National Complementary Therapy Week, recognising the role these therapies play in supporting physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.

At St Luke’s Hospice in Harrow and Brent, complementary therapy is a key part of how we care for people.

Patients who come to us have life-limiting conditions that cannot be cured, but we can bring comfort, relieve symptoms and help improve quality of life.

Therapies such as massage and aromatherapy work alongside our medical and nursing care, supporting the whole person.

Our Therapy Lead, Deirdre Rice, has been part of St Luke’s for more than 20 years, first as a volunteer and now leading the service.

“Therapies help to relax the body to almost give the person the chance to kind of reboot,” she says. “Sometimes that safe space to have a treatment, to chat, even to sleep during the treatment means a lot to the patients.”

Deirdre explains that complementary therapy includes treatments such as massage, aromatherapy, reflexology and acupuncture, which work alongside conventional medicine to help relieve symptoms like pain, anxiety, insomnia and neuropathy.

“The difference in a patient from when they come into the room to when they’re leaving sometimes can be quite a lot.”

At St Luke’s, this work is delivered by a dedicated team of therapists and volunteers across our services, supporting patients and carers.

Therapies available at St Luke’s include:

• Aromatherapy
• Exercise
• Massage
• Reflexology
• Relaxation
• Art & Crafts

As a charity, St Luke’s Hospice is only partly funded by the NHS. Services like complementary therapy are made possible thanks to the generosity of our supporters, helping us provide comfort, dignity and care when it is needed most.

Please visit our Supporting Us webpage to find out how you can help.