What Rehabilitation Challenges Might Cancer Patients Face?
Cancer symptoms and cancer treatment can both take a toll on your body. Treatments like radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery are often highly successful in the fight against cancer. But these treatments can also cause pain, fatigue, and muscle weakness.
Invasive surgeries to remove tumors sometimes limit your mobility. While many patients are able to recover well from these surgeries, you may find the recovery process harder than you originally imagined.
Rehabilitation plays a crucial role in helping cancer patients recover from chemo or surgeries. In addition to relieving pain and rebuilding strength, post-cancer rehabilitation can help you adapt to physical changes and learn to use assistive devices like canes or walkers.
What Kind of Rehabilitation Can Help Cancer Patients?
After undergoing cancer treatment, many patients are physically and emotionally exhausted. If you're struggling to rebound after surgery, chemo, or radiation, you may be discouraged by the fact that you're not able to do all the things you used to.
Cancer patients may experience some or all of the following symptoms:
- Fatigue
- Muscle weakness
- Joint pain
- Nerve pain
- Nerve damage
- Numbness or tingling
- Swollen limbs
Post-cancer rehabilitation focuses on addressing and correcting these issues whenever possible. Rehabilitation emphasizes regaining strength and mobility, along with learning to manage long-term symptoms.
Rehabilitation can help with any of the following:
- Healing areas of the body affected by surgery
- Rebuilding and increasing muscle strength
- Improving flexibility and balance
- Increasing endurance and stamina
- Relieving chronic joint/nerve pain
Regular physical activity helps to improve blood flow and boost your immune system. Some research even shows that exercise may decrease the chances of cancer recurrence.
What Can I Expect From Post-Cancer Rehabilitation?
During your first visit to Results Physical Therapy, our team will review your medical history and current physical condition.
Next, you'll receive a treatment plan with goals created just for you. Your treatment plan may include a prescribed course of exercises, along with training for any necessary assistive devices.
Our team will be with you every step of the way. No matter what your current physical condition or recovery goals, she can assist you in finding ways to improve and feel better.
For the best in post-cancer rehabilitation, call Results Physical Therapy today or book an appointment online.
