Cancer Rehabilitation is provided on an individual basis. It includes an education and exercise programme aimed at optimising each patient's physical recovery during cancer treatment and assisting them to return to their preoperative lifestyle. Monitoring for problems which may impact on physical recovery is essential to allow the early treatment to prevent long-term problems. These physiotherapy services are available for patients at any time after the diagnosis of cancer.
This approach to physiotherapy has been developed using evidence based practice principles for optimising health and wellbeing in the long-term.
Services include:
- Graduated exercises with physiotherapy treatment to assist in the recovery of movement and stimulate lymphatic transport capacity after removal of regional lymph nodes and/or radiotherapy.
- Exercise and activity programmes to maintain or restore physical capacity during and/or after cancer treatment.
- Education and normal lifestyle management for reducing risk of Lymphoedema.
- Assessment of joint function and limb size to monitor for the early detection and treatment of movement dysfunction, pain, Lymphoedema or other problems.
Lymphoedema is a swelling that occurs in the presence of an overload of the lymphatic system. It may occur due to impairment in the development of a person's lymphatic system, or following cancer treatments which reduce the capacity of the lymphatic system in the arm, leg or adjacent trunk area. Early diagnosis and treatment is important to prevent this condition progressing and to limit the impact on a person's life. Individual treatment plans are developed for patients. Consultations with treating doctors is integral in the treatment planning.
Services available include:
- Education and Skincare
- Manual lymphatic drainage
- Compression bandaging and/or compression wraps
- Garment prescription and supply
- Exercises to stimulate lymphatic transport capacity
- Complex physical therapy programmes
- Intermittent pneumatic compression therapy
- Rehabilitation, therapeutic exercise and physical activity programmes, including aquatic physiotherapy, as part of chronic condition management plans
- Low level laser therapy
- Self-management programs
- Referrals to other health providers as required
Current studies show that there are many benefits associated with exercise during and following treatment for cancer. Specifically, the reported benefits from exercise trials involving women with breast cancer include improvements in strength, cardiovascular fitness, immune function, mood, and self-esteem. There are also reported reductions in the number of symptoms and side effects such as nausea, fatigue, and pain, as well as in stress and anxiety levels. These benefits have also been shown in patients with other cancers.
Research evidence and clinical practice has shown similar benefits for patients at risk or with stable controlled of Lymphoedema provided that it is introduced and progressed gradually, with monitoring of your symptoms and limb measurements.
Exercise can be done individually or small group sessions both in the rooms or in an indoor pool environment. The facilities being used by QLBOP meets the Australian Physiotherapy Aquatic Physiotherapy Standards but if you are currently completing chemotherapy or radiotherapy, as a precaution, it is necessary to gain approval from your treating specialists. The warm water can make exercising easier, reduce joint stiffness and pain while enabling you to improve your fitness, strength, balance, mobility, sleep, and general wellbeing.
There are many options for people who are not confident in the water and you do not need to be able to swim as the sessions are closely supervised by our physiotherapist.
General benefits of exercise include:
- Reduce/prevent heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure
- Decrease the risk of developing Type II Diabetes and some cancers
- Helps to build and maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints thereby reducing your risk of injury
- Promotes psychological wellbeing
- Aids in weight control.
