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#Post#: 11--------------------------------------------------
Importance of Physical Therapy in Cancer Recovery
DIR By: CardioFlexTherapy
Date: September 20, 2018, 12:10 pm
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HTML http://www.cardioflextherapy.com/blog/importance-of-physical-therapy-in-cancer-recovery/
Cancer rehabilitation is a growing area in medicine due to the
increase in cancer survivorship. More and more individuals are
beating cancer because of advances in medical technology,
treatment and early detection. According to recent research from
the American Cancer Society, the five-year survival rate of all
cancers that were diagnosed between 2003 and 2009 is 68 percent.
This is a 20 percent increase from 1975 to 1977. It is also
estimated that over 13 million Americans have a history of
cancer, and in 2014 there were an expected 1.6 million new
cases. This means that the number of cancer survivors will
continue to increase in the U.S. With more cancer survivors,
there will need to be more recovery strategies.
Cancer treatment is a grueling course, leaving many people
exhausted, weak and with a compromised immune system. Just
getting out of bed can be a huge and daunting task, let alone
exercising in a gymnasium or playing at the park with
grandchildren. This is where a physical therapist comes in.
Despite advances in medical treatments, individuals that receive
cancer treatments typically experience extensive physical
limitations during and after treatments. These limitations
include and are not limited to cancer-related fatigue (CRF),
pain, nerve damage, lymphedema, deconditioning, as well as
incontinence.
There is strong evidence to support conservative management of
these impairments through physical therapy. As each individual
experiences different impairments during and after cancer
treatment, it is important to have an individualized evaluation
to focus your rehabilitation. Physical therapy can address
common cancer related impairments including:
Lymphedema: Effective lymphedema management is accomplished
through manual lymph drainage, range of motion exercises,
aerobic exercise, and lymphatic bandaging.
CRF: Individualized aerobic training, strength training and
functional management training is known to reduce effects of
cancer related fatigue both during and after medical cancer
treatments.
Pain: There are many pain relief strategies that can reduce the
intensity and frequency of pain after cancer treatment.
Specifically, treatment strategies including soft tissue
mobilization, therapeutic massage, modalities, therapeutic
stretching and strengthening.
Peripheral neuropathy: Often times, cancer survivors experience
peripheral neuropathy, which is abnormal nerve function that can
be experienced as pain, numbness and tingling. Physical therapy
can help to improve nerve function or compensate for nerve
dysfunction.
Deconditioning: Rebuilding endurance for activities and
cardiovascular function can be difficult during and after cancer
treatment. A skilled physical therapist is able to educate and
monitor cardiovascular endurance training.
Genitourinary complications: For men undergoing treatment for
prostate cancer and women undergoing treatment for bladder or
ovarian cancer, incontinence and sexual dysfunction are common.
A skilled physical therapist can help to rebuild the strength of
the pelvic floor in order to improve urinary continence and
reduce pain related to sexual function.
In a recent study published April 2015 in Physical Therapy
Journal, researchers found that physical therapy services are
more commonly sought out for individuals surviving breast and
genitourinary cancers. Researchers sought to find the
characteristics of patients with cancer that were referred for
outpatient physical therapy and common clinical findings. Over
the course of two years, data from 418 patients were analyzed.
Genitourinary and breast cancers were the most common types of
cancer in their sample. The most common impairments were
strength loss and soft tissue dysfunction. Lymphedema was the
most common issue for people with breast cancer and incontinence
was the most common complaint for people that had genitourinary
cancers. They also noted that pain and high fatigue levels were
prevalent in individuals that had undergone radiation therapy.
This study shows that therapy services are being utilized for
individuals that have survived cancer, particularly breast and
genitourinary cancer. However, this study also suggests that a
large portion of cancer survivors are not seeking out
rehabilitation services, even though they would likely find it
highly beneficial.
According to the European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation
Medicine, most-mastectomy physical therapy ‘widely improves’ a
patient’s quality of life. After mastectomy surgery, patients
may experience tightness around the surgical site caused by scar
tissue formation. The result can be very dense tissue under the
incision, which is painful and can restrict range of motion. The
restricted range of motion puts women at risk for a painful
condition known as Frozen Shoulder. Early treatment by a
physical therapist can help reduce the pain and help regain
functional range of motion and strength.
The good news is that it is never too late to utilize
rehabilitation services for cancer recovery. If you find that
you are having trouble accomplishing daily tasks or functioning
at your prior level of independence, seek out a rehabilitation
expert and regain your vitality.
Article credits to CUREToday.com and Susan G. Komen.
For more info visit: www.cardioflextherapy.com
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