Why should cancer patients try oncology physical therapy?

If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer and are in treatment, you might wonder if oncology physical therapy is something you should try after surgery or chemotherapy. The answer is yes.

Oncology physical therapy can help people regain strength, improve balance and boost range of motion. It can even help reduce pain and help the body recover from long periods of inactivity during treatment. And that’s not all that physical therapy can do for cancer patients. 

How can oncology physical therapy help?

Physical therapists can do a lot to help people who are fighting against many types of cancer. Some of the ways they can help include: 

1. Helping ease treatment side effects — Cancer treatments are often hard on the patient’s body. As a result, cancer patients often experience negative side effects. These can make it more difficult for them to do normal activities without pain, such as walking, sitting, standing and lifting. Physical therapy can help patients manage their side effects and get back to as normal a lifestyle as possible.

2. Preventing lymphedema — Cancer treatments can cause lymph nodes to swell, which leads to the collection of fluid in the limbs, or lymphedema. In turn, the fluid buildup can cause pain and swelling. Oncology physical therapy can help prevent this from happening by working to clear lymphatic channels.

3. Maintaining muscle strength — Many cancer treatments, including chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapy, result in muscle loss. However, physical therapists can help you maintain your fitness level by working with you on an individualized fitness plan. Such programs can be designed to help minimize muscle atrophy and promote strength, flexibility and endurance. And maintaining muscle strength and overall fitness can help cancer patients maintain more independence. 

4. Improving balance — Balance is one of the many things often affected by cancer treatments. Physical therapy can help to rebuild your balance. A physical therapist can create a series of exercises designed to help you address issues that are affecting your balance. Regaining your ability to balance is vital for improving your ability to perform day-to-day activities.

5. Reducing post-treatment pain — Prolonged cancer treatment sessions can leave you dealing with a lot of pain. Oncology physical therapy treatment sessions can work to relieve pain or pressure that may be caused by tumors or cancer treatments. Your therapist can also teach you techniques you can use at home to reduce discomfort and ease pain in affected muscles and joints.

SOL PT offers physical therapy that can help ease the burden of cancer patients

Dealing with any type of cancer can be hard and painful, but you don’t have to go through it alone. Our physical therapists at SOL Physical Therapy are ready and willing to help support you through your cancer treatment journey. We can start by doing an evaluation to pinpoint how we can help you. Then, our physical therapists can design a personalized PT program that can ease your symptoms and help you maintain more independence. 

Contact our team today to learn more about our treatment options or to set up an initial session.