Breast Cancer Rehabilitation

  • Pain

  • Scar tissue restrictions

  • Chest tightness

  • Decreased shoulder, neck, and spine movement

  • Axillary Web Syndrome (AWS, also known as “cording”)

  • Side effects from chemotherapy

  • Post-op swelling

  • Weight gain

Physical & Occupational Therapy

If you are experiencing ANY one of these symptoms, breast cancer rehab can help!

  • Cancer-related fatigue

  • Postural dysfunctions

  • Radiation Fibrosis Syndrome (RFS)

  • Post-mastectomy Pain Syndrome (PMPS)

  • Muscle weakness 

  • Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN)

  • Brain fog

  • Joint stiffness

Pre-Operative Therapy

Prepare, both physically and mentally, for your treatments, so that you can optimize your recovery.

During your pre-operative assessment, a comprehensive movement and posture analysis will be performed to establish your baseline range of motion, flexibility, strength, and arm circumferential measurements. Once your functional limitations and needs are identified by your physical or occupational therapist, you will work together towards optimizing your overall health with the use of:

  • Hands-on therapy

  • Targeted exercises

  • Relaxation techniques

  • Breathwork

  • Lymphedema risk reduction principles

Prior to your surgery, you may also be provided with key exercises to help you feel and move better after surgery. Your physical/occupational therapist may also provide you with education and support to help you better prepare for surgery.

Breast Cancer Treatments & Beyond

Overcome the physical side-effects of your treatments, so that you can feel your very best, from diagnosis through survivorship.

After getting to know you and your story, your physical/occupational therapist will develop an individualized treatment plan to address your unique needs and goals. Your one-on-one treatment sessions with your therapist may then include a combination of:

  • Scar mobilization 

  • Soft tissue mobilization techniques 

  • Myofascial release techniques

  • Manual therapy

  • Lymphatic drainage 

  • Breathwork and relaxation techniques 

  • Therapeutic exercises 

  • Education on self-care practices 

Whether you are undergoing active treatment or you completed your treatments years ago, breast cancer rehabilitation can help to alleviate your pain, improve your scar mobility, restore your posture and/or increase your mobility, flexibility, strength, energy and much more!

“I forget that I had breast cancer!”

“Breast cancer rehabilitation has helped me so much, and not just physically but emotionally as well.

People need to know that breast cancer rehabilitation is not a luxury — it is an integral part of feeling whole again and it is not just a bunch of exercises. But rather, it is really equipping women with the skills that they need to take care of themselves and really heal from breast cancer.”

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FAQ

What is “breast cancer rehabilitation” exactly?

Breast cancer rehabilitation helps those touched by breast cancer to maximize their physical, social, and emotional well-being both during and after cancer treatments, through the use of specialized hands-on interventions and therapeutic exercises.

Hands-on therapies, including soft tissue mobilization, myofascial release, scar massage, lymphatic drainage massage, and manual therapy, aim to improve a patient’s pain, limited mobility, chest tightness, scar tissue restrictions, and conditions specific to cancer patients, such as radiation fibrosis syndrome, post-mastectomy pain syndrome and axillary web syndrome. 

What makes breast cancer rehabilitation different from traditional physical or occupational therapy?

All rehabilitation therapists are trained to restore range of motion, flexibility and strength and to reduce pain with the use of hands-on techniques and therapeutic exercises. However, tradition physical and occupational therapists typically do not have a thorough understanding of breast cancer treatments and the array of potential physical side-effects that you may experience.

Therapists specializing in breast cancer rehabilitation have undergone extensive additional training, including numerous specialized courses and certifications in the field. Consequently, only these specialized therapists possess in-depth knowledge of cancer-related side effects and can provide precise, safe management of a breast cancer patient’s concerns and limitations. In addition, specialized therapists are taught an array of hands-on techniques and exercises that are specific to the cancer population.

Moreover, when treating patients actively undergoing cancer treatments, specific precautions must be considered by the therapist when performing hands-on techniques and prescribing therapeutic exercises to ensure patient safety. A therapist specialized in breast cancer rehabilitation is uniquely qualified to identify and implement the necessary precautions to maintain patient safety throughout the continuum of cancer treatments.

Can I only start breast cancer rehabilitation once I've completed my cancer treatments?

No, definitely not! Breast cancer rehabilitation plays a vital role during the entire continuum of cancer care. In fact, there is considerable evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of physical and occupational therapy during chemotherapy and radiation therapy. While the goals of therapy will vary depending on your stage of treatment, your rehabilitation therapist will always individualize your treatments.