Services:
Cancer Rehabilitation
Cancer survivors may face changes in their physical function and mobility throughout diagnosis, treatment and recovery. Both cancer and cancer treatments can cause difficulty with daily activities, fatigue, pain and many other issues. Physicians who specialize in cancer rehabilitation provide personalized care to help survivors continue to do the activities most important to them. They also help patients manage side effects and enhance quality of life.
Head and neck cancer survivors may experience many side effects of treatment, including
- Difficulty swallowing
- Jaw and facial pain
- Painful chewing
- Swelling
- Skin tightening and fibrosis
- Neck and shoulder pain.
Both surgery and radiation treatment can cause these changes. Cancer rehabilitation physicians will assess your symptoms and offer different types of treatment. Physical therapy is commonly used and can be helpful for swelling and neck and shoulder pain. Sometimes, patients may require more complex care with medication or procedural interventions (such as neuromuscular blockade or lidocaine injections) to alleviate jaw pain and trouble swallowing and increase mobility. These treatments can help you live a better life after cancer treatment.
Breast cancer survivors can develop a variety of complications during or after their treatment including:
- Chest wall pain (iron bra)
- Neck and shoulder pain
- Frozen shoulder
- Skin tightening and fibrosis
- Axillary cording
- Lymphedema
- Numbness, tingling and peripheral neuropathy
- Poor balance
- Joint pain and stiffness
Surgery, radiation treatments, chemotherapy and hormone therapy can have significant effects on your body and daily activities. Through careful discussion and symptom review, you and your rehabilitation physician will develop a plan to treat your symptoms and improve quality of life. Treatments may include home exercises, physical therapy, medications, procedural interventions (such as neuromuscular blockade or lidocaine injections) and more.