One of the things I learned working for a (now defunct) online learning company for physical therapists was how much they can help patients with cancer. Having watched both of my parents-in-law fight lung cancer, I saw first hand how much the treatments affect the patient as much as the disease.
They both dealt with radiation burns and chronic fatigue, both of which can be helped with physical therapy — PTs can work to minimize scar tissue with manual therapy, and mild exercise can actually improve one’s energy levels, even during treatment. While it’s too late to help them with such treatments, I’d recommend anyone that has loved ones dealing with side effects like those listed by our experts to see if PT can help them feel better either during or after their cancer treatments.
How physical therapy can help patients with breast cancer
with advice from Arizona Orthopedic Physical Therapy, Peltz and Associates Physical Therapy and Spooner Physical Therapy
As we have written about in the past, cancer is one of the most prevalent and lethal diseases today. According to estimates from the American Cancer Society’s Statistics Center, more than 1.9 million people will be diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. this year. 15% of those cases will be breast cancer, the most prevalent type of cancer.
The good news is that despite more Americans receiving a cancer diagnosis, death rates across multiple types of cancer are holding steady or decreasing, including for breast cancer survivors. In addition, it’s been shown that working with a physical therapist throughout treatment for breast cancer can help your body during cancer treatments, keeping you strong while your body withstands both the cancer and the treatments for it.
To learn about the ways physical therapy can help breast cancer patients, read the full entry at physiquality.com!