Who Can Benefit from Physical Therapy?

Common patient types referred for physical therapy:

Leukemia/Lymphoma Patients may be weak from abnormal blood counts and/or from cancer treatments. The following services are offered:

• Strength training – gently according to SCCA blood value guidelines
• Cardiovascular and stretching education
• Safety and fatigue management

Multiple Myeloma
Patients often have disease spread to multiple bones upon diagnosis. Careful, tailored exercise is important to help maintain function, quality of life and to gently enhance the non-cancerous portions of the bone. The following services are offered:

• Strength training – gently strengthening the muscles surrounding the bones help provide increased bone strength and stability to decrease the risk of falls, fractures or pain.
• Cardiovascular and stretching training
• Spinal bracing to assist proper healing and pain relief
• Safety management
• Pain management

Bone Marrow Transplant/Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplant
Pediatric and adult patients should exercise as much as possible prior to the transplant in order to maximize function and strength. Exercise before, throughout and after the transplant is critical to decrease the possibility of complications such as severe muscle atrophy, infections, falls and depression. The following services are offered:

• Strength training – gently according to SCCA blood value guidelines
• Cardiovascular and stretching training
• Safety and fatigue management

Long-Term Follow-Up Patients
Patients with chronic Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD) often return to the SCCA for continued management of symptoms and medications. The following services are offered:

• Range of motion stretching exercise
• Strength training
• Cardiovascular exercise education
• Fatigue management

Breast Cancer
All patients who have had a mastectomy and/or axillary lymph node dissection are automatically referred to a physical or occupational therapist specializing in breast cancer. Patients who have had a lumpectomy may also have rehabilitation needs. We offer the following services:

• Radiation precaution education
• Overall shoulder stretching, strengthening, and cardiovascular conditioning programs
• Lymphedema risk reduction education
• Baseline arm girth measurements
• Assessment for Axillary Web Syndrome (cording)
• Scar tissue work

For lymphedema treatment, we offer the following services:

• Management with compression bandaging
• Manual lymph drainage
• Lymphedema exercises
• Education of self-manual lymph drainage massage
• Compression sleeve/gauntlet

Melanoma
Patients that have had melanoma surgically removed often have lymph nodes removed as well. If lymph nodes have been removed, patients are automatically referred to a physical or occupational therapist. We offer the following services:

• Overall shoulder stretching, strengthening, and cardiovascular conditioning programs
• Lymphedema risk reduction education
• Baseline arm or leg girth measurements
• Assessment for Axillary Web Syndrome (cording)
• Scar tissue work

For lymphedema treatment, we offer the following services:

• Management with compression bandaging
• Manual lymph drainage
• Lymphedema exercises
• Education of self-manual lymph drainage massage
• Compression garment

Head and Neck Cancer:
Patients who have had a neck dissection, lymph node removal, plastic surgery reconstruction and/or radiation benefit from physical therapy. We offer the following services:

• Radiation precaution education
• Overall shoulder stretching, strengthening, and cardiovascular conditioning programs
• Lymphedema risk reduction education
• Scar tissue work
• For lymphedema treatment, we offer the following services:
• Management with compression bandaging
• Manual lymph drainage
• Lymphedema exercises
• Education of self-manual lymph drainage massage

Prostate Cancer
Patients undergoing prostate cancer surgery usually have lymph nodes removed also. Physical therapy will address lymphedema risk reduction education. Hormone manipulation (testosterone/androgen depletion) often causes severe muscle loss and osteoporosis, and strength training is important to maintain bone health, body mass and function. We offer the following services:

• Overall shoulder stretching, strengthening, and cardiovascular conditioning programs
• Lymphedema risk reduction education
• Baseline leg girth measurements
• Assessment for cording
• Scar tissue work
• Pain management
• For lymphedema treatment, we offer the following services:
• Management with compression bandaging
• Manual lymph drainage
• Lymphedema exercises
• Education of self-manual lymph drainage massage
• Compression garment

Lung Cancer
Both the disease and the treatment (i.e. removal of part of a lung) can cause a decrease in the patient’s lung capacity. In addition, many patients also have underlying chronic lung disease such as emphysema or chronic bronchitis. Scars from lung surgeries can further reduce chest wall mobility, cause decreased shoulder range of motion, pain and impair breathing. The following services are offered:

• Scar tissue work taught to the patient and caregiver
• Cardiovascular, strength and stretching training to maximize lung function before, during and after cancer treatment

Sarcoma
Depending on whether or not the sarcoma is located in the tissue or the bone, different types of physical therapy are prescribed. Patients who have had a joint replacement, reconstruction or an amputation require specific therapy to decrease phantom limb pain and to increase functional mobility. The following services are offered:

• Cardiovascular, strength and stretching training
• Lymphedema risk reduction education
• Baseline arm or leg girth measurements
• Assessment for cording
• Scar tissue work
• Limb desensitization post amputation

For lymphedema treatment, we offer the following services:

• Management with compression bandaging
• Manual lymph drainage
• Lymphedema exercises
• Education of self-manual lymph drainage massage
• Compression garment

Comprehensive cancer institutes throughout the United States as well as the National Cancer Care Survivorship (NCCS) endorse exercise for cancer patients. Read more here. http://www.canceradvocacy.org/resources/treatment-issues/exercise.html