How Can Specialty Rehabilitation Help Those With Cancer?

Living with cancer may be one of the most difficult challenges you’ve ever faced. Perhaps you’ve developed persistent swelling of the arm as a result of breast cancer treatment. It could be you feel so tired, it’s a struggle to perform a task that normally takes very little effort. Maybe you need to restore upper arm strength and range of motion following head or neck surgery. Has a brain tumor caused problems with your vision, thought patterns or walking? Whatever challenge you face, you’ll find superb care in the hands of the occupational and physical therapists at Specialty Rehabilitation Inc.

Living with cancer one day at a time.

Cancer rehabilitation focuses on practical day-to-day issues such as maximizing strength and adjusting to temporary or permanent changes affecting work, home and leisure life. At Specialty Rehabilitation, our goal is to help restore function, as well as to provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to improve your quality of life. You can live with cancer. We can help to make it easier.

If you’ve had breast surgery and/or axillary dissection or radiation therapy, you may benefit from the Breast Program.

Our breast cancer specialty services include a treatment program tailored to each client’s individual needs. We take into consideration the severity of your condition as well as your personal activity level.

• For women post-mastectomy/axillary dissection/reconstructive surgery, we provide scar management training and instruction on techniques to reduce the risk of lymphedema (a persistent swelling on the arm on the affected side).
  
• For women with lymphedema, treatment may include instruction in skin care and limb health, lymph drainage massage and individualized bandaging techniques. Treatment also includes exercise and gentle conditioning and stretching to improve strength and help to restore function.

Managing cancer-related fatigue is an important part of cancer care.

If you have cancer or are undergoing treatment for it, you may be experiencing an unusual and persistent sense of tiredness. Known as cancer-related fatigue (CRF), this condition is the most prevalent symptom of cancer therapy. Yet randomized clinical trials have repeatedly demonstrated a decrease in CRF in patients whose treatment plans include exercise. Let specialists at the Cancer Fatigue Program at Specialty Rehabilitation Inc. show you how exercise can help to restore your vigor.

Expert rehabilitation after surgery.

Whether you’ve had surgery of the head, neck or lungs, chances are you face limitations in using your upper extremities. Perhaps a limited range of motion in your neck keeps you from performing daily tasks that once came easily. Our therapists can help to restore range of motion with gentle, therapeutic exercises. We also provide scar management and a customized aerobic exercise plan, which progresses to a strengthening program.

Techniques to cope with central nervous system lesions.

If you have a tumor of the brain or spine, you may experience difficulty with movement, balance and coordination. We provide specific exercises to restore movement and adaptive equipment to help restore strength and function.

Overcoming side effects of chemotherapy.

Clients undergoing chemotherapy frequently report numbness and tingling in their fingers and feet. Known as peripheral neuropathy, this side effect can interfere with your quality of life. Our skilled therapists can help you to regain skills of daily life with exercises for hand strengthening and coordination, desensitization techniques and by providing and instructing you on the use of adaptive equipment.