Physiotherapy & Cancer Care

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Registered Physiotherapy and Cancer Care

Certified in Cancer CareOur physiotherapists can help you to reduce pain, regain strength and restore mobility after a wide variety of cancer treatments. We work with your oncology team to provide physiotherapy after chemotherapy, radiation treatments or surgery. Physiotherapy treatment is available for:

Post-operative soft tissue, joint and bone surgeries

Our team has extensive experience in post-operative rehabilitation. Whether you have had a joint replacement, a fracture repair or have a large incision that is interfering with your mobility, our physiotherapists can help to develop a plan to regain strength, movement and restore your independence.

Frozen Shoulder Rehabilitation

Frozen shoulder can occur after the removal of lymph nodes in breast surgery and malignant melanoma. In this condition the shoulder suddenly becomes stiff and painful. Physiotherapy can help you to restore the movement through active stretching, manual therapy and a targeted home exercise program.

Post-mastectomy muscle imbalances

Mastectomy surgery can cause imbalances of the muscles around the chest and shoulder region. Often there is tightness in the muscles located at the front of the chest. Although it is uncommon, these procedures can sometimes irritate a nerve which results in a winging of the shoulder blade. Unaddressed these restrictions may cause neck pain and leave you at risk for shoulder pain and immobility.

Physiotherapy can help to restore your mobility and reduce the pain occurring after these procedures. Once your condition is stable we can assess the flexibility and strength of the muscles around the shoulder and chest to help you develop a program to balance these muscles before they cause you any symptoms.

Muscle weakness following radiation therapy

Radiation therapy can sometimes cause weakness and tightness in the muscles in and around the treatment area. Head and neck weaknesses can occur after lymphoma treatment where the radiation has targeted what is termed the “mantle area”. Physiotherapy can determine which muscles have been weakened or shortened. A stretching or strengthening program is developed to specifically address these muscles at a level appropriate for your recovery.

Posture correction

Weakness, fatigue, surgery and/or stiffness can all contribute to poor posture. Posture is one of the most important factors predicting a loss of independence and pain. Read more…

Physiotherapy can assess the cause of your postural changes and develop a specific program to help you alleviate the barriers so you can regain a strong and healthy spine.

Balance retraining

Certain types of chemotherapy and medication can cause a loss of sensory awareness leaving you at risk for falls. Loss of muscle strength after chemotherapy, prolonged rest or surgery can also contribute to falls. Our physiotherapists will assess your balance and strength to develop a program which can help to reduce your risk of falling.

Osteoporosis

Certain types of chemotherapy and medication cause a loss of bone density leaving you at risk for fractures. Loss of muscle strength after chemotherapy, prolonged rest or surgery can be another cause of falls that, when combined with osteoporosis, leave you more at risk for fractures. Our physiotherapists will develop an exercise program that includes weight bearing exercises and integrate an appropriate level of strengthening to help restore your bone density.  It is important before starting your program to let your physiotherapist know the results of your bone density testing to ensure that the program is targeted at an appropriate level.

Prostate post-surgical incontinence

Physiotherapy training of pelvic floor muscles can accelerate the speed of regaining urinary continence after surgery. Research shows that men who go through pre or post-operative training can regain continence in as little as 3 months whereas natural recovery averages 9 months. We recommend that whenever possible men who are scheduled for prostate surgery meet with the therapist before surgery as learning these exercises is easier at this time.

Post-operative transposition of muscles and nerves

Rehabilitation after these types of surgeries requires the expertise of an experienced physiotherapist to develop a plan to regain your previous level of function. Our therapists apply their extensive knowledge in post-operative rehabilitation and injury to help you to retrain movement, regain mobility and restore strength.