Summary

Cancer rehabilitation helps you get stronger and feel better during and after cancer treatment. It includes exercises for your body, help with speaking and swallowing, and support for memory and thinking problems. This guide shows you how these services work together to help you recover.

TLDR: Cancer rehabilitation helps with body, speech, and thinking problems caused by cancer treatment. Many cancer survivors report trouble with memory or focus after treatment, sometimes called “chemo brain.” Special therapists who understand cancer work as a team to help you. Starting rehab early, even before treatment begins, can help you feel better faster.

What Is Cancer Rehabilitation?

Cancer rehabilitation is a type of care that helps you deal with changes in your body and mind from cancer and its treatment. Think of it like physical therapy, but designed just for people with cancer.

Regular therapists might not know all the special things they need to watch out for with cancer patients. Cancer rehab therapists do. They know when it’s safe to push harder and when you need to take it easy.

The American Cancer Society says cancer rehab helps you stay active, feel less side effects, stay independent, and live a better life during and after treatment.

Why Teamwork Matters in Cancer Rehabilitation

Cancer treatment affects your whole body, not just one part. You might feel tired, have trouble remembering things, and feel weak all at the same time. These problems are connected.

That’s why cancer rehabilitation works best when different therapists talk to each other and work together. Physical therapists help your body. Speech therapists help with talking, swallowing, and thinking skills. When they work as a team, they can help the whole you.

Recent research following large groups of cancer survivors with many different diagnoses shows that rehabilitation can improve physical, mental, and social well-being across cancer types. Learn more about our oncology rehabilitation programs made for different diagnoses.

Physical Therapy for Cancer Patients: Getting Stronger Safely

Physical therapy for cancer patients is different from regular physical therapy. Cancer rehab therapists know special safety rules that regular therapists might not.

Here’s what physical therapy can help with:

  • Feeling tired all the time
  • Weak muscles from treatment
  • Trouble with balance and walking
  • Swelling in arms or legs (called lymphedema)
  • Numbness or tingling in hands and feet
  • Stiff joints after surgery

Safety is a big deal. If cancer has spread to your bones, you need special exercises that won’t cause breaks. If you’re getting chemo, your therapist needs to know when your blood counts are low. A therapist who doesn’t know these things could accidentally hurt you.

What We Work OnHow We HelpGetting StrongerLifting light weights, resistance bandsBuilding StaminaWalking, biking, gentle cardioReducing SwellingSpecialized massage, compressionBetter BalanceCore and stability exercises

Speech Therapy for Cancer and Cognitive Support

Speech therapists do more than help with talking. They also help with swallowing food safely and with cancer-related cognitive impairment, often called chemo brain.

For people with head and neck cancer, speech therapy for cancer can help you eat and talk again after treatment changes your mouth or throat. This is really important because swallowing the wrong way can make you very sick.

Many cancer survivors have trouble thinking clearly after treatment. The Mayo Clinic says chemo brain is real. It can make you forget things, lose focus, and feel foggy.

Studies show that many breast cancer survivors report thinking and memory problems after treatment, often around a third to half of patients in some studies. The good news is that speech therapists can teach you tricks to help with memory and focus. These tricks really work for most people.

Meet our team of therapists who specialize in helping cancer patients.

Prehab: Getting Ready Before Treatment

Here’s something many people don’t know. You can start rehab before your cancer treatment even begins. This is called prehabilitation, or “prehab” for short.

Prehab helps you get stronger before surgery or chemo so you can handle treatment better and bounce back faster. It’s like training for a big game.

Prehab usually includes exercises to build strength and energy, eating better to give your body what it needs, and support for worry and stress.

Hospitals like Cleveland Clinic describe cancer rehabilitation as a way to help you prepare for treatment and manage problems during and after care.

Studies show that prehab may help you leave the hospital sooner and feel less anxious. Scientists are still learning the best ways to do prehab, but what we know so far looks promising. Ask your cancer doctor if prehab might help you.

Common Questions

Who can get cancer rehabilitation? Anyone with cancer who has changes in their body, thinking, or daily activities can benefit. You don’t have to wait until treatment is over.

How is cancer physical therapy different from regular physical therapy? Cancer therapists know special safety rules. They understand things like bone risks, swelling risks, and how to work around your treatment schedule.

Can rehab help when I’m tired all the time? Yes! It sounds backwards, but the right exercises can actually give you more energy. Cancer therapists know how to help you build stamina without wearing you out.

What if I finished treatment years ago? It’s not too late. Cancer rehabilitation can help with problems that stick around or show up years later.

Do I need my doctor to send me? It depends on your insurance. Some people can just make an appointment. Others need their doctor to write a referral. Your cancer team can help you figure this out.

What to Remember

  • Cancer rehabilitation helps your body, speech, and thinking all at once with a team approach.
  • Therapists trained in cancer care know safety rules that regular therapists might miss.
  • Cancer-related cognitive impairment (chemo brain) is real and can get better with the right help.
  • Starting rehab before treatment (prehab) may help you recover faster.
  • You can start rehab at any point. Don’t wait for problems to get bad.

Everyone is different, so results vary. Talk to your doctors before starting any new program. Rehab works alongside your cancer treatment, not instead of it.

Ready to feel better? Our team is here for you. Contact Cancer Rehab Group today to set up a visit or phone call.