The rehabilitation therapists at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) help you build strength and endurance, regain independence, reduce stress and maintain the energy you need to participate in activities that are important to you.
Our oncology rehabilitation team includes licensed physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech and language pathologists.
Throughout your cancer treatment, rehabilitation therapies can help you maintain your quality of life in several ways:
As part of your cancer treatment, our physical therapists can help you design an individualized exercise program that combines range-of-motion training with light resistance exercises. These therapeutic exercises aim to minimize your fatigue and optimize your physical function, safety and well-being.
Our occupational therapists can help you with daily living activities that are important to your routine and quality of life, such as dressing, showering and eating.
Speech and language pathology
Many cancer patients benefit from speech and language pathology. Therapists address problems such as dry mouth, difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), loss of voice and cognitive changes that can result from cancer treatment.
Our massage therapists can help reduce your cancer-related pain and improve your quality of life during your treatment.
This painless, non-invasive form of oncology rehabilitation, which involves stimulation of the auricle of the external ear, can help alleviate some of the side effects of cancer treatments, such as pain, nausea, fatigue, shortness of breath, and balance and coordination problems.
This method aims to improve peripheral neuropathy, a condition that causes pain, numbness, tingling, or loss of reflexes in different parts of the body. The technique involves an electronic stimulation to the area of peripheral neuropathy, such as the hands or feet, to increase tactile sensory and awareness.
Lymphedema prevention and treatment
Lymphedema is a condition in which excess fluid collects in tissue and causes swelling. Our oncology rehabilitation team combines gentle range-of-motion exercises and massage to either prevent lymphedema, or reduce the swelling associated with this condition. For some patients, we may also recommend surgical options for the treatment of lymphedema after non-surgical therapeutic approaches have been exhausted.
CTCA offers a wide range of additional services/programs to promote faster and more complete recovery for cancer patients receiving radiation therapy, surgery or drug-based treatments.
- Programs to address incontinence
- Weight management/movement program
- Support for fatigue and sleep disturbances