Our breast cancer rehabilitation specialists make your treatment and recovery easier. And our lymphedema therapists assess and manage post-surgery swelling.
Physical Therapy for Breast Cancer
Why do physical therapy for breast cancer? It's one of the most powerful tools we have for helping you get your precancer status back.
Physical therapy helps reduce side effects from surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Plus, it lessens the emotional fall-out after your breast cancer diagnosis. Physical therapy even improves your life after you've finished treatment.
Lymphedema Management
What is lymphedema, and what causes it?
Some of the fluid in your blood leaks into the surrounding tissues. This liquid (called lymph) travels through a network of "pipes" that carry it back to your bloodstream. Sometimes fluid gets trapped, causing swelling (lymphedema) in an arm, leg, or another body part. And if left alone, lymphedema can worsen.
The good news? Our certified lymphedema therapists can spot early clues when this process is starting and step in to help. We're trained to treat and manage lymphedema so you get back to the life you want.
We use several techniques to improve lymph drainage. One method is a type of massage that coaxes fluid out of the part of the body where it's collected. Sometimes we use a state-of-the-art device to do the same job. It works something like a blood pressure cuff that automatically inflates, then deflates.
Lymphedema therapists also use bandaging and specially designed pieces of clothing to redirect pooled fluid using gentle pressure. Your therapist teaches you exercises and other strategies for promoting lymph outflow, too. These tools allow you to learn how to manage lymphedema on your own.