Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation is noted to the actions taken to restore a person’s abilities (including any of the sensory, motor, cognitive, etc.) that have been damage by disease or treatment. rehabilitation is not generally performed by prescription but rather through training and other forms of treatment. Rehabilitation comes in a variety of forms to meet different needs including but not limited to physical therapy, sports medicine, physical medicine, occupational therapy, lymphedema control, speech therapy and psychological therapy.

Patients with chronic diseases, including cancer patients, may face challenges that have a significant impact on their performance. The patient’s ability to conduct various tasks can be affected by tumor activity, surgery and other cancer treatments, low mood and depression, long period of hospitalization, etc. Rehabilitation helps maintain the patient’s independence as well as reduces suffering. MACSA provides free rehabilitation services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and lymphedema treatment to cancer patients.

Physical therapy

Sometimes cancer reduces a patient’s mobility and ability to do things. Cancer and its treatment can lead to muscle weakness, loss of balance, alterations in body shape, and hence may affect the patient’s mobility, body image and ability to perform tasks. As well, movement disorders and reduced mobility due to long-term inactivity is a common complication among bedridden patients and patients who are hospitalized for long periods of time. Physical therapy helps cancer patients during treatment, after completion of treatment and in the survivorship to recover from adverse physical effects of cancer taking advantage of rehabilitative movements.

Occupational therapy

Occupational therapy mainly focuses on the improvement of the ability to perform daily tasks and adapt the living environment to the specific needs of the patient. The occupational therapist strives to provide maximum functional independence for daily life as well as maximum safety and well-being for the patient by suggesting managements in the living environment, prescribing appropriate equipment and performing rehabilitative exercise.

Control of Lymphedema

Lymphedema refers to the accumulation of lymph in the tissue that may cause swelling of the subjected organ (e.g., limbs). Lymphedema may cause pain, heaviness, and inflammation in the organ and thus limiting the patient’s engagement in daily activities. Most people who undergo breast surgery for cancer (e.g., mastectomy) develop lymphedema. Lymphedema, on the other hand, can be prevented and controlled by consulting a lymphotherapist (lymphatic physiotherapy), and learning specialized massages and proper care.

The lymphatic physiotherapist takes the necessary actions to diagnose, prevent and treat lymphedema. Some examples of these actions include educating prevention of lymphedema, making frequent visits to treat swelling, using devices and specialized massage to drain lymph from the tissue, and giving advices on healthy treatment and utilization of the affected organ the at home in order to prevent recurrence or progression of lymphedema.