What is cancer rehabilitation?
The Brooks Oncology Program takes a multi-disciplinary team approach to patient care during cancer rehabilitation. Our team consists of Physical, Occupational and Speech therapists who have undergone specialized training to meet the needs of our patients throughout every phase of treatment and recovery.
Our goal is to mitigate the effects of cancer treatment and to help patients achieve their highest level of recovery. Evidence indicates that intervention implemented by a trained professional at any phase during cancer treatment has been shown to reduce impairments and improve quality of life. We specialize in seeing patients as early as initial diagnosis, all the way through survivorship, to years after their final treatment.
Conditions we help manage
- Decreased balance/falls
- Decreased bone density
- Decreased endurance
- Decreased range of motion
- Difficulty with your daily activities
- Fatigue
- Heaviness of your extremities
- Joint or muscle pain
- Pelvic floor dysfunctions such as urinary incontinence, painful intercourse and erectile dysfunction
- Peripheral Neuropathy
- Swallowing difficulties related to cancer treatments
Our services
- Balance and vestibular training
- General strengthening
- Occupational therapy
- Patient and caregiver education
- Pelvic health therapy
- Physical therapy
- Post-op rehabilitation
- Speech therapy
Program benefits
Staying active throughout cancer treatment can improve your tolerance for those treatments. Prehab conditioning can even expand potential treatment options. Some medications that may be necessary to treat your specific can cause loss of lean muscle mass. Becoming sedentary during or after treatment can lead to further muscle loss.
Our clinicians can help problem solve ways to keep you active and adapt activities to account for previous injuries or soreness that may arise during your treatments. Research has shown that undergoing a supervised exercise program by a trained clinician at any time during cancer treatment can improve quality of life, minimize the loss of lean muscle, minimize functional decline, decrease fatigue levels and decrease fall risk. Benefits for cardiovascular health and overall strength have also been demonstrated when patients were able to meet activity guidelines.
Prehabilitation Program
If you are interested in starting therapy prior to your oncology treatments, our Prehabilitation Program would be perfect for you. It typically consists of 1-2 sessions and includes:
- Assessment of baseline functional measures , range of motion and strength
- Development of an individual plan to address any impairments that may affect your recovery while receiving cancer treatments
- An individualized exercise program to address overall cardiovascular strength and endurance
- Education on early signs of lymphedema, risk factors and prevention
- Education for identifying and addressing cancer related fatigue
Connect with us
Get started on your individualized treatment plan today!
- Contact our central intake unit at 904-345-7277 option #3.
- For additional information, please email Brooks.Oncology@brooksrehab.org.
- Check with your insurance provider about direct access for rehabilitation.