Oncology Rehabilitation

Oncology Rehabilitation

Oncology Rehabilitation Centre

CAPAAR has the Best Oncology Rehabilitation center in Hulimavu. Oncology is a specialized medical field that is concerned with the diagnosis, screening, evaluation, treatment and follow-up care for cancer patients. Physiotherapists at CAPAAR can help individuals fight cancer by minimizing symptoms, enhancing mobility and improving their overall quality of life.

Physiotherapy for Cancer:

If you are being treated for cancer, it is probable that you will need physiotherapy for some aspects of your rehabilitation. Physiotherapy increases the body’s strength to withstand surgery or radiotherapy. Physiotherapy can also help you recover from these procedures to restore patients to their previous levels of mobility and function. Physiotherapists also provide palliative care to maintain the comfort and dignity of patients during the end stages of the disease.

Oncology Rehabilitation Centre

Our physiotherapist will give you a comprehensive physical examination to evaluate your symptoms and major health issues. The findings of the overall assessment will be discussed with the patient and family members and rehabilitation plans will be formulated accordingly. We will help you set specific goals to be reached in the therapy sessions. The goals will be such as can be accomplished in the short and long terms.

The physiotherapy itself will be based on specific health concerns and goals to be achieved. The following may be considered before deciding on the therapy:

  • Symptom management
  • Soft tissue mobilization stretches and splinting
  • Joint and muscle stretches
  • Fatigue management
  • Muscle strengthening exercises
  • Core stability and balance exercises
  • Cardiovascular exercises
  • Respiratory breathing exercises
  • Provision of home exercise program
  • Education of formal or informal caregivers
  • Positioning
  • postural management
  • Provision of appropriate positioning aids, mobility aids, and equipment
  • Mobility practice
  • Practice of functional activities

CAPAAR has the Best Oncology Rehabilitation center in Hulimavu, Bangalore. Lymphedema is a condition wherein the arms and legs become swollen because of fluid accumulation. The swelling (edema) is caused when the lymphatic system does not function properly. Lymphedema mostly affects a single arm or leg but in severe cases, both limbs may get swollen.

There are two types of lymphedema: Primary lymphedema is a rare, genetic condition, which is caused by an abnormality of the lymph vessels. Secondary lymphedema is the result of damage to healthy lymph nodes and vessels or some obstruction to their normal functioning.

Causes of Lymphedema

Healthy lymph nodes filter the fluid as it flows through them and they trap bacteria, viruses, and other harmful substances. Subsequently, the white blood cells called lymphocytes move in and destroy them. If the lymph nodes are not functioning as they should, normal drainage does not occur and the fluid builds up in the arms or legs, leading to lymphedema.

In certain cancer surgeries, cancerous lymph nodes are removed, which process may hinder the proper functioning of the remaining nodes and lead to lymphedema. Certain medicines, radiation therapy and other injuries to the lymph vessels can also cause lymphedema.

When the condition is caused by the above, it is an example of secondary lymphedema. The cause of primary lymphedema is not known but it can be present at birth or appear during puberty or even adulthood.

Symptoms of Lymphedema

Swelling of the limbs is a sign of lymphedema. The swelling can occur in one or both arms and legs depending on the extent of localization of damage. This is true for both primary and secondary lymphedema. The swelling may be slightly noticeable, mildly debilitating or severe. Lymphedema may first become apparent as an asymmetry of the arms and legs. One may also have difficulty fitting into clothes and jewelry. In lymphatic filariasis, a limb may swell several times its normal size.

If the swelling becomes too pronounced, the extra weight may lead to fatigue, a disfiguration, and restriction of routine activities. The skin of the affected area also thickens; the lumpy appearance is normally described as the ‘orange peel; effect. The skin can also become scaly or cracked and get infected. There may be soreness in the swollen areas with the resultant loss of flexibility or mobility. Other symptoms, which can accompany the swelling include:

  • Warmth, redness, or itching
  • Tingling or burning pains
  • Fever and chills
  • Decreased flexibility in the joints
  • Aching, pain, and fullness of the involved area
  • Skin rash

Physiotherapy for Lymphedema

The physical therapy for lymphedema targets the blockage in the lymph nodes that obstruct their proper drainage. Physiotherapy for lymphedema consists of massage of the affected areas, manual drainage of the accumulated lymph fluid and treatment with compression garments. Elevation and therapy with air-compressed bladders are also used to return the limbs to their normal size. We are the Best Oncology Rehabilitation center in Hulimavu | CAPAAR will generally give first by a trained physiotherapist and then continued at home by the patient or a caregiver who is trained by our therapists.

Goals of Lymphedema Physical Therapy:

  • Increased range of motion/flexibility
  • Decreased swelling
  • Decreased pain
  • Increased strength
  • Restore function and improve the quality of life

Lymphedema Physical Therapy Includes:

  • One-on-one, hands-on, last 45-75 min in comfortable private treatment rooms
  • Soft Tissue Mobilization, lymphatic drainage, scar mobilization
  • Modalities, including ultrasound, electrical stimulation
  • Therapeutic exercises, including a range of motion, stretching and strengthening
  • Patient education to maintain decreased edema, posture re-education, body mechanics, skin care
  • Compression bandaging and garments

Nerves carry sensations to the brain and control the bladder, bowel, and mobility of our limbs. The nerves that are away from the brain and spinal cord are called peripheral nerves. Best Oncology Rehabilitation center in Hulimavu, Bangalore. CAPAAR doctor says that Some chemotherapy and other drugs used in cancer treatment can cause damage to these distant nerves. The damage is described by a condition called chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and can be a harmful side effect of chemotherapy and cancer treatment.

Symptoms of CIPN

The indications of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy largely depend on the affected nerves. CAPAAR the Best Oncology Rehabilitation center in Hulimavu says that the most common signs of CIPN are:

  • Pain (which may be there all the time or come and go, like shooting or stabbing pain)
  • Burning
  • Tingling (“pins and needles” feeling) or electric/shock-like pain
  • Loss of feeling (which can be numbness or just less ability to sense pressure, touch, heat, or cold)
  • Trouble using your fingers to pick up or hold things; dropping things
  • Balance problems
  • The trouble with tripping or stumbling while walking
  • Being more sensitive to cold or heat
  • Being more sensitive to touch or pressure
  • Shrinking muscles
  • Muscle weakness
  • Trouble swallowing
  • Constipation
  • Trouble passing urine
  • Blood pressure changes
  • Decreased or no reflexes

CIPN can be a debilitating condition and can severely undermine your ability to carry out routine activities like walking, dressing, etc. More acute cases may lead to harmful changes in heart rate, blood pressure, breathing trouble, paralysis or organ failure.

Development of CIPN

Best Oncology Rehabilitation center in Hulimavu, Bangalore. In Chemotherapy drugs spread throughout the body. Symptoms tend to appear farthest from the head but move closer to it over time. CIPN mostly starts in the toes, climb on to the ankles and legs and later on appear in the fingers and hands. CIPN usually affects both sides of the body; when it affects both hands and feet, in the same way, it is called ‘stocking-glove distribution’. The condition may set at any time after chemotherapy and may get worse as the treatment progresses.

Can CIPN be Prevented?

Many drugs and chemicals have been tried to prevent the onset of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Some of them are mentioned below. Studies have shown mixed results and more research is required.

  • Vitamin E
  • Calcium and magnesium
  • Some anti-seizure drugs, such as carbamazepine (Tegretol)
  • Some antidepressants, such as venlafaxine (Effexor)
  • Glutathione (an enzyme with antioxidant properties)

Substances like other vitamins and dietary supplements are also being researched to see if they can help protect peripheral nerves from chemotherapy-induced damage. They are being studied as supplements given to patients before and after chemotherapy. As far as it stands, there is no definite way to prevent CIPN. However, a lot of research and clinical trials are being conducted in this area as the condition is a major problem with chemotherapy.

CAPAAR has the Best Oncology Rehabilitation center in Hulimavu. Our doctor says that Nerves are sensitive structures vulnerable to damage through pressure, laceration or stretching. Nerve pain and related injuries are a broad classification of conditions affected the face, arms, and legs. Some of these ailments include sciatica, pins, and needles, numbness, weakness, and pain in the nerves. Symptoms can include:

  • Pain
  • Sensitivity
  • Numbness
  • Tingling or prickling
  • Burning
  • Pins and needles
  • Weakness

Types of Nerve Injury

Nerve injury can be classified into three categories:

  • Neuropraxia: Blockage of nerve conduction but the nerve is intact. Spontaneous recovery in 4-6 weeks
  • Axonotmesis: Internal structures of the nerve are damaged, with nil or partial damage to the outer part
  • Neurotmesis: Rupture of the nerve. The most severe type of nerve injury with no chance of spontaneous recovery

Physiotherapy Treatment for Nerve Injury

Our certified physiotherapists can reverse nerve root compression caused by fibrous scar tissue after a disc prolapse. They also treat conditions, which arise when other structures compress the sciatic nerve. Our physiotherapists at CAPAAR the Best Oncology Rehabilitation center in Hulimavu works to prevent further sciatic pain by teaching the patient correct postural techniques and exercises to rectify muscle imbalances in the spine.

In adults, nerves grow about an inch per month and nerve compression is common in the lumbar and cervical spine. In common nerve injuries like brachial plexus injury and foot drop, the nerve may recover partially; in case of a laceration injury, the damage may be permanent.

CAPAAR has the Best Oncology Rehabilitation center in Hulimavu. Our doctor says that Muscles thrive on exercise; if they are not worked, the little muscle fibers become thinner till the entire muscle begins to lose strength. Some muscle groups become weaker faster than others. Muscle weakness or myasthenia ranges from a brief experience of weakness to complete paralysis.

Causes and Symptoms of Myasthenia

Myasthenia can also stem from a seemingly harmless overexertion but can also be a symptom or result of an acute disorder. Muscles can tire very fast and if they cannot exert enough force, they are weak. If your overall physical strength needs improvement, it is likely due to weak muscles.

Causes of muscle weakness can be the following:

  • Overexertion and injury (from aching muscles to rupture of a muscle fiber, e.g. due to sports)
  • Wrong or unhealthy diet (lack of minerals and vitamins)
  • Accidents or disorders weakening the patient’s body, confining them to bed and causing immobility (e.g. stroke, infections or injury of the cruciate ligament in the knee, meniscus, spinal disk and back problems, hip surgery)
  • Denervation can cause muscle atrophy due to non-use, e.g. incomplete tetraplegia, peripheral nerve damage (after accident, surgery) – muscles weaken
  • Psychological disorders, e.g. depression

Other causes of myasthenia may be certain drugs, alcohol, muscle and nerve damage caused by toxins, anemia, metabolic disorders (e.g. thyroid hyperfunction), and circulatory disorders.

Muscle weakness may also be a symptom of conditions such as:

  • Myositis
  • Muscle disorders (e.g. muscle dystrophy)
  • Neural disorders (e.g. polyneuropathy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ALS)
  • Virus infections (polio)
  • Myasthenia gravis pseudoparalytica (abnormal muscle weakness, autoimmune disorder – disturbed signal transmission between muscle and nerve)
  • Herniated disc

Physiotherapy for Muscle Weakness

People suffering from muscle weakness need medical help. The causes of mysathenia should be determined to facilitate targeted treatment. Physiotherapy improves muscle strength, which makes important activities easier to undertake and increases your self-confidence. Physiotherapy treatment at CAPAAR the Best Oncology Rehabilitation center in Hulimavu mainly targets:

  • Partial or complete paralysis of muscles
  • Hemiplegia – half the body is weakened
  • Dystonia – involuntary contraction of muscles
  • Spasticity – increased muscle tone
  • Soft tissue contractures – muscle tiffness

CAPAAR has the Best Oncology Rehabilitation center in Hulimavu, it will first evaluate the functioning and strength of your muscles. Based on the findings, they then devise a structured and targeted rehabilitation programme Therapy will involve:

  • A progressive exercise programme based on everyday activities, using your muscles correctly and as often as possible.
  • Active movement of muscles and joints using different equipment e.g. gravity, theraband, free weights or a gym ball to activate muscles and get them working again.
  • Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) to stimulate the nerve supplying the muscles.
  • Advise about the use of supportive devices and orthotics to improve physical functioning.
  • Advice and support on how to continue improving the treatment session. For example, daily activity based on your home, work and social life.

Neurological physiotherapy also enhances muscle strength and quality of life. Apart from this, our physiotherapist will also conceive short and long-term targets for you to achieve based on your progress.

Have you got any Oncology Rehabilitation related query? Call us Now!

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