Surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation are critical tools in cancer treatment. There are also plenty of side effects that can occur with the most common ones being fatigue and difficulty concentrating as well as pain and stiffness in the body.
Once active treatment is complete most providers (and thus patients) fixate on recovery: the physical signs and symptoms of pain, activity levels or number of medications taken. These things are important and help guide us as health care providers as how to best help you in your recovery.
Yet your body needs more than just recovery. After weathering the hard work of tests, procedures, systemic treatment, and surgery both your body and your mind need time to heal. And for healing to occur several things should be in place to make it easier: patience, a detailed plan, and focused work.
Moving with confidence, strength and ease, and understanding how to support your body as it heals is something physical therapy can help with. Working with a physical therapist who understands cancer treatments and the different layers that can encompass healing can help guide you through the “after” of cancer treatments and beyond.