1. Program for Patients Undergoing Radiation and/or Chemotherapy
For patients currently undergoing radiation and/or chemotherapy, physical therapy aims to maintain physical fitness throughout treatment. This includes maximizing the body's ability to cope with treatment and reducing side effects. The program emphasizes encouraging body movement, cardiovascular endurance exercises, and muscle-strengthening activities.
If a patient experiences pain, the physical therapist will manage and relieve symptoms using appropriate techniques and equipment.
Each patient will be evaluated using the ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) Performance Status scale to assess their ability to perform daily activities. A safe and individualized exercise plan will then be chosen.
Additionally, the patient’s
heart rate reserve (HRR) will be measured — the difference between maximum heart rate and resting heart rate — to appropriately and safely set the target heart rate for
2. Physical Therapy Program for Post-Surgery Breast Cancer Patients
Breast cancer surgery varies depending on the physician’s discretion, including excision, mastectomy, or mastectomy with reconstruction (silicone implants). Each method impacts wound size, tissue injury, and lymph node management differently, directly affecting recovery.
The post-surgical physical therapy program focuses on:
- Maintaining a normal range of motion in the shoulders.
- Preventing postoperative swelling.
- Promoting daily activities and walking.
Physical therapists provide pre-operative education, including practicing shoulder movements and bed mobility after surgery, ensuring that patients can move safely and confidently postoperatively. Continuous care is provided both during hospitalization and after discharge, ensuring patients can return to their daily lives successfully.