Cancer Care
Oedema Management
Oedema can be a troubling side effect to cancer treatments (see Oedema Care) and is best assessed and managed by therapists who have specialised training. There may be a need for complex therapy involving compression bandaging or garments which need to individually prescribed. Oedema Clinics therapists specialise in the treatment and management of cancer treatment-related oedema and use the PhysioTouch (what is PhysioTouch)as an added bonus to our patients. Depending on cause and the prognosis treatment plans can be short-term or ongoing.
Cording & Adhesions
PhysioTouch allows the therapist to adjust the pressure accordingly for different patients and pathologies resulting from lymph node dissection, surgery and/or radiation oncology. Even using higher pressures will provide a gentle treatment that manipulates cording and adhesions, breaking down the fibrosed tissue faster and without pain. Some cording can be relieved completely in 2 - 3 treatments.
When undergoing or recovering from cancer treatment sometimes it is long way down the list to be concerned about joints that no longer have the full range of motion. For example, after mastectomy the affected side shoulder is often affected adversely. This is best addressed at the time of surgery where rehabilitation is most effective. Our Physiotherapists will provide an individualised plan for preventing and treating loss of function. With the benefit of the PhysioTouch gently mobilising soft tissues your treatment plan will be stress and pain free. Some patients experience an increase in ROM by 15-30% within the first treatment.
Red, Thickened Scar Tissue
Scars resulting from lymph node dissection, surgery and/or radiation oncology sometimes become highly vascularised (very red) and thicken over time, which is not only unsightly but often comes with skin puckering or deep hollows on or around the scar. Treating these types of scars is often extremely difficult and sometimes the therapist needs to rely on intense pressure or manipulation to achieve any success. Intense pressure or manipulation is often just not an option as it is too uncomfortable.
Using the PhysioTouch not only successfully, gently mobilises the tissues it also enhances removal of oedema (swelling or excess fluid) and can re-set the vascularisation in the local area leading to reduction in redness, softening and relaxing of the thickening. Some patients report great outcomes after only 3 or 4 sessions with the PhysioTouch.
Chemo-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN)
Some of the chemotherapy and other drugs used to treat cancer can damage peripheral nerves (nerves that are some distance away from the brain and spinal cord). When this happens it is called chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). This can be a very distressing and sometimes disabling side effect of cancer treatment.
PhysioTouch can markedly reduce CIPN with some suffers reporting a complete absence of symptoms after only 10 treatments.
Bandaging – standard lymphoedema consult of $145 plus consumables (ie bandages and wound care products)
Garment prescription - standard lymphoedema consult of $145 plus cost of garments. The type of garment will depend on your individual needs.
