Physical Therapy for Kidney Cancer

As part of our comprehensive approach to treating the whole patient and not just the illness, Cancer Treatment Centers of America offers rehabilitation services to promote a physical fitness regimen for you, consisting of cardiovascular, flexibility and strength training. Together, these activities are designed to help you reduce stress, prevent fatigue and improve overall quality-of-life.

Equipped with an integrated team of Physical Therapists (PTs), Occupational Therapists (OTs), Speech and Massage Therapists, the rehabilitation services team strives to educate oncology patients on the physical and psychological benefits physical fitness imparts within your treatment process.

Therapy highlights include:

Evaluation

The rehabilitation team will conduct a thorough physical evaluation for you, prior to initiating therapy. Part of this initial evaluation consists of a functional assessment, measuring your ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs).

Physical Therapy / Exercise Program

Ensuring patients maintain some level of physical activity is a core tenet of the CTCA approach. Exercise—even minimal physical exertion—increases heart rate and muscle flexion, while boosting your body’s tolerance to chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Participating in daily exercise programs will enable you to gain a sense of physical control over your condition, and will provide an outlet for stress and anxiety. In addition, exercise will instill you with the motivation and the drive for optimal wellness.

Our exercise programs combine range-of-motion training with other light activities, like resistance training, to provide you with the right amount of exercise. Designed for patients capable of maintaining independent self-care, these programs will help you identify and address strength and stamina deficiencies, before your fatigue increases to debilitating levels.

• Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) – The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion helps therapists determine the intensity of exercise you can tolerate. The scale ranges from 6 (no exertion at all) to 20 (maximal exertion). Since the condition of each person is unique, the Borg system measures “exercise” as any activity that increases heart rate. Most people achieve 65 to 75 percent of their maximum heart rate during exercise.
• Flexibility Program – Stretching is a beneficial activity you may engage in to relieve joint stiffness and pain, at the same time improving your overall mobility and range-of-motion. The benefits of stretching include:
  • Enhancement of performance in everyday activities
  • Improvement of mobility and independence
  • Improvement and maintenance of posture and muscle balance
  • Injury prevention
  • Promotion of physical and mental relaxation

Manual Therapy

Massage therapy is one means of manual muscle therapy. If you require massage therapy, you will first obtain a referral from either a Physical or Occupational Therapist. The following list details the various forms of manual therapies you may receive from rehabilitation services:

• Swedish Massage
• Reflexology
• Lymphedema Massage
• Myofascial Release

Occupation Therapy

Occupational Therapists deliver quality-of-life programs to you, should you require assistance. By studying you as you interact with your day-to-day surroundings, Occupational Therapists assess physical mobility and will teach you how to address, and adapt to, any physical limitations resultant from treatment. Quality-of-life programs include:

• Showering
• Dressing
• Eating
• Toileting

Speech Pathology

Speech Pathologists provide a dual role in the rehabilitation services department, teaching speech therapy and troubleshooting any swallowing problems that may limit your ability to consume food. If left untreated, an improper swallowing mechanism can create a condition known as aspiration—when food falls into the lung. Speech Pathologists will work with Nutrition and Food Services to thicken or puree food to the consistency you may require.