Oncology Rehabilitation for Pancreatic Cancer

Supportive Therapies for Pancreatic Cancer Patients: Oncology Rehabilitation

At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), we are committed to helping you maintain strength and independence throughout your fight against pancreatic cancer. Our Rehabilitation Services program has been designed to help pancreatic cancer patients employ a personalized, physical fitness/therapy regimen consisting of cardiovascular, flexibility and strength training exercises. These activities are designed to help reduce stress, prevent fatigue and improve overall quality of life for our patients.

Our integrated team of physical therapists (PTs), occupational therapists (OTs), and speech and massage therapists strive to educate pancreatic cancer patients on the physical and psychological benefits of physical therapy and fitness.

Rehabilitation Services highlights include:

1. Evaluation: The rehabilitation team will conduct a thorough physical evaluation of you, prior to initiating physical therapy during your pancreatic cancer treatment. Part of this initial evaluation consists of a functional assessment, measuring your ability to perform activities of daily living.
   
   Tailored to provide you with the right amount of exercise, our physical therapy exercise programs combine range-of-motion and flexibility training with other light activities, such as resistance and strength training. Designed for pancreatic cancer patients capable of maintaining independent care, these programs will help identify and address strength and stamina deficiencies.
   
   
   • Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion: This helps therapists determine the intensity of exercise you can tolerate, based on increased heart rate, respiration or breathing rate, sweating and muscle fatigue. The scale ranges from 6 (no exertion at all) to 20 (maximum exertion). 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 an effective way to relieve joint stiffness and pain, while 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; and, promotion of physical and mental relaxation.
2. Manual therapy: Massage therapy is one means of manual muscle therapy offered at CTCA facilities. If you require massage therapy as part of your pancreatic cancer treatment, you will first obtain a referral from either a physical or occupational therapist.
3. Occupation therapy: Occupational therapists deliver quality-of-life programs to help you achieve and maintain preferred levels of physical independence. By studying you as you interact with your day-to-day surroundings and perform activities of daily living, occupational therapists assess physical mobility. They teach you how to address, and adapt to, any physical limitations resultant from pancreatic cancer treatment. Quality-of-life programs include showering, dressing, eating and toileting.
4. Speech pathology: Speech pathologists provide a dual role in the rehabilitation services department, teaching speech therapy and addressing any swallowing problems that may limit your ability to consume food. If left untreated, an improper swallowing mechanism can cause aspiration, which occurs 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.

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