Vaginal Cancer Treatments – Oncology Rehabilitation for Vaginal Cancer

Oncology Rehabilitation for Vaginal Cancer

At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), we strive to help you strengthen your body in the fight against vaginal cancer. We understand that regular exercise offers many benefits for cancer patients. Exercise can help condition and strengthen your body as your undergo conventional vaginal cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy. Exercise is also an excellent emotional outlet for stress and anxiety, and can empower you to achieve optimum wellness throughout your care.

The CTCA Oncology Rehabilitation Program provides you with a customized physical fitness regimen that combines the power of cardiovascular, flexibility and strength training. Together, these activities can help strengthen you throughout your vaginal cancer treatment by helping reduce stress, prevent fatigue, restore independence, and improve overall quality of life.

The integrated rehabilitation services team at CTCA is comprised of physical therapists (PTs), occupational therapists (OTs), speech and language pathologists, and massage therapists. Our goal is to help you realize the enormous physical and psychological benefits that physical fitness can bring to your overall vaginal cancer treatment plan.

The following are highlights of the oncology rehabilitation services available at CTCA:

Physical Evaluation

Prior to initiating therapy, our oncology rehabilitation team will conduct a thorough physical evaluation for you. Part of this initial evaluation consists of a functional assessment, in which we measure your ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). This will allow your rehabilitation therapist to customize an exercise program to your unique physical needs, abilities and goals.

Physical Therapy / Exercise Program

We strive to help vaginal cancer patients to become more physically capable, active and strong. Our physical therapist will help you develop a customized physical therapy/exercise regimen that works for you, consisting of range-of-motion training and other light activities.

Designed for vaginal cancer patients capable of maintaining independent self-care, this program will help you identify and address strength and stamina deficiencies and prevent fatigue from reaching a debilitating level.

• 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 (maximum 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 that may help relieve joint stiffness and pain, while 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

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapists at CTCA deliver quality of life programs. 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 vaginal cancer treatment. Quality of life programs include help with showering, dressing, eating, and toileting.

Speech and Language Pathology

Speech and language pathologists provide a dual role in the oncology rehabilitation department at CTCA. They teach speech therapy and troubleshoot 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). CTCA speech and language pathologists will work with the nutrition team and food services to thicken or puree food to the consistency you require.

Manual Therapy

Massage therapy is one means of manual muscle therapy. If you would like to incorporate massage therapy into your vaginal cancer treatment, you will first obtain a referral from either your physical or occupational therapist. The following list details the various forms of manual therapies you may receive from your rehabilitation therapist at CTCA:

• Swedish Massage
• Reflexology
• Lymphedema Massage
• Myofascial Release

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