9.6 million people die from cancer every year worldwide, and 1 Australian dies every 12 minutes from cancer. Cancer doesn’t discriminate, which is why Cure Cancer funds crucial research from bright young scientists working across all cancer types. They are partnering with City2Surf in August, to raise awareness and funds for research. If you are planning on participating or want to donate to this cause, please click here.
Whilst not all of us have experienced cancer ourselves, most of us know of someone dear to us who have suffered from it. We can all agree that it’s a horrible degenerative disease that has a dramatic impact on a person’s quality of life.
Here at Your Local Podiatrist, we believe that cancer research is extremely vital in today’s society. We hope for a future in which children can grow up with both parents. We aim for a future where communities can support families impacted by this disease with the necessary services to help them through the process. That can only be attained if appropriate funding and research go into finding the cure for cancer.
In the meantime, we want to do our best to help.
Something which you might not have known is that physiotherapy is very important in recovering from cancer. It can help to repair the damage, improve mobility, reduce stiffness or pain and can improve their overall quality of life.
Physiotherapy is extremely important in cancer recovery as it helps heal and strengthen functions in the body. Cancer battlers often experience physical difficulties, such as issues with strength, endurance, flexibility, balance and coordination.
Physiotherapy uses a variety of manual therapies combined with scientific evidence to assess, diagnose, treat and prevent a variety of health conditions and movement disorders. The techniques used can assist in rebuilding weakened tissue.
Our friends at Central City Physiotherapy, Head2toe Wellness Solutions, Jandakot Physiotherapy and Oxford St Physiotherapy work with a wide variety of cancer patients following surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. They can help minimise long and short-term side effects and also prevent unnecessary disability. They also promote healthy behaviours such as physical activity and weight-control.
To encourage their patients to get mobile after surgery, we ask them to bring comfortable clothes with them to appointments and to get out of bed as soon as they can to start moving around.
Some issues that physiotherapy can help with include
• Falls prevention
• Fatigue
• Pain
• Joint pain and stiffness
• Lymphoedema
• Balance
• Strength
• Sexual function
• Pelvic floor muscle function
• Incontinence
• Shortness of breath
Physiotherapists play an important educational role during and after cancer treatments and in helping promote a proactive approach for patients.