It has long been understood that exercise is beneficial for everyone. It is also agreed that medically directed exercise offered in rehab can help greatly after someone has had a stroke, surgery, heart attack, back injury and more. Rehab is also routinely ordered for someone who has had a joint replacement, sports injury or developed a neurological disease among other things. Historically, patients who have had cancer have been told “go home, rest, your treatment is finished, resume your life.” Cancer patients are often left weakened, scarred, truly ill and unable to resume their life, or resume their life as prior to cancer. While some patients may be referred for therapy, a vast majority are not. The reason for this is multifaceted, but research studies are showing two dominating factors for the lack of referral and follow through with rehabilitation.
First, there is an overall knowledge gap related to rehab for cancer patients. It is a new area of specialization and the community (cancer community and the medical community) does not know it exists. Secondly, cancer patients are often hesitant to “complain” to their oncologists about what they view as non-essential life limiting impairments. Because they are so focused on the treatment of their cancer (or relieved that it is over), they don’t want to bring up the fact that they cannot lift their arm high enough to do their hair, or the numbness in their feet is not enabling them to drive anymore; or they are too weak and fatigued to play with their children or participate in social activities they use to enjoy.
Read the full-text article originally published on March 19, 2014 at Cheryl Guarna's SURVIVOR BLOG: TALK ABOUT CANCER REHAB.