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Breast Cancer Rehabilitation

A diagnosis of breast cancer can turn your world upside down.

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Breast cancer rehabilitation is designed to assist men and women through their treatment and recovery. The goals are:

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  • maximize physical recovery through regaining strength and mobility

  • reduce treatment related fatigue

  • reduce pain and muscular tension

  • provide a personalized progressive exercise program to allow you to regain control and return back to life

When to begin treatment?

Every person is different, and each journey is unique.

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  1. Pre-operatively: a pre-operative assessment can determine where you are at today, and what goals we can aim for once surgery is completed. The assessment allows for baseline measures to be taken that can useful in the future to monitor for conditions such as lymphedema.
     

  2. Post-operatively: whether you have undergone a mastectomy, lumpectomy, reconstruction or implant, there will be an assessment of your mobility and exercise prescription to regain mobility and strength
     

  3. Adjuvant to active cancer treatment (while undergoing chemotherapy or radiation) or subsequent to all therapy being completed. Focusing on improving muscle mass, increasing energy, improving bone density, and getting you back to life!

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Strength After Breast Cancer (SABC)

 

Have you had a mastectomy or lumpectomy?

 

Have you been treated with radiation or chemotherapy?

 

Do you have, or are you at risk of developing lymphedema?

 

Strength After Breast Cancer is a Physiotherapist led re-introduction to exercise following breast cancer treatment. The program focuses on improving flexibility, developing core strength, and increasing overall strength through weight-based resistance exercises. No prior experience required.

The program is based on the Physical Activity and Lymphedema Trial demonstrating a 70% reduction in the development of lymphedema, improvement in posture, body image, energy levels, and an increase in bone density!

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What does the Strength After Breast Cancer program involve?
 

  • Program Length: 5 weeks

    • 1 class together as a small group, 1 session on your own
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  • Location: Kamloops downtown YMCA studio

    • You do not need to be a YMCA member
       

  • Costs: Each class is $30.00. Costs can be submitted for coverage through most extended health providers.
     

  • Bonus: Each class is fully run and supervised by a physiotherapist. All participants are provided with an exercise booklet and logging forms, and you get to connect with great people while you begin your exercise journey.

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Am I eligible?

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This intervention has been approved for:

  • Breast cancer survivors: during treatment or finished treatment

  • Any age

  • Persons who do not have metastatic disease

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Have you been diagnosed with lymphedema?

Lymphedema is a side-effect of breast cancer treatment in some patients. It involves swelling in the arm on the side of the breast cancer treatment. This swelling can occur soon after surgery or many years later, but it has been found that generally most women will develop lymphedema within 4 years of their breast cancer treatment.

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The gold standard treatment for lymphedema is Complete Decongestive Therapy (CDT for short). For more information on this treatment click here.

Resources

For more information on local practitioners and services for cancer survivors visit Kamloops Cancer Connections.

https://www.kamloopscancerconnections.ca/

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For more information on lymphedema visit the BC Cancer Website.

http://www.bccancer.bc.ca/health-info/types-of-cancer/breast-cancer/lymphedema#The--basics

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