Oncology Rehabilitation

Overview

WashU Medicine Physical Therapy offers specialized care to individuals throughout their cancer journey, aiming to enhance overall physical well-being, manage symptoms, and improve quality of life.

At WashU Medicine Physical Therapy, our mission is to improve your quality of life and reduce the impact of cancer-related treatment side effects through the promotion of movement. Every person responds to cancer treatments differently, so you will receive an individualized plan.

Your Visit(s) Include:

• Before treatment care: Physical, Occupational or Speech Therapy can prepare you for the side effects of your upcoming treatment by helping to improve your endurance and strength. This can help your body’s ability to tolerate treatment.
• During treatment care: Physical, Occupational or Speech Therapy can help you maintain your current level of function and help reduce pain and discomfort.
• After treatment care: Physical, Occupational or Speech Therapy promotes cancer survivorship by helping you return to your prior activities, minimizing side effects, and improving your quality of life.

Comprehensive Care We Provide:

• Muscle Fatigue & Weakness: Learning appropriate levels of exercise to combat cancer-related fatigue and improve participation and quality of life.

• Joint Pain & Restricted Movements: Addressing movement restrictions caused by surgery and radiation with range of motion and postural exercises, and equipment to restore proper movement.

• Incontinence and Pelvic Pain: Developing specific treatment plans to manage bowel and bladder leakage, constipation, or pain resulting from surgery and radiation, particularly in the abdominal and pelvic areas.

• Balance & Gait Issues: Ensuring safety and independence through exercises and appropriate assistive devices to address balance and walking deficits caused by cancer treatment.

• Lymphedema: Treating and managing swelling resulting from surgery or radiation therapy with the help of certified lymphedema therapists.

• Communication: Assessing and treating communication changes that can impact motor speech, language, and voice, depending on the site of the lesion and side effects of treatment.

• Cognition: Addressing attention, memory, planning, and problem-solving difficulties caused by chemotherapy, radiation, or brain lesions with a combination of compensatory strategies and remediation.

• Swallowing: Developing exercises and/or compensatory strategies to manage changes in the ability to eat and drink comfortably and safely, particularly following surgery and radiation in the neck, mouth, or face.

Specialty Programs:

• Breast Cancer Prehab Program

Our Approach:

Our therapists exclusively provide one-on-one care to support your recovery and adapt our treatments to your evolving needs. Our therapists design comprehensive and individualized rehabilitation plans, utilizing evidence-based practices to help you regain optimal function.

Every WashU Medicine physical therapist holds a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree, with many having board-specialist certifications in specific areas of practice. Our clinicians are trusted experts in evaluating and treating neurologic conditions and are committed to providing comprehensive and compassionate care.

Service Locations