- Oncology physiotherapy improves the quality of life of people who are receiving treatment or recovering from an operation: it facilitates pain relief, increases mobility and reduces fatigue.
- The new specialist at the health center specializing in musculoskeletal pathologies explains the benefits of the therapy to recover muscle mass, which she recommends starting “as soon as possible”
Hospital IMSKE River has expanded its physiotherapy service with a specialist in oncology physiotherapy, Isabel Gay Fernández de Córdova, who helps these patients to recover muscle mass, mobility and general physical fitness, which results in an improvement in their quality of life and their mood.
“Physical rehabilitation is very important during and after cancer, both in cases where surgery is required and in cases where it is not, because in general, patients move less, their muscles atrophy and lose weight,” explains the specialist, who recommends starting oncology physiotherapy routines “as soon as possible.” “Even if the patient is receiving chemotherapy, we adapt the guidelines to the needs of each patient and physical exercise has been confirmed to be very positive in all cases,” she adds. Among other benefits, it highlights pain relief (because the endocannabinoid system is enhanced), the reduction of fatigue and muscle loss (sarcopenia), as well as other side effects of chemotherapy or hormonal treatment, such as nausea. In addition, it reduces the risk of suffering from osteoporosis and venous thrombosis and, in general, improves the quality of life, well-being and independence of cancer patients, which contributes to increasing self-esteem and social relationships. "When patients feel stronger, they feel better physically and have more desire to do things," says the physiotherapist.
Various studies have also shown that in chemotherapy treatments, there are very positive results in patients who perform prescribed therapeutic exercise of medium intensity, with less toxicity and greater effectiveness in the treatment itself. “Cancer cells feed on little oxygen. Therefore, the more time a cancer patient spends on the couch, the worse it is. And with sport, you oxygenate the cells,” he explains. Specifically, specialists recommend doing strength exercises (for example, with weights or rubber bands) and combining it with aerobic exercise (walking, cycling or swimming) and stretching. The Ribera IMSKE hospital has 1.350 square metres dedicated exclusively to patient rehabilitation, as well as a 45-square-metre hydrotherapy pool with three levels of depth.
Isabel Gay Fernandez de Cordova explains that she often works with patients with lymphedema, lymphedema and pathologies related to the lymphatic system, but also with patients who have undergone surgery and have to recover all or part of the mobility reduced or lost due to rest or due to the operation itself. “Thanks to the facilities and the super-specialization of the professionals in the different areas of this hospital, at Ribera IMSKE we can carry out very specific routines that are impossible to carry out in other health centers,” explains Isabel. The oncology physiotherapist works in coordination with the team of nutritionists and rehabilitation doctors, to offer comprehensive care to these patients.
