Transforming Cancer Recovery: The Power of Prehab and Proactive Care

Can preparing your body before and during cancer treatment really make a difference in your recovery? I explore this revolutionary concept of "prehab" inspired by Dr. Jessica Cheng's powerful phrase "prehab for all." As a physical therapist with experience in cancer rehabilitation, I'll share how mobility, support groups, and a deeper understanding of treatment can significantly enhance recovery outcomes.

We also face the challenges head-on: the scarcity of specialized therapists, the lack of public awareness, and the barriers to accessing these crucial services. By advocating for "prehab," even a few rehab visits can make a substantial difference in your journey.

Whether you're undergoing treatment, supporting a loved one, or simply interested in a holistic approach to cancer care, this episode aims to empower you with knowledge and encourage proactive steps towards better health and well-being. 

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Transcript

Bettina M Brown: 0:04

Hello and welcome to In the Rising a health and wellness podcast for those going through and those supporting those going through cancer. My name is Bettina Brown and I'm board certified in physical therapy, wound care and lymphedema. And you know, for me cancer is very personal. It's affected my friends, my immediate and my not so immediate family, and therefore I created this podcast and fitafterbreastcancercom to address the multiple dimensions of our lives during and after recovery. Hello, hello, I wanted to share this.

Bettina M Brown: 0:43

I came across Dr Jessica Chang's comments on Cancer Network, home of the Journal of Oncology, and she expressed the phrase prehab for all. That's her catchphrase and I was completely sold For one. I'm a physical therapist and I believe in the value of prehab, but I also know that people tend to do better after surgery, after treatment of any kind, once they have a higher level of mobility. Again, these views are my own, it is only my perspective that I see, but I believe the better support groups we have, the better understanding and expectations that we have of surgery, of treatment, the more those questions that are answered before the beginning of any treatment or surgery, from orthopedics to oncology we tend to have better outcomes. So I have yet to come across anyone who has plans to have cancer. We tend to organize and plan and schedule certain surgeries, but I have yet to ever meet someone who says, oh, I think I'm going to have fill-in-the-blank cancer next summer when you find out. Hearing the word is enough, but most often treatment is not started within 10 minutes of diagnosis. There is still time.

Bettina M Brown: 1:53

There are multiple considerations that have to be taken into account, so could there be an opportunity right then and there to prepare the body for whatever treatment is best suited? Could having rehab during treatment also improve your perceived outcome? Could the ability to do things that you enjoy during and after treatment go up? Could there be a reduction in the amount of time that you have to stay in the hospital? Could there be a reduction in the likelihood that your cancer is going to return Right? The two E's eating and exercise are often the likelihood that your cancer is going to return Right the two E's eating and exercise are often the things that we talk about the most to reduce your cancer risk, though there is no zero risk possibility, but these two things really help reduce that.

Bettina M Brown: 2:37

What are the current conditions or limitations to prevent cancer prehab and a lot of cancer rehabilitation from actually taking place For one, ordering it from the providers. This is still a newer area of therapy and cancer rehab, and so of course there still needs to be more research. That's done, the better, more likely this can be adopted. There are also limited numbers of people who are available for the prehab. For physical therapy, for example, there are fewer than 200 board-certified oncology rehab specialists in the entire nation. There are fewer PTs and OTs that can do lymphedema Within the state of New Mexico where I practice. When I was most involved in cancer rehab a few years ago, there were 17 lymphedema specialists in a state with a population of 2 million people.

Bettina M Brown: 3:26

But cancer rehab does not necessarily have to only be performed by those who have completed this extensive amount of training.

Bettina M Brown: 3:34

And then there's the lack of general knowledge in the public to ask for it, because it's not something that's so well promoted, Since rehab can take a long time after treatment, and that can be in person or virtual appointment after appointment is not really what a lot of people want.

Bettina M Brown: 3:51

There's a time when we want to say enough, because it reminds us of what we've just been through, but the inability to complete the tasks and the hobbies can make a real difference, for the quality of life of a person can make a real difference for the quality of life of a person, and quality of life has not only these physical impacts, but emotional and psychological impacts as well that affect someone's friends, their family and community, Because very, very rarely is only one person affected by the diagnosis of cancer, and so I encourage you to look up on Dr Jessica Chang's comments, learn more about it for yourself, ask your own provider about this, and if you haven't had the chance to have any rehab after your cancer treatment and you're feeling the inability to do the things that you really care about in life, I absolutely recommend that you follow to get at least a few visits in.

Bettina M Brown: 4:44

That makes such a difference for people that I've encountered, Even if it's a one-time visit. Just that knowledge can make a very big difference. All right, and until next time, let's keep building one another up. Thank you.