After breast cancer surgery

Mastectomy is a surgical method that is widely used to treat breast cancer. After surgery, there is a decrease in mobility in the arm. In this case, rehabilitation after breast cancer should be carried out, with the help of which the possibility of undesirable effects is limited.

Basic rules for rehabilitation after breast cancer

After breast cancer surgery, every woman needs a rehabilitation period. It consists in using a set of methods that are aimed at stabilizing the patient's state of health. During this period, the patient is prescribed medication, which will reduce the risk of complications. Also, women are prescribed therapeutic exercises after breast cancer surgery. In the presence of appropriate indications, physiotherapy is recommended.

The patient needs to ensure proper nutrition after breast cancer surgery. The diet of a woman should consist of products that contain a large amount of vitamins and useful trace elements. She must refuse fried foods and smoked meats. It is not recommended to eat excessively salty, spicy and fatty foods. All actions of the patient should be aimed at breast reconstruction. Rehabilitation after removal of prostate cancer, as well as after treatment for breast cancer, requires psychological recovery. Qualified psychotherapists work with patients, who positively set them up for later life.

Chemotherapy negatively affects the metabolic processes in the human body. This quite often leads to weight loss in the patient, as well as the appearance of weakness. Rehabilitation after removal of breast cancer requires taking vitamin and mineral complexes. They are prescribed by the doctor in accordance with the individual characteristics of the person and the severity of the course of the disease.

Rehabilitation of patients with breast cancer is a rather lengthy and responsible process. That is why the patient must strictly adhere to the doctor's instructions.

Therapeutic exercises after breast cancer surgery

During the period of most operations to remove breast cancer, there is a decrease in the mobility of the arm. To develop the shoulder joint, the patient is prescribed therapeutic exercises. It must be carried out subject to certain rules:

• The use of physical therapy is recommended almost immediately after surgery.
• Initially, the patient is recommended to perform the most simple movements, which should gradually become more complex.
• Every day, a woman needs to increase the frequency of each exercise.
• Performing therapeutic exercises is carried out only under the supervision of a qualified specialist.
• You can perform exercises with both hands at the same time or alternately.
• Initially, the patient should repeat the same exercise 10 to 12 times. The number of repetitions daily increases by 2.
• Carrying out therapeutic exercises should be carried out every day.
• Absolutely all exercises are performed as slowly as possible. It is strictly forbidden to make sudden movements, as this can lead to complications.

A set of exercises is developed by a doctor, who must take into account the patient's state of health. When using therapeutic exercises at the initial stage, the results will be subtle. But, it is not recommended for a woman to stop. Over time, the mobility of the hand will increase. Before doing gymnastics, it is necessary to perform warm-up exercises, which will eliminate the possibility of muscle injury.

Physiotherapy exercises allow the patient to make her posture correct. A woman should also follow her during the day. Gymnastic exercises should be performed twice a day, which will speed up the recovery period. After surgery, the patient is strictly forbidden to lift objects weighing more than 4 kilograms for two months.

If swelling or overexertion occurs in the arm, it must be periodically raised above the level of the heart. If during the period of the surgical intervention, the removal of the lymph nodes was carried out and after that there is a constant swelling of the arm, then it is imperative to tell the doctor about this. The occurrence of puffiness can be diagnosed if a person consumes a large amount of salt or often stays in conditions of high temperatures.

Therapeutic gymnastics is a highly effective restorative method if the patient adheres to the rules for its implementation.

Basic exercises

In order to ensure a full recovery, the patient needs to perform a set of exercises daily:

1. Sit down and straighten your back. Tilts his head back. We press the chin to the neck as much as possible and fix the position. After that, we relax and repeat the manipulation again.
2. We remain in the same position and rotate our shoulders alternately forward and backward. After completing one rotation, you need to relax.
3. We bring the shoulder blades to the center and fix them for a few seconds. After relaxation, the exercise is repeated.
4. Raise your shoulders up and hold for a few seconds. Then relax and repeat the exercise.
5. In a standing position, direct your face to the wall. Hands rest against the wall. They must be lifted up the wall and fixed in position.
6. In the sitting position, we fix the hands on the back of the head. The elbows are reduced to the center, fixed and divorced.
7. We remain in the same position and put our hands on our shoulders, clasping them in the castle. Raise your hands up above your head and fix them at the highest possible point. It is not recommended to bend the elbows when performing the manipulation.
8. In a sitting position, we spread our arms to the sides. Then they rise up and return to their original position.
9. We remain in the same position and bend our arms at the elbows. The palms are pressed against each other with maximum effort. After five seconds, relax your hands and perform the exercise again.
10. The exercise is performed with dumbbells, the weight of which should not exceed 1 kilogram. Two dumbbells are taken in the hands, which must be taken back. After that, you need to fix the position for 5 seconds.

An approximate set of exercises will allow not only to develop a motionless hand, but also to speed up the rehabilitation process.

Additional Recommendations

In order to enhance the effectiveness of physiotherapy exercises and accelerate the process of arm mobility, the patient is recommended to undergo massage. To this end, you need to seek help from a specialist. Self-manipulation is strictly prohibited, as this may adversely affect the health of the patient. Thanks to this procedure, the elimination of a rather serious complication of surgical intervention - lymphostasis is ensured.

If there is no opportunity to contact a specialist, then it must be done independently with the most careful stroking movements. During the period of manipulation, it is strictly forbidden to press on the tissues of the hand. Movements can be longitudinal or circular. To ensure the most comfortable massage, it is recommended to use a cream or oil. With the help of manipulation, the restoration of muscle mobility is ensured, as well as the normalization of blood circulation.

After surgery, there is a decrease in the performance of the immune system. To strengthen it, it is recommended to carry out physiotherapeutic procedures, take vitamin complexes, use special diets and therapeutic exercises.

After a course of chemotherapy, there is a deterioration in memory and attention. Some patients experience confusion. In order to restore cognitive functions, the patient needs to take medications, the action of which is aimed at normalizing the functioning of the cerebral vessels. Also, patients are shown a diet, taking vitamins and performing special exercises.

After the patient is given an occupational therapy appointment, with the help of which household skills are restored. With its help, an algorithm of movements is gradually developed, which are necessary to ensure a full life for the patient.

Surgery may be accompanied by swelling. To eliminate it, the patient is given lymphatic drainage, as well as pressotherapy and physiotherapy. After the operation, women quite often face such a complication as osteoporosis. For its prevention during the recovery period, the use of a therapeutic diet is recommended. The patient is advised to consume foods that are rich in calcium and vitamin D. It is also recommended to take a course of drug therapy. Patients are most commonly prescribed bisphosphonates.

Breast cancer belongs to the category of dangerous diseases, the treatment of which is most often carried out by the surgical method. To ensure the success of therapy, the patient is recommended to undergo rehabilitation, which includes taking medications, the use of diet therapy, exercise therapy and physiotherapy.