Medical Rehabilitation, in conjunction with the Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, provides outpatient cancer rehabilitation services to patients in therapy, remission and survivorship. These services help patients reach optimal levels of function and independence and return to daily activities.
For appointments, a doctor's written prescription is needed and may be sent by fax or mail. Prior authorization by the health plan may also be needed. Patients will be called to arrange an initial evaluation within 24 hours of receiving the prescription.
Physical therapy provides the assessment and treatment of physical disorders, such as weakness, fatigue, balance problems, pain and joint tightness due to the treatment of various forms of cancer. Physical therapy treatment includes exercise, muscle and joint stretching, manual therapy, balance training, home exercise education and postural retraining to return the individual to a higher level of functioning and comfort. Patients who most often benefit from physical therapy are those recovering from breast cancer surgery with lymph node removal, head and neck cancer surgery, and sarcoma removal surgeries with or without radiation therapy.
Lymphedema therapy aims to decrease the incidence and severity of lymphedema (swelling due to the removal of lymph nodes for cancer staging and/or radiation therapy) through early intervention and patient education. A combination of manual lymphatic drainage techniques is used in order to decrease the swelling of the involved areas. Compression bandages and/or compression devices are also used to improve and control the lymphedema. Patient education and training in self-care is very helpful to transition the patient to independent management of their lymphedema after the initial intensive phase of treatment.
