Physical Therapy Milestone
- Abby Lee Miller announced that thanks to physical therapy, she’s graduated from wheelchair to walker
- Miller was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma in April 2018, and experienced complications from spinal surgery which left her bound to an electric wheelchair
- Experts tell SurvivorNet that light exercise, and a personal physical therapist, can help people recover faster after cancer treatment
Miller, 54, announced that thanks to her physical therapy team, she’s progressed in her recovery by graduating to a regular walker during her appointment. Miller suffered complications from spinal surgery after being diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma in April 2018, and has been bound to an electric wheelchair since. She’s been keeping fans up to date on her progress, and celebrating every achievement (small or big) along the way.
Read MoreDue to COVID-19, and gyms being closed, Miller had to get creative with her recent physical therapy appointments, which included easy at-home workouts and stretches courtesy of a personal trainer. Plus, during her recovery, she’s been enjoying activities such as swimming and teaching virtual dance lessons to make sure she still stays active in some way.
Benefits of Physical Therapy after Cancer Surgery
A lot of us may think that after surgery, we should sit back in bed and take it easy. Rest is definitely important so you don’t exhaust yourself, but light workouts in moderation actually has significant benefits which may speed up the recovery process.
One of the most helpful ways to figure out which workouts would be the most beneficial is through a personalized physical therapist as they can determine your endurance, strength, balance, and more and decide easy routines to practice. Plus, working out can help with side-effects from cancer treatment such as fatigue, weakness, balance issues, and neuropathy (loss of feeling in the fingers or toes).
“A lot of the side effects that happen from cancer treatment can be improved or significantly reduced with physical therapy. Physical therapists can help with assessing any issues with range of motion, mobility, fatigue, balance, and then create a program that is very much a prescriptive program,” Dr. Angela Wicker-Ramos, an oncology physical therapist for Cancer Rehab and Integrative Medicine, tells SurvivorNet. “So, a program that’s based on what you are at the time of your treatments. They can work with you before chemotherapy to get your baseline and get you on a program to help reduce the symptoms that may happen from chemotherapy.”
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