Physiotherapy sessions can help women better support the side effects of breast cancer treatments, find femininity and reconcile with your body. Explanations with Laurence Vidal, physiotherapist.
Often, breast cancer is associated with the shock of the announcement and the heavy treatments it generates. But the patient’s journey does not stop there, because it is also necessary to manage the “collateral effects” of breast cancer, which are for example the moral, social, organizational and sometimes financial difficulties. But also overcome : physical and psychological reconstruction. To help women better support the side effects of treatments, disabling and painful, but also to find a femininity often forgotten over the treatments, physiotherapy sessions can be of great help. The explanations of Laurence Vidal, physiotherapist in Toulouse.
Rehabilitation after breast cancer surgery is an important and essential step since it concerns 100 % of women! Not only is it useful for limiting lymphedema (swelling of the arm) and promoting mobility of the arm and shoulder. But in addition, physiotherapy is also an aid to healing. Because who says scar, says skin retraction, adhesions or even scar bridles, which can cause pain, discomfort, even breast deformations in tumorectomies.
During this rehabilitation, we must approach the treatment of the chest, arm and shoulder, then descend to the basin so as to release a maximum of areas. If it is well done, One to two sessions per week are enough. Theoretically, if rehabilitation is effective, patients must have progressed at each session. Of course the duration of treatment is based on the need for care: for some three sufficient sessions, for others it will take 30. The goal is that the patient finds herself in her bodily integrity, that is to say that she does not feel mutilated, wobbly … and especially not painful! I add that rehabilitation must also be without pain.
The importance of these well -made sessions lies in the overall care of the patient by knowing all her care path and her consequences: we must then be both in the preventive (risk of the occurrence of a lymphedema, future rheumatological problems on the shoulder, etc.), but also in the therapeutics taking into account that we must not only treat the operated zone basin. It becomes a real support because the patient then feels safe and heard. She can then gradually reclaim this damaged bust and therefore make peace with truncated femininity.
It is also an opportunity to give the speech open to the accompanying people (husbands or spouses) who can without judgment express themselves and above all realize that we can touch the area operated without risk … I assure you that we then live beautiful moving stories of mutual healing!
Yes, we inform patients about the possibilities of reconstruction and we encourage them to, at least, make an appointment with a surgeon to find out what type of surgery would be possible, so that they can then mature their decision.
When a breast reconstruction is planned, specific work will have to be proposed in rehabilitation in order to prepare the skin (scar and skin qualities). For example, when it comes to a raw reconstruction, it is important to prepare the sampling areas upstream. We also work on the bodily scheme so that the patient accepts the breast rebuilt as hers. This therefore implies upstream of a special work of mourning and acceptance.
Too many women are not informed.
In all cases, the patient benefits from an ALD (long-term condition) during the 5 years post breast cancer, that is to say that care like physiotherapy is taken 100% by social security. Nevertheless, certain care can give rise to a particular pricing because it is considered to be non -nomenclature when they are often essential from a qualitative point of view. In my opinion, all patients operated for breast cancer should benefit from at least 5 sessions in a physiotherapist formed and sensitized. They should all know that no sequel, whether painful or functional, is acceptable and knowing that if a problem arises at some point (lymphedema for example), we can help them. The problem is that far too many women (around 60 to 70 %) are not informed. A patient told me one day having the impression of being “released in nature Without advice or followed “!
So how to learn and be supported correctly?
Fortunately, mentalities are changing, medicine is evolving and specific training exists to help these patients. For example, the LPG company offers physiotherapists equipped with their machine to follow two -day training with practice on real voluntary patients in order to gain expertise and efficiency. You should know that in the context of our course, we have no specific training dedicated to cancer.
Take the time you need to rebuild yourself physically.
Note that a good healing will depend on both your nutritional state but also on your psychological state. Do not stop living after these tests, take the time you need to physically rebuild yourself. You can use your arm normally you will not be disabled. Play sports with envy and pleasure, consider your life gently and compassion, like this mutilated breast as you would console an injured child. And above all, live !
