The power of prehabilitation

The power of prehabilitation

What if preparing your body before treatment could enhance your recovery?

For a long time, the focus of cancer recovery has been after surgery or treatment. However, a new school of thought is challenging this concept -what if preparing your body before treatment could enhance your recovery?

A cancer diagnosis can be very overwhelming, and preparation both physically and mentally can be a challenge. A new initiative introduced by the National Health Service in the UK offers newly-diagnosed cancer patients a "prehab" fitness programme within 48 hours of diagnosis. This programme will start before patients begin their chemotherapy or have their surgery. For some, the ability to focus on the programme so early in their treatment pathway will be extremely beneficial.

With more than 500 participants already, the programme is helping patients prime for recovery - reducing hospital time and improving resilience to treatments like chemotherapy.

Our oncology physiotherapists Megan Schmidt and Candice Kitt can see the benefits of prehabilitation. Both Megan and Candice work with their patients on specific and individualised programmes before and even during chemotherapy.

Megan says, 'the sooner we can start working on an exercise plan the better the outcomes are going to be, whether it be surgery or chemotherapy, and the faster the patient is going to be able to return to optimal living!'

To find out more about our prehabilitation programmes here at Harbour, please send us an email or give us a call on T (09) 925 4451

physio@harbourcancer.co.nz

 

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