Breast Cancer Recovery & Rehabilitation

Treatment to fight cancer is one thing … recovery is quite another. Our goal is to restore function and teach self-management strategies early in the post-mastectomy recovery process.

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Ivy Rehab / Therapy Services / Physical Therapy / Breast Cancer Recovery & Rehabilitation

Breast cancer treatment.

Treatment to fight cancer is one thing…recovery is quite another. Our goal is to restore function and teach self-management strategies early in the post-mastectomy recovery process. We will be there for the entire journey from start to finish. Our team has the education and experience to ensure that you receive the best care possible after your breast cancer surgery or radiation therapy.

If you are recovering from breast cancer or have had a prophylactic (preventative) mastectomy after a positive test for the BRCA gene mutation or other genetic mutations, we are here for you. Physical therapy has been shown to be beneficial in aiding you in the breast cancer recovery process and can help breast cancer patients in many different ways.

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Women Breast Cancer Support Charity Concept
Joyful cancer survivor in her 30s, wearing a pink headscarf and yellow sweater, flexing her muscles in an urban setting.

Reasons physical therapy post-surgery may be prescribed.

To prepare for radiation treatment:

  • A certain amount of shoulder range of motion is required to begin breast cancer treatment

To reduce post-breast surgery side effects:

  • Scar tissue/soft tissue mobility
  • Axillary Web Syndrome (AWS) (Cording)
  • Flexibility
  • Range of motion
  • Strength

To combat the side effects of chemotherapy:

  • Decreased cardiovascular endurance
  • Sarcopenia (age-related loss of lean muscle strength and function, replaced by fat)

What makes physical therapy for breast cancer different from traditional physical therapy?

Manual therapists have been trained to restore scar tissue mobility, range of motion, flexibility, strength, and muscular and cardiovascular endurance. With a patient who is recovering from breast cancer, physical therapy specialization requires not only treating these side effects but also having a thorough understanding of specific precautions. These specifics include post-surgical, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy precautions, the importance of scar tissue mobility, stretching, and progressive strengthening.

Physical Therapy for breast cancer can help with:

  • Myofascial release techniques
  • Shoulder dysfunction management
  • Orthopedic shoulder and/or neck issues
  • Posture restoration
  • Post-fat-grafting and plastic surgery tissue remodeling
  • Acute and chronic rehabilitation strategies
  • Lymphedema prevention, treatment, and management
  • Reconstruction soft tissue re-alignment and functional breast cancer recovery
  • Wound and skincare as needed
  • Cancer-related fatigue management
  • Breast care for individuals who test positive for BRCA gene mutation or other genetic mutations
  • Utilizing strategies that include:
Back Pain & Stress

Empowerment through education.

Our highly trained therapists also focus heavily on patient education. We believe that empowerment through knowledge is a vital component of the rehabilitation process, and we will make sure that you are educated about what to expect throughout your journey. Our goal is to help you feel prepared and knowledgeable about symptoms you may encounter following breast cancer surgery, as well as activities and/or exercises that may be helpful to you throughout your healing process.

If you have just undergone targeted breast cancer treatment, now is the time to receive effective, targeted therapy from Ivy Rehab to assist your recovery. Our recovery therapists are experts in post-surgery treatment to help breast cancer patients with a comfortable rehabilitation process.

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Find the right therapy today.

Discover how Ivy Rehab can help you achieve your therapy goals.

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Check out some of our 4 and 5 star reviews

Excellent4.8★★★★★ review us on ★★★★★ The staff at Southeastern Therapy for Kids are amazing! They made my son so happy that he looked forward to going there for his sessions! I wish we lived here full time, not just in the summer, so that we could attend full time! They accommodated our hectic schedule and set us up for long term success! ★★★★★ I was diagnosed with benign positional vertigo, Matt was professional, efficient and most of all, very knowledgeable about my ailment. He affirmed what the problem was and did the proper maneuver and fixed it on the first try. I would highly recommend PTW to anyone who needs rehab. I felt horrible for 10 days, now I feel reborn. ★★★★★ Theraplay Bensalem is the best!!!!! Theraplay has a wonderful staff. Every therapist is excellent! Matthew enjoys every therapist here and works very well with each of them. He’s always excited to come and play too. Each therapist has their own unique style and twist on how they work with your child but this is what makes them great. They all collaborate with one another and discuss ideas on how to improve for next visit. They always manage to keep hard work fun for our children as well.Matthew enjoys coming here and looks forward to his sessions.The therapists and staff are amazing and they treat you like family. The front desk is amazing too! They always do their best to accommodate families schedules as well. We absolutely love it here!!!Response from the ownerHI Cortney, thank you so much for the kind words! We love getting to work with all of our patients and families and are so glad Matthew looks forward to his sessions as much as we do! ★★★★★ Excel PT west deptford nj is the perfect choice for pt ! Check in with Colleen or Kris immediately puts you at ease “this is going to be good and comfortable”. Joe PT I can’t say enough about the positive experience having therapy and comforting reinforcement that if you follow the plan this will work ! It is working and I am committed to stay on task while the entire office is there for support .Thank youResponse from the ownerThank you so much for your positive feedback, it means the world to us! – The team at Excel Physical Therapy, West Deptford ★★★★★ The staff here are great and very accommodating. Katherine is the BEST to work with! She made my pelvic floor therapy fun while really helping me and teaching me things I can do in my everyday life to continue improving on. I highly recommend this location and the therapists who work here!Response from the ownerIt’s great to hear this feedback! Thank you for taking the time to share your review! – The team at Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy, Norfolk – Granby ★★★★★ Ivyrehab for Kids at Granby is awesome! The team works so well together and really takes the time to make each session individual for each kids needs! Their staff continues to grow to have more availability for the patients needs! Nicole (SPT) and Nicole (OT) and Kia are extremely patient and kind with each kid! Can’t recommend them enough!Response from the ownerThank you so much for your positive feedback, it means the world to us! – The team at Ivy Rehab for Kids, Norfolk ★★★★★ Cannot say enough great things about my first ever experience with Physical Therapy. I am very thankful that I did my research and compared my options. I definitely made the right choice! Zach, Dave and Kristin make you feel welcomed and genuinely care. Being my first experience they are all very patient with explaining things. Flexible for sure to fit me in and work around my busy work schedule. They work as a team and defiantly communicate to make sure I have the right care and plan. I went in with an open mind and also to try new things to help with pain management with out medication. Must try the dry needling!! I do this at every visit and it is the best!! I am excited to keep moving forward in my health journey to feeling better!! I am now on to week three and because of the team here I have not given up!! Thank you! ~Stacy ★★★★★ Staff is friendly and always timely. I’ve mainly worked with Dr. Joe. He and the staff are very knowledgeable. I leave understanding the issue and plan. One of the best PT spots in the area!Response from the ownerIt’s great to hear this feedback! Thank you for taking the time to share your review! – The team at Synergy Rehab and Wellness, Staunton ★★★★★ I came in with pain in my back and neck, and later developed pain in my knee; my physical therapist Connie worked with me through all of it and helped me get back on my feet. Highly recommend.Response from the ownerThank you so much for sharing your thoughts, we appreciate you! – The team at Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy, Princeton ★★★★★ The care I have received at IVY is exemplary! My care plan was individually designed and planned for my specific needs. I am making great progress with my rehab! It is a large space where you don’t feel crowded or cramped. It’s location on Walnut St in Center City is very convenient and is in a beautiful building. I highly recommend IVY physical therapy!Response from the ownerThat’s wonderful to hear – thank you so much for sharing your feedback with us! – The team at Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy, Philadelphia – Center City ★★★★★ Chris does tremendous work focusing on ways to get my mobility back and provides useful guidance and techniques to help maintain going forward. I felt amazing after each session and highly recommend Chris for your PT needs.Response from the ownerThank you for taking the time to share this review, it means so much! – The team at Ivy Rehab Physical Therapy, Caledonia ★★★★★ Ivy rehab has been amazing through our experience with speech therapy. My 3yo and 9yo have benefitted greatly from their sessions with their therapists. We have one virtual and one in person session a week and both methods are extremely effective. The staff communicates so well and have been extremely accommodating through our process. I would highly recommend them for services.Response from the ownerThank you for your kind words, we appreciate your feedback! – The team at Ivy Rehab for Kids, Norfolk ★★★★★ Friendly, knowledgeable, and very professional staff. From the front desk with Tom and Tracey to AssistantsRob and Zach, and PT Brandt, everyone works together seamlessly. Facilities are very clean and equipment is sanitized after each use. Dr. Chris Joerg is an outstanding PT! I highly recommend IVY Moorestown for any physical therapy needs. ★★★★★ Great experience with Back in Action, Chris is an excellent therapist. You get one on one attention here which is very helpful to the healing process.Response from the ownerThank you for the great review, we really appreciate it! – The team at Back in Action Physical Therapy, Apex ★★★★★ Steve Siegel and his team at Therapeutics Unlimited of Englewood Cliffs are simply the best. The staff are all warm, caring highly professional individuals who treat you like family. Steve is a therapeutic genius whose techniques are creative, innovative and highly successful. The protocols developed along with their implementation lead to both short and long term improvement. The level of treatment provided to me helped resolve my medical ailments and athletic injuries. I have recommended several friends to Therapeutics Unlimited whose results were similar to mine. ★★★★★ I highly recommend Maximum Performance PT & Sports Rehabilitation. My neighbor recommended this wonderful place to me, and now I am recommending it to anyone who is interested in finding a high quality and professional PT experience. I was impressed with everyone, in particular, Paige, Hero, and Aaron. They explain everything and are happy and receptive in answering any questions or concerns you have. Michelle and Jessica at the front desk always smile when greeting you. I feel very comfortable here and so will you!Response from the ownerHi Barbara, thank you for your kind review. We are glad that you are having such a positive experience from front desk to physical therapists and PT aides. We are happy that you have enjoyed our care and are here to answer any future questions or concerns in regards to your ailments ! ★★★★★ My child has been going here for a few months now. He’s had several different therapists until we found the schedule that worked for us. Each one has been amazing, kind and very good at communicating. The office and staff are also easy to speak to and explain everything so you understand. They’re also accommodating and understanding if you need to change a schedule or re-schedule a day. My son loves coming here and is always excited for his “therapy days”. Thank you.Response from the ownerThank you for the great review, we really appreciate it! – The team at ABC Pediatric Therapy, Cincinnati – Western Hills ★★★★★ We have had such a great experience with Leaps and Bounds Therapy! My 2 year old has made so much progress and he runs to see his therapist, Kathleen, who is awesome with him! The team at the front desk are great as well. We highly recommend this location. ★★★★★ I went to Excel PT in Cresskill to rehab a shoulder injury and it was a great experience. Christian was fantastic and did a brilliant job coming up with an effective rehab strategy and my shoulder feels great. The entire staff was professional and pleasant. Highly recommend.Response from the ownerHi Michael, thanks so much for your review and recommendation of our Cresskill office! We’re so glad to hear about your experience with Christian and that your shoulder is feeling great. ★★★★★ I can’t say enough about what a wonderful experience recovery from my total shoulder replacement was because of the expertise and professionalism of the physical therapists at Ivy physical therapy in Rhinebeck. The therapists really cared about my recovery, worked patiently with me as I regained my range of motion and strength. They were always positive and encouraging. I’m now we’ll on track to be back on the slopes later this winter and look forward to getting my kayak back on the Hudson this summer. Kudos to your guys for helping me get my life back. Highly recommended.Response from the ownerThank you for taking the time to share your experience, it means so much! – The team at- The team at Ivy Rehab PT, Rhinebeck ★★★★★ I came to Northern Physical Therapy because of Vertigo which I had never had before. Lisa was so knowledgeable & helped me feel comfortable, she took the time to explain what was going on & showed me how we could fix it. She helped me out tremendously! Sherry at the front is so sweet & always has a smile when walking through the door. I would highly recommend Northern Physical Therapy for sure!js_loader