Physiotherapy in Cancer and Palliative Care can play a major role in understanding how your illness affects you.  They will undertake a full assessment so that a treatment plan can be tailored to best meet your individual needs and circumstances.  The physiotherapist will work with you to help you gain as much independence, physical function and quality of life as possible.  They can help you manage or gain relief from symptoms such as:

• Pain.
• Breathlessness.
• Tiredness.
• Swelling.

A physiotherapist can help you to remain at home by giving support to you, your family and close carers giving you and them confidence to manage your physical symptoms.  They can provide assessment of ongoing physical problems and adapt techniques to help cope with physical problems as they occur.  In addition to home care they can provide care in a respite or outpatients setting to help maintain physical function and/or slow down physical deterioration.  Physiotherapists work in a number of settings including hospital, hospices, community health centre and patient’s own home. 

Your General Practitioner or District Nurse can refer you to a Physiotherapy service.