Cancer Rehabilitation

You can expect to learn about what therapy’s role is in your road to recovery. We will assess various things like posture and how much you can move your arms and legs, and we will take measurements of arms or legs with a tape measure in case you develop swelling later. We may have you step on a special scale called a SOZO machine to measure lymphatic fluid, and we will educate you on exercises and self-care activities to do after surgery to help you return to baseline.

You can expect much of the same assessment as you received at your baseline assessment to determine if you are back to your baseline status. We will also assess your surgical site to look at your healing process, check for swelling and examine scar tissue.

You can wear anything you’re comfortable in. If we need you to partially undress, we have hospital gowns you can change into.

Only if you want to. There is no medical reason to bring someone, but if you’d like to you are more than welcome to, and we will have space for them during your visit. Some people find it helpful to have another person present to help remember the information.

We do an insurance verification prior to you coming for your appointment so we can share what we learned from your insurance company with you. We always encourage patients to also call their insurance company themselves. You would be asking about your coverage for occupational, physical or speech therapy performed at a hospital-based outpatient facility.

This depends on your specific needs, which will be determined by you and your therapist at your visit. We can make a recommendation based on our findings, but if that recommendation doesn’t work for you because of cost, transportation, your schedule, etc., we will work together to come up with a plan.

The front office representatives are well educated on what we do. You can call the clinic you will be seen at and speak to the person who answers the phone. If they need to consult with a therapist, they will let us know and we can reach back out to you. For Greensboro, call (336) 890-4410. For Alamance Regional, call (336) 538-7500. For Annie Penn, call (336) 951-4557.

Cone Health’s Sagewell Health & Fitness center in Greensboro offers free wellness programming to cancer patients and their caregivers, focusing on both physical exercise and meditation. The SWIFT programming is specifically designed for cancer patients to address their unique needs both during and after treatment.

SWIFT programming is offered on Tuesdays (yoga from 3-3:45 p.m.) and Thursdays (group exercise from noon-1 p.m.), although arrangements can be made for those who want to participate but need alternative class time options. For more information about SWIFT, email sagewell@conehealth.com.

LIVESTRONG is a 12-week program through the YMCA is free and open to any cancer survivor in the area. Through LIVESTRONG, survivors participate in a health and fitness program alongside fellow survivors in small groups. Certified YMCA instructors lead the program, focusing on building muscle mass and strength, increasing flexibility and endurance, and improving energy levels and self-esteem.

For more information and to enroll in LIVESTRONG, please contact Angela Rogers at the YMCA or call the YMCA at (336) 478-9622.

Patients receiving rehab care in Burlington at Alamance Regional Medical Center (ARMC), are invited to join other cancer survivors for Cancer Associated Rehabilitation and Exercise (CARE). This program is designed to help cancer patients cope with some of the common side effects of cancer. Staff members are trained in cancer-related rehabilitation work, and CARE sessions involve supervised cardiovascular and strength exercises tailored to each individual patient’s needs.

CARE meets for a total of 24 sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:15-1:15 p.m. at the Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab on the lower level of the Medical Mall at ARMC. For more information about CARE, please contact ARMC’s cancer rehab program at (336) 538-8120

In-person exercise program for post-treatment patients at ARMC

Participants in the Get Real & Heel program – which runs in parallel with CARE – are part of an exercise therapy program three times per week for a period of 12 weeks to help support their cancer rehabilitation progress. 

The exercise program is personalized to each participant, and may include:

• Cardiovascular activities on various types of aerobic exercise equipment
• Weight training
• Flexibility exercises (including specific exercises to regain surgical side shoulder range-of-motion)
• Balance training

Research has shown that exercise has helped cancer patients significantly decrease fatigue, improve strength and endurance, conserve muscle mass, improve metabolism, improve stress management, improve heart rate coherence and heart rate variability, and develop effective coping skills. Additionally, individuals are likely to feel better physically and emotionally from being part of this program.

For more information about Get Real & Heel, please contact ARMC’s cancer rehab program at (336) 538-7500.

Emotional health is as important as physical health during the cancer rehab journey. Cone Health offers opportunities for cancer survivors to gather with fellow survivors to help support one another as they navigate life post-cancer. To learn more about support groups and classes available to cancer survivors, visit our Cancer Survivorship & Follow-Up Care page.