At Hands-On-Care we offer therapy for patients who have just undergone radical mastectomy.
Therapy includes
- Regaining ROM in the affected upper extremity
- Individualized Exercise program to regain ROM of the affected shoulder
- Managing/ preventing edema (lymphoedema)
- Massage
- Edema garments (pressure garments)
- String wrapping techniques etc
- Scar Management
- Ultrasound
- Scar pad if needed
- Preventing future shoulder problems but correcting posture and improving strength
Majority patients who do not have lymphoedema may need maximum of 6 visits to regain their range back, manage their scar and establish a home program for strengthening so that they do not have problems in the future.
 Pulley helps in gaining the range in the initial stages |
 Laying on 3″ then progressing to a 6″ foam roll to perform very slow snow angel stretches to let the scar stretch out while slowly gaining ROM |
 elbow by side 0 deg
|
 Pts develop limitation in IR if not stretched in the early stages |
 Progression of Flexion and abduction |
 Abduction progression in standing |
 Strengthening is crucial to maintain the scapula against the rib cage, if weakened, the scar will cause protraction of shoulder and rounded shoulder creating shoulder problems in the future |
 Shoulder extension |
 External rotation |
 Cuff Strengthening |
 T |
 V,U |
 Progressing to bands |
 Ball excercise |
 High level patients or wall pushing for Serratus strengthening |
Shoulder at 90 deg elbow 90 deg.
