Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy after Cervical Cancer Treatment
As part of Cervical Cancer Awareness Week, we wanted to take the opportunity in this blog to shine a light on the important role that specialist pelvic health physiotherapy can play in supporting recovery and improving quality of life for individuals following cervical cancer treatment.
Understanding Treatment and Physiotherapy Needs
Cervical cancer can be diagnosed in different ways, and there are lots of treatment options depending on the stage and type of cancer. Whether or not you need physiotherapy after treatment really depends on the type of treatment you’ve had and any side effects you might be experiencing. A tailored approach can make a big difference in helping with recovery and getting back to feeling your best.
When Physiotherapy May Not Be Necessary
For instance, if your treatment is a Leitz procedure for early-stage cancer, physiotherapy intervention is not typically necessary unless you had pre-existing problems such as urinary incontinence or painful intercourse (dyspareunia). Once the tissues have fully healed after the procedure, no additional physiotherapy is usually required.
Addressing Pre-Existing Symptoms
If you did have pre-existing problems like incontinence or dyspareunia, the Leitz procedure may exacerbate these symptoms. Following your check-up with your surgical team, if symptoms persist, consider asking your healthcare provider or GP about visiting a specialist pelvic health physiotherapist. In such cases, the focus is often on learning to release your pelvic floor muscles before starting a strengthening program. Simply doing Kegel exercises in this scenario may aggravate symptoms.
Physiotherapy After Extensive Surgery
If your cervical cancer diagnosis required extensive surgery, pelvic floor physiotherapy is essential to help restore tissue length, regain muscle control, and modify bladder and bowelhabits to achieve an optimal quality of life.
Key Physiotherapy Goals Post-Surgery
For patients, this may include:
Strengthening healthy muscle tissue
Restoring flexibility where possible to scar tissue
Promoting good bladder and bowel habits
Using dilators or manual therapy devices to lengthen tight tissues
Providing advice on general recovery post-surgery
Aileen MaGuire is the pelvic health specialist in our clinic, bringing over 10 years of experience in this field. She has worked extensively in the Mater Misericordia Hospital, which has a busy Gynae-Oncology service.
Cancer Rehabilitation
Cancer rehab is an important part of recovery following diagnosis and treatment of Cancer. We have trained therapist specialists.