Cancer / Lymphodema Rehabilitation

At Active+ Mt Eden we offer a wrap-around oncology physiotherapy service.  A personalised and individual treatment plan can include

• Pre-Operative measurement and ongoing screening for early detection and treatment of Lymphodema
• Lymphodema management - for those with early or ongoing symptoms
• Scar management
• Early mobilisation post-surgery
• Ongoing physio for pain or reduced movement / function
• Individual exercise sessions and programme
• Group classes

For Lymphodema or early detection book with Lynda or Nadia book here

For Oncology physio sessions with Kate book here

For Oncology physio sessions with Stacey book here

For Oncology physio session with Kath please email

Lymphodema Management

Lymphedema is swelling caused by an accumulation of lymph (protein rich fluid) which is normally drained by our lymphatic system. Lymphedema can range from being mild to severe, the most common causes we see are due to cancer or cancer treatment such as surgery or radiation. Our specialised Lymphoedema therapists can help to reduce Lymphoedema or manage current swelling by teaching you techniques, recommending equipment that encourages drainage, and manually helping to drain lymph fluid. Our therapists are trained in manual lymph drainage which using a massage-like technique to move trapped fluid in the swollen limb toward an area with working lymph vessels. They are also able to offer general advice on how to minimise your risk of having ongoing swelling

Pain Management

For some people pain is ongoing and debilitating. A pain service starts with a team approach to tailor individual programmes to help clients manage persistent pain. Through assessment the team will work with you to identify what you want to achieve, and from there create a plan of treatment services to achieve this.

The programme can have input from any of the following:

• Physiotherapist
• Occupational Therapist
• Dietitian
• Pain Doctor
• Social Worker
• Counsellor
• Psychologist
• Pharmacist

Breathing Assessment and Retraining

Breathing well is the foundation to good health, wellbeing and movement. Most of us don’t think about breathing – it's just something we do every day, automatically. But when it goes wrong it can have a significant effect on your mental and physical health. Breathing pattern disorders or disordered breathing refers to when someone breathes at a rate that is too fast, or with too much use of their upper chest. Symptoms can be varied but may include headaches, light headedness, muscle aches or tingling in the fingers or toes.

Your Physiotherapist is trained to diagnose these conditions and can help empower you to overcome them. Treatment consists of education and simple exercises to retrain your breathing pattern. This can help to relieve these symptoms. Treatment can also be used to help to achieve more optimal performance in sport and exercise.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture involves the insertion of very fine needles through your skin at various points on your body. Traditional Chinese medicine explains Acupuncture as a technique for balancing the flow of energy or life force believed to flow through pathways in your body. By inserting needles into specific points along these meridians, Acupuncture practitioners believe that your energy flow will re-balance.

Our experienced Physiotherapists are trained in Acupuncture and will treat within the Western Medicine framework, using Acupuncture alongside other Physiotherapy techniques to relieve pain and reduce muscle tension or even spasm. Contrary to what many might believe, Acupuncture is not painful and people can find it very relaxing. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective for calming and even improving sleep.

Sport and Therapeutic Massage

Massage is proven to reduce stress, relieve pain and lower blood pressure and heart rate. Our experienced and qualified therapists are experts in using massage to decrease pain and muscle tension, increase range of movement and enhance athletic performance. Our therapists are trained to diagnose specific joint or muscle problems and then develop a plan to help alleviate the pain and symptoms from injury, and if massage is an appropriate way to treat your injury then this will be provided. Massage can also be used to try prevent injuries from occurring from overuse or strain of certain muscles.

Falls Prevention

If you’ve recently had a fall, are worried about potentially falling or are less mobile than you would like to be, we have a falls prevention programme which is led by Physiotherapists and is designed to improve mobility and reduce the risk of falls. The programme includes an initial assessment followed by a six-week exercise class programme to increase your strength, balance and agility. The classes are group classes and exercises are tailored to individual needs and abilities. After you complete the programme, our Physiotherapists can talk to your GP about your needs and provide them with an update. You also have the option to continue the classes to further improve and work towards other goals.

Women's Health

When we talk about Women’s Health, we are specifically referring to pelvic floor issues which can result in a number of symptoms including continence problems. Like any other muscles, the pelvic floor ones can be strengthened and re-trained, and research shows that Physiotherapy in the form of pelvic floor re-training can improve and resolve incontinence. Our experienced Physiotherapists are trained in the specialist area of Women’s Health, and are able to develop individualised exercise programmes to help work on the pelvic floor strength and also assist with other problems such as pelvic pain, prolapse and pain associated with pregnancy.