Cancer Rehabilitation

For the first three to seven days after surgery days, the American Cancer Society recommends:

Use the arm on the side of surgery as you normally do when you bathe, comb, dress and eat.

Bed and lift the side arm surgery above heart level for 45 minutes two or three times a day. To do this, put the arm on pillows so that your hand is higher than the wrist and slightly higher than the shoulder elbow. This can help calm inflammation you have after surgery.

Exercising with the arm on the side of surgery when it is raised above heart level: the hand opens and closes 15 to 20 times. Then bend and straighten elbow. Do this three to four times per day. This helps to calm inflammation as it pumps the lymph fluid out of the arm.

Practice deep breathing using the diaphragm (muscle located below the navel), six times a day at least. Lie back and inhale slowly. Continues to slowly inhale as much air as you can while you try to expand the diaphragm (pushing the navel him away from the spine. When you can no longer breathe more air, relax and expel it all. Make it four to five times. The deep breathing helps to maintain the normal movement of the chest, which facilitates the work of the lungs.