How to do rehabilitation exercise after breast cancer surgery in women

Hello, I am Fan Huiwen from Yancheng First People’s Hospital. Breast cancer surgery is a major challenge for women’s bodies, and rehabilitation after surgery is the key path to help them regain their health and vitality. In the early postoperative period, when the patient is still recuperating in the hospital, simple limb activities are particularly important. For example, the action of clenching and loosening fists can promote blood circulation in the hands and prevent swelling and thrombosis in the hands. Patients can slowly clench their fists and feel the contraction and relaxation of hand muscles in the hospital bed, repeating 10-15 times each time, several times a day. At the same time, the flexion and extension of the wrist, like gently rotating the watch strap on the wrist, is gentle and gentle, which helps to maintain the flexibility of the wrist joint. With the gradual recovery of the body, shoulder and upper limb rehabilitation exercises become the focus. Wall-climbing is a classic and effective method. The patient stands facing the wall, feet shoulder-width apart, and slowly crawls up the wall with his fingers, like a small snail wriggling slowly on the wall, until the arm feels slightly stretched, and then slowly lowers it. This action can gradually increase the range of motion of the shoulder and prevent stiffness of the shoulder joint. At the beginning, you may only be able to climb to a lower position, but as long as you persist, you can continue to improve. There is also pendulum movement, in which the patient bends down and lets the affected limb droop naturally, swinging back and forth and left and right like a pendulum. This movement simulates the natural swing of the pendulum, without too much resistance, allowing the shoulder to move in a relaxed state, reducing muscle tension. Each swing can last for 1-2 minutes and is performed several times a day. When doing these exercises, patients should pay attention to the body’s reaction, and if pain and discomfort occur, they should pause and inform the healthcare workers. When the body recovers further, you can try some more challenging exercises. For example, use stretch bands for stretching exercises. The patient holds the elastic band and exercises the upper limb muscle strength and joint range of motion by stretching the elastic band. This is like drawing a bow and shooting an arrow. There is some resistance, but it is within the acceptable range. Rehabilitation exercise not only contributes to the recovery of physical function, but also has a positive impact on the psychology of patients. In sports, female patients can feel the gradual return of their body strength, from the initial difficulty of simple movements to the adaptation of complex movements, which makes them regain self-confidence. It allows patients to understand that despite breast cancer surgery, they can still take control of their bodies and move towards a healthy life. Rehabilitation exercise after breast cancer surgery is a journey that requires patience and perseverance. Every small action is a step towards success, helping female patients to soar on the road of rehabilitation and re-embrace a vibrant life.