Cancer Rehab - Bridging the Gap Between Medical Prognosis and Physical Realities

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Why take this course?


This intermediate continuing education course is applicable for PTs, PTAs, ATs and OTs who wish to further their current skill sets to include specialized treatments for the patient with cancer. The emphasis in this course is on learning the current medical and surgical management for the following cancers: breast, prostate, lung, colorectal, gynecological, lymphomas and leukemias. The therapist will learn how and when to most effectively intervene throughout the continuum of care to treat side effects encountered from cancer, and it’s treatments, including pre-habilitation programs.

This course will expand on the therapists’ knowledge of the tissue healing and disease processes and how each system of the body is affected from surgical, hormonal, immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments. Extensive lab time will be devoted to perfecting and applying both manual therapy skills and developing appropriate therapeutic exercise/activity programs. Treatment approaches learned in this course will allow the therapist to effectively develop treatment protocols for the achievement of functional outcomes, allow for maximum reimbursement, and reduce hospital readmissions for the patient with cancer.

This course will enable the therapist to become a knowledgeable and active participant of the oncology team and effectively market cancer rehab services while working towards making cancer rehabilitation a standard of care.

Cancer Rehab - Bridging the Gap Between Medical  Prognosis and Physical Realities

Course Objectives


  • Describe the underlying mechanisms of carcinogenesis, the current medical and surgical management for the treatment of cancers and their associated side-effects.
  • Describe the relationship between cancer treatments and tissue healing and how co-morbidities impact patients with cancer.
  • Identify histologic presentation, staging and grading of cancer in order to understand the Therapeutic intent of oncologic management and develop appropriate plans of care.
  • Identify cancer diagnoses that would benefit from rehab intervention and where in the continuum of cancer care therapists can most effectively intervene.
  • Perform specialized manual therapy skills and develop individualized therapeutic exercise/activity programs with existing orthopedic skill sets to decrease pain, fatigue,and edema and improve motion and balance in patients with cancer.
  • Develop prehabilitation programs, functional goals, and appropriate plans of care for the following diagnoses: breast, head and neck, gynecological, prostate, lung, colorectal, leukemias, and lymphomas to achieve functional outcomes and reduce hospital readmissions.
  • Identify and utilize appropriate billing codes to maximize reimbursement for the patient with cancer.
  • Design a holistic multi-system approach when developing and implementing strategies for treating a cancer patient by understanding the effects of cancer on the respiratory, lymphatic, nervous, musculoskeletal, integumentary, and cardiovascular systems of the body.
  • Discuss the specialized services you can offer for the patient with cancer and the vital role you contribute to the Oncology Interdisciplinary Team.

Instructed by: Carrie Riddock, MSPT, CLT-LANA


My passion is in the area of research and discovering new clinical applications which will assist patients in reaching the best outcomes possible. With a unique background of lymphedema training combined with oncology rehab experience, I have been able to successfully combine various treatment methods for developing comprehensive cancer protocols and programs.
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