Pink Ribbon
The Pink Ribbon post-breast-cancer rehabilitation programme
As a unique and effective form of post-breast-cancer rehabilitation, our 8-week Pink Ribbon programme can be the first step you take towards returning to your pre-cancer life. We use transitional exercises for each kind of reconstruction surgery, so we’re confident our programme can make a great difference.
How can the Pink Ribbon programme help?
After having active treatment and post-reconstruction your muscles can become weak and deconditioned – in particular we often see movements around the shoulder and back can be impaired. We’ll aim to help you restore these movement patterns.
Research has shown exercise is one of the biggest factors in improving long-term survival rates and treatment outcomes. We understand the physiological side effects from the treatment can be difficult – at APPI we’ll help you to get back into exercise gradually.
How the programme works
Our structured 8-week programme includes your initial 45-minute assessment with our Pink Ribbon practitioner Olga Hayward. From our in-depth assessment, we’ll get to know your medical history, treatments and the type of reconstruction you’ve had. Following this, a highly tailor-made rehab programme will be designed for you taking into account your past exercise and lifestyle goals, the surgical approach taken for you, ongoing treatments and your long term exercise and lifestyle aims. To set you on the best pathway to recovery, we plan for 30-minute sessions twice a week. However, we understand that there may be times when you can’t attend. Any sessions you can’t make will be carried over so that you don’t miss any key steps of the program.
We’ll offer transitional exercises for different kinds of reconstruction surgery – from implant reconstruction to TRAM Flap, DIEP Flap and Lat Flap. We also pay special attention to fascial line stretching, and we use 2-minute trampoline exercises to help flush the lymphatic system for cell and lymph node cleansing.
You’ll complete 4 phases of exercises
- shoulder stabilisation, chest expansion and small-range shoulder motion exercises
- spinal mobilisation movements
- core strengthening and neural integration (using the body as a whole)
- resistance bands to strengthen your back, shoulder and trunk muscles
When can I begin?
You can begin as soon as 6-12 weeks post-op – depending on how well your healing is going. As with any exercise plan, it’s important that you’re signed off by your surgeon before you get started.
How do I book?
If you have any questions, please get in touch with our lovely reception teams in Wimbledon on 0208 8797711 or wimbledon@appiclinics.com, or in Hampstead on 0207 7946560 or hampstead@appiclinics.com. They can introduce you to our Pink Ribbon practitioners who’ll be happy to help with any questions you have.