From Survive to Thrive!

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Dedicated to your Good health

"Dr's save lives but Physios make it a life worth living" by optimizing your quality of life with pain relief and maintenance of good health. Our job is to ensure that your body + mind is at its very best throughout your whole Cancer journey. 

Our Cancer Physios hold University degrees, APA membership and advanced training and Internationally recognised certifications in Cancer Physiotherapy.

We can HELP with:
  • Pain Relief (spinal, nerve, headaches etc.)
  • Exercise as Medicine
  • Reduction of Side-effects of cancer treatment (neuropathy, pain, weakness, fatigue, lymphoedema, )
  • Scar Tissue Management
  • Incontinence
  • Post Op Rehabilitation
  • Lymphoedema management
  • Fatigue + mood management
  • Return to work, sport and life!
Feel Free to connect with us and ask any questions to see if a Cancer Physio can help you:

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Cancer Physiotherapy Services

Just some of the ways we can help YOU at any stage of your Journey...
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     Meet the Team

    Adam Atherton
    Founder
    B.PHTY (hons) APAM 
    STEEL Certified Cancer Physiotherapist
    Watson Headache Certified Practitioner

    I have been treating patients with cancer since 2008.  However extending my skills and reach in the community recently took on a whole new level of passion and purpose for me.  

    In 2018 my Father (my best mate) tragically passed away from complications from liver metastases secondary to Bowel Cancer.  It was a painful journey to see my previously fit, happy and healthy Dad decline for 18 months and waste away until his death.  Though very grateful he saw more than the 3 months initial prognosis.

    The amazing thing was, however, not just his defying his proposed timeline of 3 months but with our deep friendship and his proximity to our clinic - he had a lot of contact and intensive Physiotherapy all along his cancer journey and had some results that even surprised me.  He had very little pain and side -effects throughout.  With Physio treatment he was able to do things he had never done before like squats + dead lifts in our local gym and had good fatigue management, ongoing pain relief (manipulation, massage, acupuncture and LASER therapy for pain from massive oedema and stretching of organs as the tumours grew massive inside his abdomen) which helped him immensely.  He only had so much as panadol along his whole journey and a little codeine in the last 4 weeks of his life.  Crazy.

    Unbelievably, within 4 weeks of his death my relatively young and healthy mother  was then diagnosed with aggressive Breast cancer (is still currently undergoing treatment). She is also doing much better than expected with needed Physio care post surgery/radiation (and even whilst having chemotherapy).  She has had very little pain, minimal cording, no lymphoedema, walks around the lake every day, and has a quality of life and a joy that defies the odds even through a rough physical and emotional journey.  

    Over the years I have also seen first hand what Physio can do for many other cancer patients as I have had some patients even fly down from Rockhampton or from northern NSW to receive treatment at our clinic during their cancer journey.  It is both rewarding and vital I believe for every cancer patient - to at least know that there is a growing body of evidence for Physio and exercise interventions to perfectly compliment standard medical management.

    I have a special interest in Male Cancer Physio treatment (and mental health) and I am an active member of Springfield Mo Men (Movember Foundation) initiative for Men's cancer and depression/suicide.  I especially love helping men regain confidence and continence (from wearing pads to pad-free!) after Prostatectomy.

    Adam is a certified STEEL Cancer rehabilitation Physiotherapist and is a member of the national A.P.A Cancer, Palliative care and Lymphoedema special group.



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    Thrive

    Tips

    Advice, recommendations, information
    By Elle Woodford 13 May, 2021

    Receiving the news that you (or someone close to you) has advanced or palliative cancer:

    A: Is devastating

    B: Hard to comprehend

    C: Earth shattering

    D: Comes with a wide range of emotions and thoughts (for you and your family/friends)

    E: All of the above + more

    Let’s just acknowledge for a moment that no-one else can understand exactly what you are feeling in a time that words can often not do enough to describe, especially in the short term just after you have learnt of disease progression. Now tough question – what are the things you would like to be able to continue to be able to do, for as long as possible, and hopefully right through to the end? Could it perhaps be being able to spend time with family - children or grandchildren? Being able to walk around the lake or along the beach? To continue working full time or travel? Or perhaps to get out for coffee regularly with a close friend?

    Is there anything you can do to help maintain your ability to do these things that mean the most to you to improve your quality of life?

    The answer is YES – and one of those things is EXERCISE!

    I’m sure that’s just what you thought you would love to do right now. So how can it help, and why should you spend any valuable time exercising?

    Exercise rehabilitation has been shown to be effective in improving:

    -        Strength

    -        Physical and daily functioning

    -        Social functioning

    -        Independence

    -        Emotional wellbeing

    -        Quality of life

    -        Reducing fatigue!

    -        A sense of meaning

    -        Positive involvement in your own health/reclaiming some control

    A third of cancer patient’s reduction in physical functioning is due to physical inactivity – the less you do, the less you are capable of doing. Muscles can waste very quickly due to cancer and it really is much easier to maintain your strength and function that it is to try to regain it once lost so it is worth doing even before you notice any physical decline.

    Exercise rehabilitation with your physiotherapist could involve tailored physical exercise (which could start from as little as 5 minutes per day) such as going for a walk, gentle Pilates based exercises, getting into the gym – whatever level you are at, there will be something you can do. It could even be down to things like working on your leg muscles to help you get out of a chair, balance exercises to help walking to the bathroom or kitchen, or even just prescribed range of motion exercises like lifting your arms or tensing your leg muscles if you are bedridden. 

    If you have bone metastases, you may need to avoid high intensity aerobic and resistance training but exercise is still beneficial and there is still plenty of exercises your physio will be able to help you with, under the guidance of restrictions from your medical team. Resting only quickens your decline and reduces survival. 

    Your physiotherapist could also help with relaxation strategies and breathlessness management. See our next blog on the importance of breathing for more info on this.

    So, there are things you can do to improve your wellbeing and quality of life! Exercise is worth your valuable time and even though it may feel scary and risky exercising, inactivity and not moving much is a risk too and is more detrimental to you and your health! So get moving, and get your cancer physio on board to help you along in the process. 


    By Elle Woodford 07 May, 2019
    From minor swelling that is barely noticeable to lymphoedema that is really getting you down, there are options to treat and manage to suit you. _min read
    By Elle Woodford 28 Mar, 2019
    Fatigue is one of the most common side effects from cancer and cancer treatments. Here are some tips on ways to reduce your fatigue and get the most out of life
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