Oncology and cancer care

Whatever's brought you here, cancer treatment tends to leave a mark on the body that goes beyond what it was aimed at. Fatigue, stiffness, a shoulder that doesn't move the way it used to. You might be somewhere in the middle of treatment, or years past the end of it, still working out what your body can do now.

Our physiotherapists hold specialist oncology training, including PINC and STEEL certification and the Restore oncology scar specialist course, so the care you receive is genuinely specialised. We also work closely alongside our men's and women's health teams under one roof, so if your recovery touches on pelvic floor function or hormonal side effects, that care is already connected rather than something you have to seek out separately.

Before we begin, we'll check a few things to make sure exercise is the right and safe next step for you. If you're waiting on a lymphoedema assessment or garment fitting, we'll make sure that happens first. If you have metastatic bone disease, we'll liaise with your oncologist before starting anything. And if there's any medical reason exercise needs a closer look, we'll talk that through honestly.

We offer a short call, around fifteen minutes, before your first appointment. It's a chance to talk through what's going on and how we can help, so your first proper session starts from a place of understanding rather than a blank page. From there, we'll take the time to understand your cancer journey so far, and, just as importantly, what you're hoping to get back to. That might be walking the dog without stopping, picking up your grandchildren, or simply feeling steady on your feet again. Whatever it is, it becomes the focus of everything we do together.

There's no single path through this. For some, it starts with scar management or easing pain. For others, it's building back range of movement, or beginning gently with exercise tolerance. As you're ready, we move toward a more active programme, working with you toward the guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate exercise and two to three strength sessions a week, and many patients go on to join our small group classes when the time feels right.

Most people arrive believing they should rest through treatment, or that fatigue and stiffness are simply something to live with afterwards. Both are almost always wrong. Movement, done at the right level, is one of the best tools we have for managing fatigue and rebuilding strength, and it's safe during treatment for the vast majority of patients. What tends to surprise people most is how much capacity they still have, once someone takes the time to build a plan around them properly.