How Physical Therapy Helps Breast Cancer Survivors
Over 4 million breast cancer survivors live in the United States, making up one of the most affected groups, with approximately 30% of all new female cancer diagnoses being breast cancer. In 2025, an estimated 316,950 women and 2,800 men are expected to be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer (American Cancer Society).
Finishing breast cancer treatment is a major milestone, but recovery can be a long and complex journey. Many survivors face challenges such as swelling, tightness, fatigue, or pain that can make daily life more difficult than expected. The good news is you don’t have to face these obstacles alone.
Physical Therapy for Breast Cancer Rehabilitation
Physical therapy for breast cancer survivors is designed to support your recovery by speeding up healing, helping you regain strength, and restoring comfort in daily activities. Whether you’re managing lymphedema, limited mobility, or simply want to feel like yourself again, physical therapy provides guidance and tools to help you heal both physically and emotionally.
Life After Breast Cancer Treatment
Breast cancer survivors may face negative impacts even after being named cancer-free. Chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation may leave patients with side effects they were not previously experiencing. Physical therapy helps by:
- Reducing fatigue
- Easing bone and joint pain
- Improving scar tissue formation
- Managing Axillary Web Syndrome (AWS)
- Supporting lymphedema management
- Lessening headaches. It also
- Building strength and range of motion
Managing Tightness and Pain from Axillary Web Syndrome (AWS)
Most patients find it difficult and painful to lift their arms after breast reconstruction or radiation therapy. Some women may even develop Axillary Web Syndrome (AWS), also known as cording, tethering, or branding. It occurs in the arm, armpit, trunk, or breast after surgery or breast cancer treatment. The condition is painful and limits patients’ ability to lift their arms and straighten their elbows. Sometimes, patients lose the mobility to raise their arms high enough to continue cancer treatment. Physical therapy, in this case, is used to manage tightness and restore their range of motion to continue treatment.
Coping with Swelling and Lymphedema After Breast Cancer
Often, lymph nodes are removed during surgery to ensure that cancer cannot spread. Their removal disrupts the flow of lymph, which may cause swelling in areas where the lymph nodes are no longer present. This is called lymphedema, which can impact the arms, head, neck, belly, genitals, or legs. Radiation may also play a role in scarring and swelling. It may occur any time after surgery or radiation treatment, and the risk of getting it continues throughout the patient’s life. While it is incurable, it is manageable with physical therapy.
Finding Relief from Migraines After Treatment
Your arms, chest, and breasts are not the only places survivors experience pain throughout their treatment and recovery. Many develop headaches and migraines as a side effect of some medicines and treatment methods used for breast cancer. Migraine headaches can significantly impact a survivor’s quality of life. However, medicines are not the only reason those with breast cancer may develop chronic migraines. Some may experience them because of the stress and lifestyle changes associated with the disease. Breast cancer survivors commonly deal with reduced sleep and activity levels that may contribute to migraines as well. Having a recovery plan and a supportive care team can lower stress and provide relief.
How Physical Therapy Supports Your Recovery
Breast cancer treatment and recovery have a wide range of side effects. However, physical therapy helps survivors cope and reduce these symptoms. Your physical therapist will work with you to create a personalized care plan tailored specifically to your goals and symptoms. With your care team, they will help you improve your strength and mobility and provide movement and positioning strategies to reduce discomfort with daily activities.
PT Solutions uses manual therapy techniques such as soft tissue massage, manual lymph drainage, trigger point release, dry needling, and joint mobilization. The combination of manual therapy and targeted physical activity can reduce pain and improve shoulder and upper body mobility. Exercise can also improve strength, aerobic endurance, and confidence with movement.
Gentle Exercises for Lymphedema Management
Lymphedema treatments vary from patient to patient, depending on the severity of the condition. For example, those with minimal swelling will have a different plan of care than those with more swelling. One of the ways we treat lymphedema includes manual lymphatic drainage. This technique gently massages specific body areas to help lymph move to working lymph vessels. Our therapists may also create a plan that promotes aerobic exercise and conditioning that facilitates drainage. We work to strengthen affected areas and educate patients on proper compression garment wear, skincare, and risk of infection and injury.
Restoring Movement and Comfort After AWS
Breast cancer survivors who develop Axillary Web Syndrome (AWS) can get rid of it or decrease symptoms with physical therapy. Your physical therapist will help you learn and perform stretches and exercises that extend the cords and increase the range of motion. With remote therapeutic monitoring and a home exercise program, patients find the best results. Your therapist may also gently massage the cord tissue while you extend your arm. Each of these methods bring relief to those who develop AWS after beating breast cancer.
Improving Daily Life with Migraine Relief Strategies
There are a variety of treatments your physical therapist may use to treat migraine headaches during breast cancer recovery. Manual therapy techniques may decrease the stiffness in the joints and muscles, leading to improved head and neck mobility. Your therapist may recommend dry needling in addition to exercise and manual therapy to combat migraine headaches. Your therapist will educate you on exercises that help and specific migraine triggers such as stress, lifestyle changes, dietary and sleep habits, and activity levels.
How to Take Back Your Life After Breast Cancer
Recovering from breast cancer treatment can feel uncertain, but with the right support, you can rediscover strength, confidence, and comfort in your everyday life. Physical therapy offers treatments that not only ease the lasting effects of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation but also help you move forward with resilience.
Every survivor’s recovery is unique, which is why we focus on creating a personalized plan of care that reflects your goals and needs. At PT Solutions, we’re committed to walking alongside you, empowering you through each step of your journey.
If you or someone you love is a breast cancer survivor who may benefit from physical therapy, find a clinic near you and take the next step toward healing.