Physical Therapy After Breast Cancer: What Survivors Need to Know
- Laura Carfang, Ed.D.
- Aug 7, 2022
- 6 min read
Updated: Oct 24
Among the many not-so-pleasant side effects of breast cancer treatments is decreased strength and mobility. While often necessary for treating breast cancer, surgeries, like lumpectomies, mastectomies, and reconstruction, can damage nerves and muscles and leave scar tissue after healing, all of which can limit our movement. This is especially true of movements involving the arms and chest since those are so closely connected with the surgery sites.
Physical therapy can help alleviate tightness and help you regain your strength and range of motion. Working with a physical therapist or a trainer who has experience with those diagnosed with breast cancer is also important in terms of safely returning to exercising and strength training on your own. A physical therapist can walk you through stretches and exercises that can help you recover, and can make sure that you progress gradually in a safe way so that you do not injure yourself or cause complications after breast surgery.
Like any exercise, it’s important to talk with your doctor before beginning. It’s also important to remember to be patient with your progress. Take things slowly; your body has been through a lot of physical trauma. Incorporate other gentle movements. Get outdoors when possible.
Why Physical Therapy Matters After Breast Cancer
Treatments for breast cancer, while lifesaving, can leave lasting physical effects. These may include:
Limited range of motion in the shoulder and arm
Post-surgical pain or tightness
Scar tissue adhesions
Lymphedema (swelling in the arm or chest wall)
Weakness or fatigue
Postural changes and balance issues
Axillary web syndrome (cording)
Physical therapy can address each of these issues in a personalized and supportive way, helping survivors return to their daily routines with strength and confidence.
Types of Physical Therapy for Breast Cancer Survivors
Here are the most common and effective forms of physical therapy used during and after breast cancer treatment:
1. Range of Motion & Stretching Exercises
Post-surgery, many survivors experience stiffness and reduced mobility, particularly in the shoulder and chest area. A physical therapist will guide you through gentle stretching exercises to:
Improve flexibility in the chest, arms, and upper back
Prevent “frozen shoulder”
Make daily activities like dressing, driving, and reaching overhead easier
Common exercises might include wall climbs, shoulder rolls, and gentle arm lifts — always adapted to your recovery stage.
2. Strength Training
After months of treatment, it’s common to feel physically weakened. Supervised strength training helps:
Rebuild muscle tone, especially in the arms and upper body
Improve posture and prevent muscle imbalances
Support bone health, especially for those on hormone therapy
Physical therapists often begin with low-resistance bands or light weights, gradually increasing intensity as strength improves.
3. Scar Tissue Mobilization
Surgical scars (especially after mastectomy or reconstruction) can become tight and restrict movement. Scar tissue mobilization is a manual therapy technique that involves:
Gentle massage around the scar area
Techniques to break up adhesions and soften tissue
Improvement in skin flexibility and comfort
This therapy can also help with body image by reducing discomfort and improving how your body feels.
4. Lymphedema Management
Lymphedema — a buildup of lymphatic fluid causing swelling in the arm, breast, or chest wall — can occur after lymph node removal or radiation. Specialized physical therapists, known as Certified Lymphedema Therapists (CLTs), can provide:
Manual lymphatic drainage (gentle massage to move fluid)
Compression therapy (bandaging, sleeves, or garments)
Lymphatic exercises to promote drainage
Skin care education to prevent infection
Early detection and treatment are key to preventing long-term complications.
5. Postural Re-Education
Breast cancer surgery and reconstruction can affect posture, leading to rounded shoulders, neck strain, and back pain. PT can include:
Posture correction exercises
Core strengthening
Alignment awareness training
Proper posture not only improves physical function — it can also improve self-esteem and body confidence.
6. Neuromuscular Re-Education
Sometimes, breast cancer treatment affects nerve sensation or leads to neuropathy (especially from chemotherapy). PT may include:
Balance and gait training
Exercises to improve coordination
Desensitization techniques to retrain nerve endings
These exercises help survivors feel more stable and safe during daily activities.
When to Start Physical Therapy
The ideal time to begin physical therapy depends on your treatment plan. Some survivors start prehab (pre-surgery PT) to build strength ahead of time, while others begin rehab just a few weeks after surgery.
Always check with your oncologist or surgeon before starting, and look for a physical therapist with experience in oncology rehabilitation.
Healing is More Than Medical
Physical therapy after breast cancer isn’t just about fixing what’s broken. It’s about restoring you—your independence, your strength, and your sense of agency over your body.
At SurvivingBreastCancer.org, we believe in a whole-person approach to healing. Whether it’s through movement, mindfulness, or creative expression, you deserve the tools and support to thrive long after treatment ends.
If you’re unsure where to start, ask your care team for a referral to a breast cancer rehabilitation specialist or contact us to connect with others who have walked this path before you.
You’ve already survived breast cancer. Now it’s time to reclaim your strength, one stretch, one step, and one breath at a time.
More From SurvivingBreastCancer.org
In detailing his treatment plan, Ted shares that after surgery and chemotherapy, he had to go through physical therapy before beginning radiation. This was to improve mobility in his right arm after breast tissue and lymph nodes had been removed on that side. Read More.
Exercise has so many benefits for both your physical and mental health. After cancer treatments, you may have lost some of your previous strength and mobility, which can make exercising challenging. A physical therapist can help you safely get back to exercising. Read More.
During Sonja’s lumpectomy, the surgeon needed to cut through the intercostobrachial nerve because of a growth on top of it. Therefore, she now sees a physical therapist for lymphedema and hypersensitivity. “I love my physical therapist. I just found out that due to the nerve being cut and due to having no lymph nodes in that area, I will always have the hypersensitivity.” Read More.
From Around The Web
Physical therapy a critical component while recovering from breast cancer surgery (Cancer Treatment Centers of America)
“Whether it’s a lumpectomy or a double mastectomy, most breast cancer treatments involve some type of surgery, or even multiple surgeries, which often come with side effects, such as pain and lymphedema. ‘Physical therapy after breast surgery may help in three areas. One is range of motion and strength, the second is lymphedema, and the third is pain,’ says Miral Amin, MD, Surgical Oncologist and Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon at our Chicago hospital.” Read More.
The Oncology Section of the American Physical Therapy Association offers several suggestions of stretches you can do to help restore movement after surgery. “It’s very important to talk with your doctor before starting any exercises so that you can decide on a program that’s right for you. Your doctor might suggest you see a physical therapist or occupational therapist, or a cancer exercise specialist certified by the American College of Sports Medicine. These health professionals are specially trained to design an exercise program just for you. You might need this kind of help if you do not have full use of your arm within 3 to 4 weeks of surgery.
Some exercises should not be done until drains and sutures (stitches) are removed. But some exercises can be done soon after surgery. The exercises that increase your shoulder and arm motion can usually be started in a few days. Exercises to help make your arm stronger are added later.” Read More.
“Even before surgery, physical therapy can help. Prehabilitation is defined as the time of care that occurs between the time of diagnosis and actual cancer treatment. Evidence is showing that prehabilitation can improve psychological and physical outcomes of treatment. The goal of physical therapy in prehabilitation is to:
Assess baseline measurements: range of motion of shoulders and spine, and circumference of both upper extremities.
Identify any impairments that may affect recovery, such as muscle weakness, postural dysfunction, and pain.
Educate on lymphedema and risk reduction.
Establish an exercise program prior to and after surgery.” Read More.
