On Her Own Two Feet
- Abby Lee Miller celebrated being able to stand up from her wheelchair without any assistance
- Miller was diagnosed with Burkitt Lymphoma in April 2018, and experienced complications from spinal surgery during treatment
- She’s been attending physical therapy appointments since surgery, and sharing her progress with fans on social media
Miller, shared a video on Instagram of one of her physical therapy appointments, and celebrated the impressive milestone she’s achieved thanks to all her hard work. Miller has been confined to a wheelchair since experiencing complications from spinal surgery to treat Burkitt Lymphoma, which she was diagnosed with in April 2018, and has been doing light exercises regularly to build back her strength. Clearly, it’s working, because in the video she shows that now she can stand up from her wheelchair on her own two feet without any assistance.
Read MoreMiller hasn’t been shy in sharing her ups and downs throughout her recovery process, and every small achievement makes a big difference.
Benefits of Physical Therapy During Cancer Recovery
Miller has the right idea in slowly easing into building her strength, because even though exercise is important to recover faster, that doesn’t mean you should immediately sign up for a marathon. If you’re not sure what level you are, a personalized physical therapist can help evaluate which workout best suits your recovery process, and will create a specific regime for you helping with side-effects that may be lingering after treatment.
"A lot of the side effects that happen from cancer treatment can be improved or significantly reduced with physical therapy. Physical therapists can help with assessing any issues with range of motion, mobility, fatigue, balance, and then create a program that is very much a prescriptive program," Dr. Angela Wicker-Ramos, an oncology physical therapist for Cancer Rehab and Integrative Medicine, tells SurvivorNet. "So, a program that's based on what you are at the time of your treatments. They can work with you before chemotherapy to get your baseline and get you on a program to help reduce the symptoms that may happen from chemotherapy."
Chemotherapy treatments can cause side-effects such as fatigue, weakness, balance issues, and neuropathy (loss of feeling in the fingers or toes), and by practicing light workouts like balancing and strength, it can get you back on your feet just like Miller. Plus, working out regularly improves circulation throughout the body, so any wounds left from surgery may heal faster.
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