Advanced care to heal the whole person

Cancer Rehabilitation

Specialty Care Physical Therapy - Help Before, During and After Cancer Treatment


Fighting cancer can take a physical toll on the body. Cancer-related deconditioning is a serious complication for many people undergoing rigorous cancer treatments. That’s why CHI Memorial’s specialty care physical therapy services are available to help you prepare for treatment, manage side effects, and improve quality of life before, during and after cancer.

Pre-habilitation – Strengthening and Conditioning Before Surgery


If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, physical therapy can be part of your treatment plan from the very beginning. Pre-habilitation is one aspect of specialty care PT that’s designed to prepare you physically for primary cancer treatment. Pre-hab begins before your initial treatment, often surgery, and is used to assess your functional status, identify any deficits or potential areas of concern, and recommend interventions to help you get stronger and improve your overall condition. 

What can you expect? Although everyone responds differently, expected outcomes for pre-habilitation include improved pulmonary functioning, decreased post-operative complications, decreased length of hospital stay, improved functional capacity, and an increased tolerance to other cancer treatments.

Individuals referred for pre-hab receive a baseline screening and evaluation by a physical therapist. Standardized tests are used to determine physical performance ability – including a 6-minute walk, strength tests, range of motion, grip strength as well as endurance and aerobic capacity. Physical therapy sessions are scheduled two to three times weekly for 10-12 visits. 

Cancer Rehabilitation – Support at Every Stage


Whether you’re in active cancer treatment, in survivorship, or are experiencing lingering symptoms related to your cancer, these specialized rehabilitation services are also available to you at any time throughout the course of your treatment and beyond. 

As with pre-habilitation, a functional assessment will help identify any deficits and aid your treatment team in developing a customized therapy program – including exercises and interventions to counteract symptoms and side effects of cancer treatment. Since everyone has a unique medical history, you will receive an individualized plan – including the frequency and duration of treatment – to address your concerns and help speed recovery

With specialty care physical therapy, our goal is to minimize bothersome symptoms, increase your strength and endurance, and help you have the best quality of life possible – by improving your daily function and helping you heal physically from cancer treatment. 

Your primary care provider or oncologist can coordinate care for you with CHI Memorial’s rehabilitation professionals. For more information about whether specialty care physical therapy is right for you or for help obtaining a referral from your cancer team, please call 423.495.4705.  For any cancer related concern, call 423.495.2222. 



Specialty Care Physical Therapy Benefits

  • improved strength, endurance and mobility 
  • side effects identified earlier when interventions are more successful 
  • reduced pain, fatigue and joint stiffness
  • improved balance and posture 
  • support for memory problems or difficulty concentrating (by a speech language pathologist)
  • help for returning to work and normal life soone

Specialty Care Physical Therapy Screening Locations


CHI Memorial Rees Skillern Cancer Institute Center for Cancer Support
605 Glenwood Dr, Suite 307
Chattanooga, TN 37404

CHI Memorial – Ooltewah 
6401 Mountain View Rd, Suite 101
Ooltewah, TN 37363

Specialty Care Physical Therapy Treatment Locations


CHI Memorial Center for Health
7430 Shallowford Road
Chattanooga, TN 37421
(Clinic inside the Hamilton Family YMCA)