Movement for Women after Surgeries of Breast and Torso
by Lesley Powell, Director of Movements Afoot
One of my top teachers, Doris Pasteleur Hall, had gone through many surgeries for her breast cancer. Doris is very articulate about how her body changed and the process of getting back to shape. I had a woman client with similar surgeries, to the breast and abdominals. She kept getting injured with back, hip and foot pain. I learned a lot from Doris’ experience in how to train clients with similar issues.
Scar tissue and the affects of the drugs, chemo and radiation has affects on the body’s movement. I went back to basics, retraining of the pelvic floor, multifidus and abdominals. I also worked on a gentle range of motion, but I didn’t push range. Remember, when a muscles thinks that it is going to be overstretch, it will contract to protect itself. Scar tissues brings a different quality of tone/flexibility.
Also Doris and those women, who work with a massage therapist specializing in scar tissue, made more progress in fitness and relief from discomfort.
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I presented at the Complementary and Alternative approaches to Ovarian Cancer at the JCC of Manhattan last night as part of Heal for Teal (http://jccmanhattan.org/ ). One of the main points that both survivors and doctors talked about was the importance of paying attention to body cues. This type of Body Listening is what we teach in our body-mind classes including our Body-Mind Fitness training. Moving On Aerobics includes moments of self-touch, self-reflection and group discussion as well as lots of fun movement! www>MovingOnAerobics.org