Brain Cancer Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation can be a very important part of the treatment plan. The goals of rehabilitation depend on your needs and how the tumor has affected your ability to carry out daily activities.

Some people may never regain all the abilities they had before the brain tumor and its treatment. But your health care team makes every effort to help you return to normal activities as soon as possible.

Several types of therapists can help:

• Physical therapists: Brain tumors and their treatment may cause paralysis. They may also cause weakness and problems with balance. Physical therapists help people regain strength and balance.
• Speech therapists: Speech therapists help people who have trouble speaking, expressing thoughts, or swallowing.
• Occupational therapists: Occupational therapists help people learn to manage activities of daily living, such as eating, using the toilet, bathing, and dressing.
• Physical medicine specialists: Medical doctors with special training help people with brain tumors stay as active as possible. They can help people recover lost abilities and return to daily activities.

Children with brain tumors may have special needs. Sometimes children have tutors in the hospital or at home. Children who have problems learning or remembering what they learn may need tutors or special classes when they return to school.

Nutrition

It's important for you to take care of yourself by eating well. You need the right amount of calories to maintain a good weight. You also need enough protein to keep up your strength. Eating well may help you feel better and have more energy.

Sometimes, especially during or soon after treatment, you may not feel like eating. You may be uncomfortable or tired. You may find that foods don't taste as good as they used to. In addition, the side effects of treatment (such as poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, or mouth blisters) can make it hard to eat well. Your doctor, a registered dietitian, or another health care provider can suggest ways to deal with these problems.

Follow-up Care

You'll need regular checkups after treatment for a brain tumor. For example, for certain types of brain tumors, checkups may be every 3 months. Checkups help ensure that any changes in your health are noted and treated if needed. If you have any health problems between checkups, you should contact your doctor.

Your doctor will check for return of the tumor. Also, checkups help detect health problems that can result from cancer treatment.

Checkups may include careful physical and neurologic exams, as well as MRI or CT scans. If you have a shunt, your doctor checks to see that it's working well.