Cancer and cancer treatments may lead to changes in individual’s physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being causing interruptions in their daily routines, affecting how they perform their self-care, work, leisure, or social activities.

Occupational therapy is a supportive service with the specific mission to help people functionally engage in life as safely and independently as possible with the primary goal of improving QOL.

Occupational Therapy is appropriate for individuals throughout the continuum of cancer care, this includes those who are newly diagnosed with the disease, who are undergoing treatment, receiving palliative/ end of life care or who are in the survivorship phase of care. Similarly, Occupational Therapy is appropriate for all age groups; children/pediatric patients, young adults/ Adults and Geriatric patients.

Occupational Therapy is holistic rehab care where Occupational therapy professionals make use of various treatment approaches and variety of tools to attend to the physical, functional, cognitive, emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing of the individual.

Occupational Therapy intervention methods remediate (improve physical and functional capacities), compensate (use of existing skills and new methods to achieve the highest possible functions) and or adopt (redesign environment like home, work, school) a patient’s capabilities to assist him or her in achieving maximum level of functional independence.

Occupational Therapy attends to numerous cancer diagnosis on day to day basis like Brain and Spinal tumors, Head and Neck cancers, Bone and Soft Tissue cancer, Breast cancer(with and without breast reconstruction), GU GI cancer, Gynecological cancer, Lung cancer, Patients in palliation /end of life care, Adult and Pediatric hematology patients, etc. Occupational Therapists at Tata memorial Hospital are skilled and are experienced in many areas of rehabilitation and customize the treatment based on patients’ unique condition and needs.

There are much impairment related to cancer and its treatments which are amendable to Occupational therapy. The few impairments and conditions are listed below which we treated by Occupational therapists on daily basis.

• Upper and lower extremity impairments: Various surgical interventions, cytotoxic drugs and radiation therapy produce impairments in extremities that affect patients’ functional participation. To list a few are restricted range of motion, joint stiffness, weakness, difficulty with walking, trouble with fine and gross motor skills, poor endurance, deconditioning, postural changes, scar tissue restriction are few of the extremity impairments addressed by Occupational Therapy by means of various therapeutic exercises and activities, positioning, home exercise programs, splinting, and wheelchair fitting and training.

• Cognitive function impairment: Occupational therapists provide cognitive strategies to address memory, organizational executive function deficits, and low-energy tasks that focus on restoring engagement in daily occupations. Occupational therapist provides mentally stimulating tasks and cognitive activities to improve cognitive function. Difficulties with perception, problems with hand-eye coordination, decline in balance are addressed with various therapeutic exercises, adaptations and compensations and compensatory modalities.

• Occupational Therapy provides chemo rehabilitation programs that address cancer-related fatigue, neuropathy, balance issues, vestibular dysfunction through general strength and reconditioning rehabilitation.

• Cancer-related fatigue: Occupational Therapy department educate patients and demonstrate energy conservation techniques, engagement in routine activities, relaxation management, education on good sleep hygiene support health and the ability to participate in meaningful activities.

• Anxiety and depression and stress related to the diagnosis and treatmentis managed with relaxation training, engagement in purposeful activities and diversional activities.

• Palliative and end of life care: Occupational therapist provide therapeutic exercise/ activities and positioning to maintain functional range of motion, mobility, and strength through home exercise programs, splinting, wheelchair fitting, bed positioningetc.

• Decline in balance and falls: Department use strengthening exercises and activities, static and dynamic balance training, prescription of appropriate adaptive and assistive technology and compensatory approaches in preventing falls due to balance issues.

• Lymphedema clinic: Occupational Therapy department is involved in educating patients in lymphedema risk reduction practice and lymphedema management from more than 3 decades. We attend limb, face, head and neck lymphedema, truncal edema, breast and genital lymphedema cases on every day. Complete Decongestive Therapy (CDT) is an international standard of care for lymphedema management which is provided and taught to patients and carers. It is essential to reduce swelling as it is known to have psychological and social implications, and can limit range of motion and the ability to move and complete ADLs.

• Pain management: Occupational Therapist plays a vital role and is an important non-pharmacological intervention in pain management using various physical and cognitive behavioral approaches.

• Restrictions in activities of daily living/ instrumental activities of daily living: Occupational Therapy department address functional impairments in ADL/IADL. Suggest patient’s management of activities of daily living (ADLs) such as bathing and dressing through adaptations to the activity and environment, and/or the use of assistive technology.

• Sexual Quality of Life: Occupational therapists are involved in communication and promotion of vaginal and sexual health, dilators therapy, pelvic floor exercises, counseling and education on sexual functioning and intimacy before and following cancer therapy.

• Mastectomy surgeries: Breast prosthetic rehab, postural education and correction, maintaining and addressing sexuality and intimacy issues to improve quality of life.

• Modifying activities such as teaching individuals ways to conserve energy during important everyday activities; or modifying environments such as the workplace, home, or community.

• Lifestyle management such as preventative health, improved fitness, etc. This may include education emphasizing the person’s strengths and positive coping strategies that enable him or her to be in control of lifestyle choices.

• Palliative Care: Occupational Therapy interventions include non- pharmacological pain management, modifications in routine activities and life roles in order to accommodate dyspnea, edema management, postural corrections, orthosis and assistive technology. Regular assessment of physical, psychological symptoms and functional status is carried out.

• Pediatric conditions: Occupational Therapy is of great value in enabling children with cancer to participate in the everyday childhood occupations of self-care, productivity and play/ leisure.

• Our therapeutic exercise and activity based oncology rehabilitation programs are also appropriate for patients diagnosed with lung cancer or patients needing prerehab ahead of oncology related surgeries for improving patients’ ability to participate in routine life roles and tasks.

• Amputations: Occupational Therapists help people with amputations, their families to understand the care that is needed following amputations and the process of rehabilitation that can reduce the disabilities. We provide pre prosthetic care, and appropriate fitting of the temporary and permanent prosthesis and training, people with limb amputations. We help patients return to previous activities, including household responsibilities, school or work.

• Occupational Therapists are involved in prescribing, designing, and fabrication of various orthoses (fabrication of low temperature thermoplastic orthosis and hand orthosis) and orthotic and prosthetic training. We have a special setup located at Dr. Ernest Borges Memorial Home (E.B.M.H) Bandra to address to the orthotics and prosthetic needs of cancer patients and related rehabilitation.

Name

Designation

Contacts - No.

Off: 022- 24177227

Email id

vagalmanjusha@yahoo.com

Qualification:

PhD, MOT, CLT (USA), FACOT, HCPC (UK)

Specialties:

Lymphedema, Cancer related fatigue, Breast cancer, Gynecological cancer, Bone and soft tissue cancers, Orthotics, Palliative care

Name

Designation

Contacts - No.

Off: 022 24177000 Ext. 4227    

Email id

rebeka_mortha@rediffmail.com

Qualification

BSc OT, MSc. (Psychology), CLT (USA)

Specialties:

Bone and Soft Tissue Cancer, Lymphedema, Breast Cancer, Palliative Care, Prosthesis and Orthosis, Head and Neck Rehabilitation.

Name

Designation

Contacts - No.

022 24177000 Ext. 4227

Email id

velshruti@gmail.com

Qualification

BSc OT,CLT (USA)

Specialties:

Quality of life related research, Lymphedema, Pediatrics and neurological rehabilitation, Gynecological and Breast cancer

Name

Designation

Contacts - No.

022- 24177000, Ext No. - 4227

Email id

jlm_therapist@yahoo.co.in

Qualification

MOT (Mumbai), CLT (USA), CWA (USA), CKTT (UK)

Specialties:

Breast cancer, Lymphedema, Hand & Upper Extremity conditions, Locomotor disability

Name

Dr. Neelam Rane

Designation

Occupational Therapist

Contacts - No.

9969871345

Email id

neelam.rane91@gmail.com

Qualification

M.O.Th.

Specialties:

Musculoskeletal & Neuro Rehabilitation, Orthosis fabrication and pre and post prosthetic training

• Observership program.
• 6months/ one-year training in Onco occupational therapy.
• Internship program with L.T.M.M.C & G.H Sion Mumbai.
• Annual educational visit of B.O.Th. students from Municipal hospitals,
• Annual academic event promoting role of Occupational Therapy in Oncology, and professional skill in budding therapists.