At Ottawa Cancer and Lymphatics Centre, our rehabilitation team provides safe, effective support to help you prevent and manage these effects so you can heal more completely and live more comfortably. 

Whether you’re preparing for radiation, in the middle of treatment, or months into recovery, we’re here to meet you where you are—with expertise, compassion, and personalized care. 

Every person’s experience with radiation is different, but common symptoms we can help with include: 

• Skin sensitivity, burns, or delayed healing 
• Chest wall, shoulder, or neck tightness 
• Pain, numbness, or radiation fibrosis 
• Reduced range of motion 
• Fatigue and weakness 
• Postural changes 
• Lymphedema or swelling 
• Pelvic floor dysfunction (with pelvic radiation) 

Rehab During Radiation

While it may seem like you should wait until radiation is finished before seeking rehab, supportive therapy during treatment can help prevent or reduce common complications like skin breakdown, restricted mobility, and swelling. Our team can guide you through gentle movement, skin care strategies, and positioning techniques to help you tolerate treatment more comfortably. Radiation can also be a challenging time mentally so ensuring you are checking in with a mental health professional can be vital. Our psychotherapy team is trained to help support you through all aspects of your cancer treatment. 

For example, physiotherapy may help you maintain shoulder range of motion, especially if radiation is delivered to the chest or neck area. We can also help modify your exercise routine to maintain strength and energy without overexertion. It can also be incredibly beneficial to receive some extra nutritional guidance from an expert to help manage your fatigue levels and fuel your body with foods to promote skin integrity and healing.  

Post-Radiation Recovery

Many people are surprised to learn that the effects of radiation don’t end when treatment does. Scar tissue, tightness, pain, and fatigue can continue to develop for months after radiation is complete. That’s where specialized rehab comes in. 

Post-radiation physiotherapy can help reduce stiffness in the chest, shoulder, or neck, and improve posture, breathing, and movement. Massage and manual therapy techniques, including myofascial release and scar mobilization, can soften fibrotic tissue and relieve discomfort. For those at risk of lymphedema, we offer compression therapy, lymphatic drainage, and education to reduce risk and support long-term management. The long-term effects of radiation therapy can sometimes take a mental toll too. Our psychotherapists are equipped to help you navigate these symptoms. 

At Ottawa Cancer and Lymphatics Centre, our goal is to support your healing—not just your diagnosis. We offer one-on-one care from highly trained professionals in physiotherapy, massage therapy, kinesiology, oncology fitness, manual lymphatic drainage, pelvic health physiotherapy, dietetics, psychotherapy, and compression therapy. 

We understand how radiation affects the body—and how to help it recover. Our care plans are always tailored to your individual needs and can be adapted as you move through treatment and into long-term survivorship. Virtual appointments are also available.