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Breast cancer patients are benefitting from reduced pain and improved movement following treatment, thanks to a new hydrotherapy rehabilitation course at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

The course – specifically designed for patients who have undergone breast cancer treatment – is the first of its kind in the Midlands and has already helped more than 50 patients during a six-month trial period. Following the successful trial, the Worcestershire Breast Unit Haven Charity has now agreed to fund the course indefinitely.

The hydrotherapy group, named ‘The Worcester Waders’, is available to anyone who has had treatment including surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy for breast cancer. It involves carrying out specific exercises in a warm water swimming pool to help aid rehabilitation following treatment. The course also provides a great opportunity for breast cancer survivors to meet others who have been through a similar experience.

The initial six-month trial period of the Worcester Waders course proved successful with all 53 participants reporting an improvement in their range of movement.

Participants reported their ‘quality of life’ improving from an average of 5.7 out of 10 before the course, to an average of 7.6 after completing the course. A majority of patients rated the pain in their arms, shoulders, or hands before the course as ‘moderate’, whereas the most common answer after completing the course was ‘none’.

Sessions take place in the heated hydrotherapy pool at Worcestershire Royal Hospital on a Tuesday evening and are run by a group of radiographers from the Worcestershire Oncology Centre who are specifically trained to undertake the hydrotherapy sessions.

As well as reducing pain and increasing the range of shoulder movement after treatment, hydrotherapy and physical activity in general can also help reduce the risk of lymphoedema – a chronic swelling in the body’s tissues – occurring, which can be caused by surgery and chemotherapy.

After the three, one-hour-long sessions of the course are complete, there is the opportunity for attendees to join the Nuffield Health Centre in Worcester for free for a further six-week programme as an introduction back to exercise.

Radiographer, Molly Jones who helped set up the group and leads some of the sessions said: “I saw the benefits that a course like this could have from an Oncology Centre in Taunton. But whereas they ran the course on a one-to-one basis, I thought it could also be a good opportunity to provide the more social aspect of a group session, as for a lot of ladies this is their first time in a swimming costume since their treatment which can significantly impact their fitness level and body image.

“The patients who took part in our trial fed back that they loved completing the course, found it really enjoyable and experienced marked improvement in their physical and mental health. We’re really grateful to the Worcestershire Breast Unit Haven Charity for agreeing to keep funding the course and all the radiographers who have given up their time to run the course.” 

If you’d like more information about joining the Worcester Waders on one of the group’s courses, you can email: wah-tr.worcesterwaders@nhs.net

Or if you’d like to know more about the support available following a breast cancer diagnosis in Worcestershire, you can visit: www.worcsbreastunithaven.com/events

If you’re interested in making a donation to support the Worcestershire Breast Unit Haven Charity to help with initiatives like the Worcester Waders, then visit: https://justgiving.com/wbuh