Can lung cancer patients walk and exercise?

Exercise is beneficial for the recovery of any disease, so what kind of exercise is suitable for lung cancer patients? Can lung cancer patients walk and exercise? Let's talk about the rehabilitation exercises for lung cancer patients.

Experts point out that the earlier lung cancer patients undergo rehabilitation exercises, the better

Before waking up from general anesthesia, cancer patients should lie flat on their backs with their heads tilted to one side, and oral or respiratory secretions should be sucked out in time to prevent aspiration pneumonia. After waking up, they should take a semi-recumbent position, which is conducive to the drainage of pleural effusion and relieve wound pain. At the same time, the diaphragm is lowered, which is conducive to improving respiratory and circulatory functions.

Patient rehabilitation exercises should be started as soon as possible after tumor surgery, that is, after the tumor patient wakes up from general anesthesia. At this time, family members can begin to help tumor patients lift their hips and move their limbs, massage the upper limbs on the side of tumor surgery for tumor patients, and reach under the back of tumor patients to rub the back muscles to improve blood circulation and restore muscle tension. From the first day after tumor surgery, if vital signs (blood pressure, breathing, pulse) are stable and the chest drainage tube is fixed, tumor patients can be encouraged to exercise in bed. After the drainage tube is removed, in the early stage, tumor patients can be helped to get out of bed and walk indoors for 3 to 5 minutes every 4 hours, and later they can be allowed to get out of bed and exercise on their own.

Lung cancer patients should pay attention to expectoration

After lung cancer surgery, patients should actively perform respiratory rehabilitation exercises to prevent atelectasis and respiratory system infection. Within 24 to 48 hours after surgery, patients should be asked to cough and take deep breaths 5 to 10 times every one or two hours. Within 3 days after surgery, family members should help patients cough and expectorate 4 to 6 times a day. The most detailed method is: stand on the non-tumor surgery side of the patient, stretch out your arms, put your ten fingers together, and support the chest of the patient on the tumor surgery side from the front and back chest walls, and let the patient take a deep breath with you. When inhaling, gently support the incision, and then ask the patient to cough hard, press the ribs when coughing, help expectorate, and pat the patient's back gently. Repeat several times until the patient coughs up all the sputum.

Muscle rehabilitation for lung cancer patients

Because lung cancer surgery requires large incisions and involves the removal of many muscles, muscle adhesion and stiffness are very likely to occur after surgery. Therefore, muscle function recovery is also an important part of patient rehabilitation care.

On the second day after tumor surgery, family members should assist the patient with bending, lifting, and adduction of the shoulder and arm on the operated side every four hours, and pay attention to the patient's sitting and walking posture at any time. If the shoulder is tilted or the upper body is lateral, it should be corrected in time to avoid scoliosis. On the third day after tumor surgery, encourage and urge the patient to hold a cup, eat, and comb his hair with the arm on the operated side, and to reach the hand on the operated side to touch the ear on the opposite side several times a day. A rope can be tied to the end rail of the bed, and the patient can pull the rope with the arm on the operated side to practice sitting up, lying down, and getting out of bed by himself, which can strengthen the muscle tension of the shoulder, arm, and back muscles on the operated side.