WHY IS EXERCISE AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF PROMOTING LYMPHATIC HEALTH?

• Lymphatic flow increases five-fold in the first 15 minutes of exercise.
  
  
• Exercise causes your muscles to contract and relax which helps promote lymphatic flow.
  
  
• Deep breathing from exercise stimulates the lymphatic system.
  
  

WHAT TYPES OF EXERCISE SHOULD I DO?

• Stretching: Perform daily to decrease tension and allow for improved circulation.
  
  
• Deep Breathing: Perform multiple times per day.
  
  
• Strength Training: 3x/wk
  
  
• Aerobic Exercise: 150 minutes/wk
  
  

SAFETY WITH EXERCISE:

• Always consult with your medical team before starting an exercise program.
  
  
• Gradually progress your strength training, avoiding excessive muscle soreness.
  
  
• Work in a pain free range and listen to your body.
  
  
• It may be appropriate to consult with a lymphedema therapist when starting an exercise program to ensure a safe and effective program.
  
  
• If you have lymphedema, you must wear your compression garment when exercising.

Do you need a certified lymphedema therapist? Call or email CRA today and schedule an appointment with Dr. Angela Wicker-Ramos PT, DPT, CLT-LANA.

• Agnes Nowakowski, Angela Wicker-Ramos and our summer intern/student Kathleen Frelier attended Art Bra Austin to help raise funds for the Breast Cancer Resource Center. 

• Our Salad in a Jar party brought people together to discuss healthy habits, eating all the colors of the rainbow, and most importantly having fun. 
  
  
• Our lymphedema therapist Angela Wicker-Ramos presented at Yoga Yoga's Therapist Certification Program on safely working with those undergoing or recovering from cancer treatment. 
  
  
• Angela also presented on Exercise, Lymphatic and Pelvic Floor Health for the Livestrong at the YMCA. 
  
  
• We attended the Women's Way Business Awards ceremony and were inspired by other women-run small businesses in our local community.

Dr. Agnes Nowakowski is a licensed Acupuncturist and a Doctor of Oriental Medicine. She has oncology training from:

• MD Anderson Cancer Center Integrative Medicine program ensuring the highest quality and standard of care.
• She holds a BS in Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Microbiology. Agnes integrates functional medicine into her treatments.
• Her knowledge of blood chemistry allows her to explain lab results and evaluate diagnostic tests from a holistic perspective.

 Agnes provides services in the infusion room at Texas Oncology Central. This has allowed her to treat many patients during active chemotherapy infusions, building her experience and expertise.

Agnes works closely with your oncology team in providing a treatment plan and supporting your recovery.

Nutrition is an important part of cancer treatment and recovery, and Cancer Rehab Austin is excited to welcome Krystle Zuniga PhD, RD who will be offering individual nutrition consults to help you reach your goals. Krystle is a licensed and registered dietitian with a PhD in nutritional sciences. She has been conducting research in the area of nutrition and cancer for 9 years. Krystle will use the latest nutrition research to help you follow a healthy diet and support w ellness during and post treatment. She will be available for a FREE individual appointment (60 minutes) to answer questions about how to manage cancer therapy side-effects such as weight loss or gain, assess your current diet and provide specific recommendations, and direct you to additional reputable resources for nutrition information.

This summer, Krystle will be available by appointment on Thursdays. For more information and/or to set up an appointment, contact Krystle Zuniga at [email protected] or 217-255-2956 (please leave a voicemail).

Mission: Providing essential care supplies to cancer patients at no cost through your generous donations.

http://careboxprogram.org/

Thank YOU for helping the CareBox Program make a difference in the lives of cancer patients. Your tax-deductible donation helps make the CareBOX Program possible. Your donation will help provide free at-home care supplies to cancer patients. They have made a promise to their donors that 100% of your net donation today will go towards a cancer patient in need. 

Some ways you can help:

• Let your medical practitioners know about us at your next follow up appointment. 
  
  
• Tell others in your cancer support community that we are here to help.
  
  
• Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share posts that you find interesting or informative.
  
  
• If you have received treatment at CRA we would appreciate a review on Yelp or Google. People rely on reviews to find quality care and practitioners they can trust.
  
  We are so blessed to be in such an amazing Austin community. We appreciate your support and look forward to continuing to make a difference one patient at a time.