Rehabilitation of Patients with Bone Metastatic Disease

Abstract

Treatment of patients affected by bone metastases requires a multidisciplinary team of different specialists. Rehabilitation medicine works beside oncology, radiotherapy, orthopedics, and palliative care to reduce the impact of this pathology on patients’ quality of life. Medical evidence shows that, even if rest prevents the occurrence of fractures in bone metastatic patients, rehabilitation seems to be effective in providing pain relief, preventing joint degeneration, increasing survival, and therefore reducing the occurrence of disuse syndrome in cancer patients. This condition, in fact, increases the risk of death and complications, such as muscle contractures, weakness and atrophy, osteoporosis, orthostatic hypotension, pressure sores, pneumonia, confusion and disorientation, and increased risk of thromboembolic disease. Rehabilitative interventions do not differ from rehabilitative treatments for patients affected by disabilities caused by other pathologies; however, they will depend on the subjects’ general health conditions, on the site of the metastases, and on the involvement of other organs. In all cases, the ultimate goal for the patient will be the achievement of the highest possible functional status within the limits of the disease.