Cancer rehabilitation: KORT Physical Therapy offering free lunch and learn program for patients

Published 10:30 am Thursday, March 15, 2018

By Brittany Fuller

brittany.fuller@jessaminejournal.com

With the re-launch of its Cancer Rehab Revital program, KORT Physical Therapy in Nicholasville will be offering a lunch and learn event focusing on cancer rehabilitation and physical therapy.

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Held from noon to 1 p.m. on March 21, the program will be located at 102 Williams Road and will feature speaker Katie Filiatreau, a trained cancer rehabilitation therapist.

The program is intended to help educate the community on how physical therapy can benefit someone who is currently being treated or has been treated for cancer in the past. The clinic asks those who are planning to attend to RSVP so a proper head count can be made regarding the free lunch which will be offered at the event.

“We do lunch n learns very often as a company although Nicholasville hasn’t done one in a few years,” said Holly Ratliff, marketing representative for KORT Physical Therapy. “Cancer affects everyone, and cancer rehab is a specialty that many cancer patients aren’t informed about or don’t even know exist. We want to educate the community as much as possible about the side effects of cancer treatment and surgery, and how you don’t always have to live with the pain those things may have caused.”

Ratliff said Filiatreau grew up in Washington County and attended Georgetown College studying exercise science, after which she attended physical therapy school at University of Kentucky and graduated with a doctorate in physical therapy in 2012.

Specializing in orthopedics, her interests involve evaluating and treating student-athletes, and she attends East and West schools once a week to assess injuries and concerns.

“Dr. Katie Filiatreau has extensive training in this area and will share what physical therapy at KORT can do to help survivors resume meaningful activities and regain strength, energy and stamina,” Ratliff said.

Filiatreau said, not only will the program detail the benefits of physical therapy for cancer patients both current and post-treatment, but it will offer the opportunity for those who attend a way to interact with individuals throughout the community and advance their network of others who may have experienced or are currently experiencing the same issues.

“The presentation will provide an overview of how physical therapy can benefit someone who is currently being treated for cancer and/or has had cancer in the past,” Filiatreau said. “We have found that individuals may suffer side effects from cancer treatments such as surgery, chemo and radiation for many years after their treatment has been completed.”

Filiatreau said there is no expectations or qualifications to attend.

“We are looking to provide an educational opportunity for members of our community in order to facilitate learning more about cancer, effects of treatment and how physical therapy can be a benefit to those in our community suffering from cancer,” Filiatreau said.

Ratliff is hopeful the program will help people gain a different understanding of what cancer does to the body and the effects of the life-saving treatments which are offered.

“We are excited about this new branch of physical therapy because it is helping a whole group of people who were never reached in this way,” Rattliff said. “Cancer treatments are much more effective today than in that past, resulting in more survivors than ever.  It is our goal to help these survivors to learn physical therapy treatments that can make them feel strong and energetic.”

For more information or to RSVP, call 859-881-0333.