‘Hydrotherapy is hugely valuable’ – local charity to offer new service to cancer patients 

A local charity can now offer people from the Furness area who are going through a cancer diagnosis or a bereavement the chance to benefit from hydrotherapy.

Clients who access services at CancerCare North Lancashire & South Cumbria – a charity that supports people impacted by cancer, life-shortening illness, and bereavement – can now choose to take up to 12 sessions of hydrotherapy alongside their core therapy.

The sessions will be held at Sandside Lodge, located on Springfield Road in Ulverston. As well as a pool heated to between 32–36 degrees, facilities include excellent changing areas, music and lighting.

Sandside Lodge is easy to access, with plenty of parking available for all pool users and is within a five-minute walk of the nearest bus stop and train station.

Benefits of hydrotherapy include muscle relaxation and improved body awareness, balance and trunk stability. The buoyancy experienced in the water can reduce pressure on joints and muscles, ease swelling and support movement. It can also reduce pain sensitivity, loosen tight joints, enhance flexibility, strengthen the body and help people take part in exercises and activities that are harder to do on land.

CancerCare’s services are designed to complement clinical treatment.

CancerCare’s Head of Client Services, Bethany De Hert, said: “We’re grateful to Sandside Lodge School for welcoming us to use their fantastic facilities, and to everyone involved who has worked hard to make hydrotherapy available locally. Most importantly, we want to thank the people who use our services and their families for sharing their needs and inspiring us to create new opportunities for therapy.

“Hydrotherapy is a hugely valuable therapy that many people would not otherwise be able to access due to cost or location. We already offer it in Lancaster and Kendal, and it has always been our aim to ensure this service is available across our whole patch. Around a third of the people who use our services re-refer into support, so it’s vital we provide a continuum of care. By making hydrotherapy available in the Furness region, we can ensure that people living with or affected by cancer, life-shortening illnesses or bereavement have access to safe, supportive and specialist therapy that improves mobility, confidence and overall wellbeing, not just in the short term, but as part of their longer-term journey with us.”

To book hydrotherapy sessions, CancerCare clients should follow the referral process by contacting the Therapy Coordination Team at [email protected].