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ONCOLOGY & LYMPHEDEMA PHYSICAL THERAPIST

Helping You Live a Fulfilling Life Is More Than Work to Me — It’s My Mission.

A woman with wavy brown hair, wearing a white sleeveless top and blue jeans, sits smiling on a light gray tufted sofa against a plain white wall

NICE TO MEET YOU

I’m Kelly Sturm, Doctor of Physical Therapy (PT, DPT) 

I’m a Board-Certified Oncology Specialist and a Certified Lymphedema Therapist (CLT-LANA). I graduated from the Mayo Clinic and spent over a decade working at a physical therapy practice with a specialized focus on cancer and lymphedema. 

After helping thousands of people manage pain and swelling, I decided to start sharing empowering education online so that more people could have access to physical therapy and reclaim control of their lives. This is how Cancer Rehab PT first started, and I’m so glad you’re here.

Instead of using big words to
explain why I do what I do,

I tell this story:

One day, a woman came to see me 29 years after going through breast cancer surgery and radiation therapy.

Ever since her cancer treatment, this woman has lived with chronic pain and wasn’t able to lift her arm up to get dressed or wash her hair.

When she first started having this pain 29 years ago, her doctor told her that it was simply her “new normal” and she’d have to live with this pain for the rest of her life. I knew that I had to try to encourage this woman to learn how to manage her pain. I explained to her that it wasn’t too late. The woman was hesitant at first, but week by week she started to make tangible progress in her shoulder motion.

In a few months, she could wash and style her hair without any pain at all – something she hasn’t been able to do for 29 years.

Kelly, a lymphedema physical therapist, holding yellow dumbbells doing a bent over row.
woman in purple leggings and sports bra doing a shoulder stretch, as instructed by her lymphedema physical therapist.

What pains me is that if this woman had had access to the right education, resources,
and treatment early on, she wouldn’t have to spend the majority of her life in pain.

So, my mission is simple:

to educate as many people living with and after cancer and lymphedema that pain is common, not normal, and help them reclaim control of their everyday lives.

CANCER AND LYMPHEDEMA PHYSICAL THERAPY

Online Programs & Guides

breast cancer rehab on desktop screen with keyboard on light table

Breast Cancer Rehab

Decrease uncomfortable side effects of treatment, build up strength, and redefine your new normal with & after breast cancer.
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Lower Body Lymphedema Rehab

Reduce swelling and discomfort with physical therapy exercises and self-care practices that easily fit into your everyday life.
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healthy shoulder program website on tablet screen sitting on woven table

Healthy Shoulder Program

Minimize shoulder pain, improve mobility, and prevent lymphedema with a 12-week exercise program to feel strong again.
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A pamphlet titled “Stretching and Strengthening Exercises after Breast Cancer Surgery and Radiation” rests on a white table beside a pen, a spiral notebook, and a brown envelope.

Step-by-step Guides

Learn exercises, lymphatic drainage, and dry brushing techniques to effectively manage lymphedema & cancer and reduce discomfort.

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Woman in black sports bra, with brown hair, arms raised overhead with her back to the camera. She's doing exercises her lymphedema physical therapist taught her.
male with gray hair and long beard, wearing gray shirt, doing stretches at home, as instructed by his lymphedema physical therapist
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LYMPHEDEMA & ONCOLOGY PHYSICAL THERAPIST
SUCCESS STORIES

The Difference Education Can Make

“I’ve tried everything”, she said. “I just don’t think there is anything else you’re going to be able to do.”

But I knew I had to try. And after evaluating her home program and the tools she had tried over the years, I was able to suggest a few changes to her compression and self-care routine. Along with these changes, we also started an exercise program together.

We spent the next ten weeks building up her strength and adjusting her routine. The truth is, there is no on-size-fits-all lymphedema treatment. Although most people will need compression, there are several other tools in the toolbox that can be individualised – which is exactly what we did!

One day, the woman came to her session in tears. She was overcome with emotion that she want for a 25-minute walk the day prior and had no pain afterward. She felt strong and that we could finally move around without her lymphedema holding her back for the first time in 11 years!

About eight months later, I received a postcard in the mail from her. It was a photo of her ski restort she was staying at with her husband, finally free to live the life she wanted.

So, let this story be a reminder that chronic conditions like lymphedema don’t have to stop you doing what you love. There is always a solution, even if you believe you’ve tried everything.

It’s never too late to take the first step.

One day a woman came to see me from a state on the other side of the country. She was in town visiting her sister and learned about the cancer rehab program we had running in the area.

She went through her breast cancer surgery and treatment 4 years ago. She was now cancer-free, but still lived with chronic pain and discomfort for an unknown reason. After one look at her swollen arm, I instantly knew that she had lymphedema.

The problem was, this woman had never even heard of lymphedema. I think my mouth dropped open — I couldn’t believe she had lived for 4 years without a proper diagnosis!

And then I realized that cancer rehab and this kind of education and care simply don’t exist everywhere they are needed. I was upset because if this woman had gotten the education, awareness, and support she needed sooner, she would not have had so many years living with chronic pain.

This story moved me to start sharing more and more knowledge and information about living with and after cancer and lymphedema online.

Because it’s never too late to reclaim control of your life. You just have to take the first step.

As Seen In…

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start with these

Free Resources

lymphedema self-care and treatment guide handouts stacked on white background

Lymphedema Self-Care and Treatment Guide

A comprehensive guide to help you understand the benefits, importance, and tools of lymphedema management and self-care.

From an in-depth overview of various treatments available to building daily success habits and a self-care plan, use this guide to manage and reduce swelling.

Download Now

Exercises after Breast Cancer Surgery and Radiation

Learn stretching and strengthening exercises to relieve chest and shoulder tightness, pain, and weakness.

These exercises are fun and easy to do at home!

Download Now