Pink shoelaces sold at tonight's Steel netball game will help subsidise therapeutic rehabilitation for cancer patients in Southland.

Physiotherapist Alana Hill said the money raised through the $10 shoelace packages with the Pink Pilates Trust fundraiser, will help to give people recovering from cancer surgery or treatment a point of access to further care.

The Pink Pilates programme is made up of 10 individually designed treatment sessions with a qualified physiotherapist. Therapy has been designed to help recovery from cancer surgery including mastectomy, colorectal surgery, oophorectomy and breast reconstructive surgery.

The Pink Pilates Trust allocates funds to people within two years of their cancer diagnosis who would not be able to participate without financial assistance.

As well as improving health generally, exercise for people after cancer was important to manage fatigue, improve movement and deal with weight gain that often occurred with treatment, Ms Hill said. All money raised in Southland through shoelace sales, would stay in Southland.

The programme also addresses the physical conditions and side effects of chemotherapy, radiation and hormone therapy, and reduces the risks of treatment-related side effects such as lymphoedema, shoulder problems, scar tissue formation.

For more information go to pinkpilates.co.nz.

gwyneth.hyndman@stl.co.nz

- © Fairfax NZ News

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