Breast Cancer Patients Find New Form of Physical Therapy

You may have seen them before; these long, narrow, canoe style, human powered boats. They are propelled with nothing but raw, human muscles, and breast cancer patients are using the sport to their benefit, according to CNN.

In Peachtree City, Georgia on Lake Peachtree, the Steel Magnolias practice their rowing. One of the team members, Jill Binkley, a breast cancer survivor herself, tells CNN how the strenuous activity helps breast cancer patients heal.

"It's increasing our range of motion, decreasing our pain that we have after breast cancer surgery and increasing our strength," said Binkley.

This is not the only dragon boat team to boast breast cancer survivors. Nationwide, patients are using the rigors of the sport to aid in their healing because of the many benefits of the motion of paddling.

"It's reaching, it's digging deep, and it's pulling hard," Beverly Booth, captain of the Steel Magnolias told CNN.

The exercise is helping the women not only to get out and get active, but also reduces the risk of death from the disease.

"We know that, in fact, exercise is not only safe for women with breast cancer, but actually we now use it as a treatment for women with lymphedema," Binkley said. Lymphedema is a swelling of the arms and legs that occurs from a blockage in the lymphatic system. Many breast cancer patients suffer lymphedema in the arm as a side effect of treatment.

Dragon boating not only heals the patients physically, but emotionally as well.

"People have been there with me. They know what I've been through. I know what they've been through. If you want to talk about cancer, you can, and if you don't want to talk about cancer, you don't have to," said Booth.