Lifestyle Medicine
Contact Information
Lifestyle Medicine Clinic
Boston: 617-724-4000
Waltham: 781-487-6100
Danvers: 978-882-6100
Explore Lifestyle Medicine
Who is the clinic right for?
Any Mass General Cancer Center patient can benefit from this program.
Overview
Lifestyle Medicine helps people adopt evidence-based lifestyle behaviors (such as healthy eating habits, regular exercise, managing stress, forming and maintaining healthy relationships with others, sleep hygiene, and avoidance of risky substances) to improve and maintain health as well as prevent disease.
The foundations of our program:
- Exercise: Discuss ways to be active and resume exercise based on your current fitness level, personal goals, and cancer treatment
- Nutrition: Individualized, evidence-based sustainable advice to help you make healthy eating choices that fit your lifestyle
- Rehabilitation: Comprehensive evaluation to address any limitations and help you restore physical functioning and independence
- Sleep Improvement: Improve sleep health by creating an achievable plan that incorporates behaviors such as bedtime routine and relaxation strategies
- Stress Management: Develop strategies for reducing stress levels, integrating mindfulness into your life, and adopting other healthy lifestyle behaviors to improve your quality of life and mood
- Positive Behavior Changes: Making healthy lifestyle changes is more than the sum of these parts. Finding ways to put these principles together into a workable action plan to build resilience is the goal
We understand that when making lifestyle changes it can be hard to know where to start! Our experts will evaluate your personal needs and work with you on defining the steps needed to help you achieve your goals. We look forward to meeting you.
Locations
The Lifestyle Medicine Clinic is offered in our Boston, Waltham, and Danvers locations.
Boston
A visit to the Lifestyle Medicine Clinic in Boston will include four one-on-one consultations with expert clinicians from a variety of disciplines:
- Oncology
One-on-one medical consultation regarding medical history and personalized recommendations for physical activity and other lifestyle changes - Nutrition
Individualized nutritional advice for making better eating choices, which can decrease some of the toxicities associated with certain cancer treatments and help you feel better - Physical Therapy
Physical therapy and/or an individualized exercise program based on your current fitness level, personal goals, and cancer treatment to help restore physical function and improve your outcome - Behavioral Medicine
Personal counseling session in which we will work in partnership to assess your personal behavioral needs and set realistic, achievable goals to make these new habits stick
To make an appointment at the Lifestyle Medicine Clinic in Boston, please call 617-724-4000.
Waltham
The Lifestyle Medicine clinic at the Mass General Cancer Center at Waltham offers personalized lifestyle medicine consultations with an oncology nurse practitioner and a registered dietitian. During your visit, you will have one-on-one sessions with each clinician to discuss what motivates you to live a healthier life and your personal goals. Part of the conversation will include how to build on your skills and access resources to set healthy lifestyle choices that you can stick with. Social work, rehabilitation medicine, physical therapy, and integrative therapies are also available at the Waltham location.
Mass General Waltham Physical Therapy Clinic specializes in treating patients with oncology diagnoses, including cancer-related swelling, orthopedic, pelvic floor, and neurological symptoms that can arise during cancer treatment. Our therapists create individualized home exercise programs that are tailored to the needs and limitations of each patient, as well as maintain communication with referring doctors to ensure coordinated care.
To make an appointment at the Lifestyle Medicine clinic at the Mass General Cancer Center at Waltham, please call 781-487-6100.
Danvers
The Lifestyle Medicine clinic at the Mass General/North Shore Cancer Center offers personalized lifestyle medicine consultations with an oncology rehabilitation physician in addition to referrals to nutrition, physical therapy, social work, and behavioral medicine as needed. During your visit, you will have one-on-one sessions with each clinician to discuss what motivates you to live a healthier life and your personal goals. Part of the conversation will include how to build on your skills and access resources to set healthy lifestyle choices that you can stick with.
To make an appointment at the Lifestyle Medicine clinic at Mass General/North Shore Cancer Center, please call 978-882-6100.
Team
Led by Director Elizabeth O’Donnell, MD, the Lifestyle Medicine Clinic’s multidisciplinary team of clinicians counsel cancer patients on how to benefit from the powerful, positive effects of exercise and other lifestyle changes.
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- Hematology/Oncology
- Department of Medicine
Team Videos
Dr. O’Donnell is the Director of Lifestyle Medicine and a medical oncologist in the Multiple Myeloma Disease Center at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. O’Donnell’s interest in exercise intervention and lifestyle medicine is born out of her own passion for athletics and personal health.
Dr. Millstein is an Assistant Professor and clinical health psychologist with the MGH Behavioral Medicine Program. Her clinical work includes the use of mind-body approaches and evidence-based strategies for managing stress/anxiety, depression, weight, and health conditions.
Loren Winters is an oncology nurse practitioner in the MGH Center for Breast Cancer. She specializes in cancer survivorship particularly in healthy lifestyle behaviors and the use of integrative therapies for self-care.
Carol is a Registered Dietitian with more than 15 years of experience in the field, including more than a decade practicing as a Certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition at MGH as a Senior Clinical Dietitian.
Dr. Knowlton is the Assistant Director of Cancer Rehabilitation in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and sees patients at Massachusetts General Hospital and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. She is a physiatrist specializing in cancer rehabilitation.
Jessica Riggs Garton is a physical therapist at Mass General Hospital working primarily in oncology and pulmonary. Jessica believes in the benefits of exercise and works with patients in different stages of their disease to help them improve their endurance, overall function and quality of life.
Patient Resources
Nutrition Services
Our team of Registered Dietitians provides evidenced based & expert nutrition counseling.
Cancer Rehabilitation Program
This program helps patients regain physical abilities and maintain independence.
Exercise Videos
Our exercises videos can be used as single workouts or as part of a fitness plan.
Mass General Physical Therapy
Learn about the Mass General Physical Therapy department.
Workshops & Support Groups
Find details of each of our workshops and support groups.
Wellness Calendar
See our Wellness and Support Program calendar.
Exercise Videos
The Lifestyle Medicine Clinic at the Mass General Cancer Center recommends an exercise program for cancer patients and survivors, based on baseline fitness, personal goals, and cancer therapy to minimize side effects, prevent loss of function, and improve long-term outcomes. Our exercise videos are tailored to cancer patients and survivors and are a great step for incorporating exercise into your weekly schedule.
Easy #1 (Light Intensity) - Enjoy this light intensity exercise routine for every level and ability, with modifications shown along the way.
Easy #2 (Light Intensity) - Enjoy this light intensity exercise routine for every level and ability, with modifications shown along the way.
Medium #1 (Medium Intensity) - Enjoy this medium intensity exercise routine for every level and ability, with modifications shown along the way.
Medium #2 (Medium Intensity) - Enjoy this medium intensity exercise routine for every level and ability, with modifications shown along the way.
Hard #1 (Advanced Intensity) - Enjoy this advanced intensity exercise routine for every level and ability, with modifications shown along the way.
Hard #2 (Advanced Intensity) - Enjoy this advanced intensity exercise routine for every level and ability, with modifications shown along the way.
Yoga - Join Erin Sullivan, NP and Lauren Winters, NP, a certified yoga instructor, as they guide you through this yoga video designed for every level and ability.
Cardio Dance - Enjoy this cardio dance workout video for every level and ability, with modifications along the way.
Staying Connected, Healthy, and Energized during COVID-19 and Beyond
Staying Connected, Healthy, and Energized during COVID-19 and Beyond is a 6-part webinar series presented by the Lifestyle Medicine Clinic. Each session is hosted by an expert clinician from various fields such as oncology, psychology, and nutrition, and will equip you with the tools to set achievable goals during this challenging time.
This session provides an introduction to Lifestyle Medicine and then focuses on the benefits of exercise and ways to stay active during COVID-19.
In this session, we review evidence-based nutrition recommendations for cancer survivors, and discuss how food can be used to strengthen your body during treatment and beyond.
In this session, we review the fundamentals of healthy sleep, tips for promoting restful sleep, and show you some ways to practice these tips in your nightly routine!
Feeling like your social network has taken a back seat during this time of social distancing? In this session we talk about ways to make the most of these limitations and stay safe while maintaining your social well-being.
In this session we present the science behind stress and its impact on chronic health and learn tools to reduce your response to stress.
This session provides an overview of healthy behaviors and coping strategies to keep you going strong with your healthy habits during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Supportive Care Services
Our support programs can help patients and their families cope with the challenges of a cancer diagnosis.
The Story Project
The Story Project is our effort to capture the stories from the people in our Mass General Cancer Center community.
Contact the Lifestyle Medicine Clinic
The Lifestyle Medicine Clinic provides personalized consultations for any patient with cancer or a history of cancer who wants to improve their physical fitness, nutrition, quality of life or cancer prognosis.