Body posture in the sagittal plane in post-mastectomy women, who take active part in physical rehabilitation

Abstract

The body posture, just like health, never stays the same. It changes in the ontogenetic process and the changes are often determined by internal (disease) and external factors (injury). Undoubtedly, breast cancer, its negative consequences and the treatment affect body posture of post-mastectomy women. The aim of this study was to evaluate body posture of women after mastectomy participating in the kinetic rehabilitation treatment for two years. The examined group consisted of 23 women after mastectomy who took part in the physiotherapeutic treatment twice a week for two years. Their body posture was assessed by means of the photogrammetric method. All the subjects were examined fi ve times, every six months. The results were then statistically analysed (non-parametric tests: Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test, Spearman rank correlation test and Friedman ANOVA test). This study confi rms the necessity for regular and constant rehabilitation treatment after mastectomy, regardless of the time elapsed since the operation.