Comparison of Structured Exercise Program and Aerobic Exercise on Reducing Pain in Females with Cyclic Mastalgia

Abstract

Background: Cyclic mastalgia is described as pain occurring in the breast that begins before menstruation andsubsides with the onset of the menstrual cycle. Studies indicate the usage of yoga, LASER and various otherpharmacological methods for treating cyclic mastalgia. There is inadequate literature to report the effect ofexercises on cyclic mastalgia.Purpose: To compare the effect of structured exercise program and aerobic exercise on reducing pain in femaleswith cyclic mastalgia.Materials and Methods: In phase 1, the prevalence of cyclic mastalgia was analyzed using premenstrual syndromescale from a private institute. In phase 2, a total of 52 subjects were selected from phase 1 based on the inclusionand exclusion criteria and were divided randomly into two groups, where group A (n = 26) received structuredexercises and group B (n = 26) received aerobic exercises, along with breast massage and advice on usage ofproperly fitting brassiere for both the groups. NPRS and Cardiff breast pain charts were used as outcome measures.Results: In phase 1, percentage calculation was used to determine the prevalence. In phase 2, t test analysis andnon-parametric tests were used for post intervention analysis. Both groups have shown a significant reduction inseverity and duration of breast pain, but the difference was higher in group A.Conclusion: In phase 1, the prevalence of cyclic mastalgia was 69%. In phase 2, structured exercise protocol wasmore effective in reducing pain in females with cyclic mastalgia when compared with aerobic exercise.