Effectiveness of individualized physical rehabilitation programs on post-mastectomy pain in breast cancer survivors

Abstract

IntroductionThe aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of individualized physical rehabilitation programs targeted at reducing post-mastectomy pain in breast cancer survivors.MethodsOverall, 115 women with post-mastectomy pain were enrolled. The subjects had undergone surgical treatment and adjuvant radiation therapy for breast cancer. They were randomly assigned for the first (group A, <i>n</i> = 45), second (group B, <i>n</i> = 40), and third individualized physical rehabilitation program (group C, <i>n</i> = 30). The first program included aqua aerobics (aqua jogging, aqua building, aqua stretching), conditional swimming, and recreational aerobics; the second program included conditional swimming and Pilates exercises; the third program included yoga-based exercises and stretching. All participants received 140 sessions of rehabilitation intervention during the year and were evaluated at the beginning of the study, at 6, and at 12 months.ResultsIt was observed that most of the investigated pain characteristics in all studied groups steadily improved during the year of rehabilitation. After 6 months of rehabilitation, the average value of cognitive quality of pain was statistically higher in group C compared with group A by 0.43 points (<i>p</i> < 0.01).ConclusionsThe findings suggest that the first individualized physical rehabilitation program brought about the greatest pain reduction in the affected breast and upper extremity in breast cancer survivors of the studied groups.