Abstract
BackgroundWe aimed to evaluate the effect of an 8-week yoga intervention on the shoulder and spinal actions of women with breast cancer-related arm lymphoedema.MethodA randomised controlled pilot trial. The intervention group (n = 12) completed eight weeks of daily yoga sessions while the control group (n = 11) continued with best current care including information on compression sleeves, skin care, risks of temperature variations and recommended safe use of affected arm. Lumbo-pelvic posture, range of motion (ROM) in the shoulder and spine, and strength in shoulder and pectoral major and minor, and serratus anterior were taken at baseline, week 8 and after a 4-week follow-up. Outcome assessors were blinded to allocation.ResultsAt week eight the intervention group had an improvement in lumbo-pelvic posture, as indicated by a reduction in pelvic obliquity compared to the control group (mean difference = −8.39°, 95 % CI: −15.64 to −1.13°, p = 0.023). A secondary finding was that strength in shoulder abduction significantly increased following the yoga intervention in both the affected (9.5 kg; CI: 0.34 to 18.66, p = 0.042) and non-affected arm (11.58 kg; CI: 0.25 to 22.91; p = 0.045). There were no significant between group changes in any ROM measures as a result of the yoga intervention.ConclusionThis pilot study demonstrates that participation in yoga may provide benefits for posture and strength in women with Breast Cancer Related Lymphoedema. The improvements may be attributed to the focus of yoga on overall postural and functional movement patterns. Further trials with longer intervention that follow this methodology are warranted.Trial registrationThe Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12611000202965.
Highlights
We aimed to evaluate the effect of an 8-week yoga intervention on the shoulder and spinal actions of women with breast cancer-related arm lymphoedema
From 59 potential participants who expressed an interest in the study, 28 consented and underwent baseline testing with 15 randomised to the yoga intervention and 13 to the usual care control
Five participants withdrew due to adverse events unrelated to the yoga intervention during the eight-week intervention period while another four withdrew between the end of the intervention and the follow up measurement (Fig. 1)
Summary
We aimed to evaluate the effect of an 8-week yoga intervention on the shoulder and spinal actions of women with breast cancer-related arm lymphoedema. Impairment of the affected arm is evident in loss of shoulder range of motion (ROM) and strength [4] and changed bio-mechanics of the shoulder girdle, all leading to loss of symmetry between sides [5, 6]. These constraints produce difficulty with daily activities including household chores, driving, hobbies, carrying items and activities which require fine motor coordination of the hand [7]. Exercise interventions for women with BCRL have resulted in increased shoulder ROM [9], strength [10] and improved QOL [9], indicating that physical therapies may improve upper body morbidity [11]
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