The aim of this study will be to determine the effectiveness of a physical therapy program which is based on cervical motor control exercises in long-term breast cancer survivors in order to improve their motor control and its possible impact on pain, mood state and quality of life.
Background: Breast cancer is becoming a common disease; however survival rates have improved throughout the last years. As a result, this also means that breast cancer survivors suffer side effects concerning the disease itself and treatments, as it is the case of certain kinds of pain. It is known that 80% of breast cancer survivors suffer this even 5 years after the completion of treatment and this impairment can be associated with a high tendency towards depression, cardiorespiratory deconditioning and even altered cervical control motor. Aim: To determine the effectiveness of a physical therapy program based on cervical motor control training in order to improve motor control, mood state and quality of life. Methods: Fifty-two long-term breast cancer survivors will be allocated to experimental group (n=26) or control group (n=26). The experimental group will receive a nine-week tailored exercise training focused on cervical motor control. Discussion: There is a lack of knowledge about effective interventions when it comes to deal with altered motor control pattern of cervical area in long-term breast cancer survivors. Therefore, it is necessary to study the impact of this novel approach to improve quality of life in this population.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Intervention will consist in a tailored exercise training following a previous published motor control protocol
University of Granada
Granada, Spain
Neck Disability Index (NDI)
It is self-administered questionnaire to test neck pain interference in daily activities. It contains 10 items
Time frame: Participants will be followed over 9 weeks
Craniocervical Flexion Test (CCFT)
It is used to assess deficit of cervical motor pattern
Time frame: Participants will be followed over 9 weeks
Algometry
Pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) will be assessed using an electronic algometer (Somedic AB, Farsta, Sweden)
Time frame: Participants will be followed over 9 weeks
Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)
It is used to assess subjective pain. It contains scores in the range of 0 to 10 (0 = 'no pain'; 10 = 'worst imaginable pain'). Participants will have to mark the level of pain that they feel in that moment for neck-shoulders areas
Time frame: Participants will be followed over 9 weeks
Scale for Mood Assessment
It is used to assess 4 moods: anxiety, anger-hostility, sadness-depression, and happiness. It contains 16 items
Time frame: Participants will be followed over 9 weeks
European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) version 3.0
It is used to asses quality of life. It contains 30 items with both multi-item scales and single-item measures
Time frame: Participants will be followed over 9 weeks
European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Breast Cancer-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-BR23)
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It is a breast cancer module of EORTC QLQ-C30. This module contains 23 items assessing disease symptoms, side effects of treatment, body image, sexual functioning, and future perspective
Time frame: Participants will be followed over 9 weeks
Minnesota Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire (MLTPAQ)
It is used to calculate energy expenditure for leisure time physical activity
Time frame: Participants will be followed over 9 weeks
International Fitness Scale (IFIS)
It is used to assess perceived patients' overall fitness, cardio-respiratory fitness, muscular fitness, speed-agility and flexibility
Time frame: Participants will be followed over 9 weeks