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Clinical Trials/NCT02735668
NCT02735668
Completed
Not Applicable

Is Multimodal Physiotherapy More Effective Than Exercise Alone in Women With Peripheral Persistent Pain Following Breast Cancer Treatment? A Single-blinded Randomized Clinical Trial

University of Alcala1 site in 1 country90 target enrollmentApril 1, 2016

Overview

Phase
Not Applicable
Intervention
Shoulder Conventional Exercises
Conditions
Shoulder Pain
Sponsor
University of Alcala
Enrollment
90
Locations
1
Primary Endpoint
Pain Intensity
Status
Completed
Last Updated
last month

Overview

Brief Summary

The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a multimodal physiotherapy intervention including scapula exercises in addition to deep dry needling and neurodynamic techniques versus scapula exercises only versus conventional shoulder exercises on pain intensity, perceived disability, scapula muscle activity and health-related quality of life.

Detailed Description

Introduction: chronic shoulder pain is a frequent consequence after breast cancer treatment with a reported prevalence of 25% to 60% and is commonly termed "Persistent Pain after Breast Cancer Treatment" (PPBCT). Frequently, PPBCT includes neuropathic pain due to damage of neural tissue during surgery. However, recent studies, consider that myofascial pain syndrome and heightened mechanosensitivity of neural tissue can be also present in this women. Although PPBCT is typically managed with pharmacological treatment,currently, physiotherapy is presented as an alternative method. Physiotherapy in relation to the shoulder, commonly, focuses its treatment with therapeutic exercise. In this sense, there is great controversy about which are the most appropriate exercises. Recent authors, bet for more precise and analytical exercises in relation with scapula and reject conventional exercises for the shoulder. Taking into account each of the sources of pain presented by these women and the benefits of therapeutic exercise, it would be interesting to study which approach of physiotherapy treatment would be more appropriate in these women. Subjects and methods: A randomized clinical trial, the examiner being blinded unaware of the intervention group to which subjects were assigned. Participants will be randomly assigned to three groups: An experimental group, where the participants will be treated with Multimodal Physiotherapy; Another experimental group where will be realized Scapular Exercises only; And a third group where will be done Shoulder Conventional Exercises. Pre- intervention, immediate post-intervention, 3, and 6 months assessments will be made. The selection criteria will be: women with peripheral persistent pain following breast cancer treatment (surgery and/or radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy) with pain for at least 6 months. The participants must understand and sign freely Informed Consent. Sample size: 30 women for each group. Data Analysis: A descriptive analysis of all variables will be performed. It will be established for all cases a confidence level of 95% (p \<0.05). The effectiveness will be assessed by comparing the experienced change of the three goups in outcome variables between physicaltherapy examinations.

Registry
clinicaltrials.gov
Start Date
April 1, 2016
End Date
April 1, 2022
Last Updated
last month
Study Type
Interventional
Study Design
Parallel
Sex
Female

Investigators

Sponsor
University of Alcala
Responsible Party
Principal Investigator
Principal Investigator

Virginia Prieto Gómez

Research Expert of Healthcare (Msc)

University of Alcala

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

  • Women with peripheral persistent pain following breast cancer treatment (surgery and/or radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy) with pain for at least 6 months.
  • Women who do not present contraindications for physiotherapy (infection, metastasis, locoregional recurrence).
  • Women who have read, understood and signed informed consent freely

Exclusion Criteria

  • Women treated with bilateral breast cancer.
  • Women with shoulder pain episodes prior to breast cancer treatment.
  • Women with predominant central sensitization pain identified by the Central Sensitization Inventory (\> 40 points)
  • Women with cognitive limitations to understand the information provided, instructions for treatment and consent to their participation in the study.

Arms & Interventions

Shoulder Conventional Exercises

The protocol consists in: * Flexibility and Strengthening Exercises of the shoulder muscles conventionally performed in shoulder pathology treatment. * Therapeutic Education about chronic shoulder pain. The treatment duration is 1 day per week during 6 weeks.

Intervention: Shoulder Conventional Exercises

Shoulder Conventional Exercises

The protocol consists in: * Flexibility and Strengthening Exercises of the shoulder muscles conventionally performed in shoulder pathology treatment. * Therapeutic Education about chronic shoulder pain. The treatment duration is 1 day per week during 6 weeks.

Intervention: Therapeutic Education

Multimodal Physiotherapy

The protocol consists in: * Dry Needling in active myofascial trigger points. * Neurodynamic techniques. * Scapular exercises. * Therapeutic Education about chronic shoulder pain. The treatment duration is 1 day per week during 6 weeks.

Intervention: Multimodal Physiotherapy

Multimodal Physiotherapy

The protocol consists in: * Dry Needling in active myofascial trigger points. * Neurodynamic techniques. * Scapular exercises. * Therapeutic Education about chronic shoulder pain. The treatment duration is 1 day per week during 6 weeks.

Intervention: Scapular exercises

Multimodal Physiotherapy

The protocol consists in: * Dry Needling in active myofascial trigger points. * Neurodynamic techniques. * Scapular exercises. * Therapeutic Education about chronic shoulder pain. The treatment duration is 1 day per week during 6 weeks.

Intervention: Therapeutic Education

Scapular exercises

The protocol consists in: * Scapular exercises * Therapeutic Education about chronic shoulder pain. The treatment duration is 1 day per week during 6 weeks.

Intervention: Scapular exercises

Scapular exercises

The protocol consists in: * Scapular exercises * Therapeutic Education about chronic shoulder pain. The treatment duration is 1 day per week during 6 weeks.

Intervention: Therapeutic Education

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Pain Intensity

Time Frame: Change from baseline VAS at after 9 physical therapy sessions, 3 and 6 months after baseline assessments will be require

Visual analogue scale (VAS).100 mm horizontal with pain descriptors marked "no pain" on the left side or "worst imaginable pain".

Secondary Outcomes

  • Health-related quality of life(At baseline, after 9 physical therapy sessions, 3 and 6 months after baseline assessments were required.)
  • Pain and Disability(At baseline, after 9 physical therapy sessions, 3 and 6 months after baseline assessments were required.)
  • Root-Mean-Square (RMS) EMG Amplitude(At baseline, after 9 physical therapy sessions, 3 and 6 months after baseline assessments were required.)
  • Onset EMG(At baseline, after 9 physical therapy sessions, 3 and 6 months after baseline assessments were required.)
  • Myofascial Pain Syndrome. Active myofascial trigger points of the muscles involved in shoulder. Travell and Simon's Criteria were used.(At baseline, after 9 physical therapy sessions, 3 and 6 months after baseline assessments were required.)

Study Sites (1)

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