Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 20, 2025
Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Breast Cancer-related Lymphedema
Published on: January 12, 2017
Cardio-Respiratory, Functional and Antalgic Effects of the Integrated Thermal Care Protocol After Breast Cancer
Giovanni Barassi1,2, Stefania Spina3, Francesco D'Alessandro1
1Castelnuovo della Daunia Thermal Medicine Center, 71034 Castelnuovo della Daunia, Italy.
Background:
In the cardio-respiratory rehabilitation field, thermal medicine represents an interesting complementary therapy approach. It can aid in complex medical contexts characterized by cardio-respiratory deficiency, functional limitation, and pain determined by the invasiveness of pharmacological and surgical treatments in combination with limited post-surgical physical activity.
Methods:
We investigated the evolution of cardio-respiratory and functional performances following the application of the Integrated Thermal Care (ITC) protocol in 11 mastectomized/quadrantectomized women (mean age of 54 years). The ITC protocol consisted of hydroponic treatments, steam inhalations treatment, hydrokinesitherapy, and manual treatments. Patients were assessed before and after a cycle of 1 h long treatment sessions, which were performed 5 days a week for 4 weeks. The outcomes were measured through the following scales and tests: Piper Fatigue Scale (PIPER), 6-Minute Walking Test (6MWT), Five Times Sit-to-Stand (5STS), Range of Arm Motion (ROM), Disability of the Arm-Shoulder-Hand Scale (DASH), and Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS).
Results:
We found appreciable improvements in cardio-respiratory efficiency and in pain perception exemplified by a reduction of PIPER, 5STS, DASH, and NPRS values together with an increase in 6MWT and ROM values.
Conclusions:
We conclude that ITC is a promising rehabilitative tool to enhance cardio-respiratory and functional performance and reduce pain after mastectomy/quadrantectomy.
