Exercise Therapy, Systemic Acupuncture and Silicon Oxide Tablets in the Rehabilitation of Physical and Functional Disorders in Breast Cancer Survivors: Randomized Clinical Trial.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to compare the effectiveness of acupuncture versus exercise therapy and silicon oxide tablets in improving pain, depression, upper limb function, and range of motion in women who underwent breast cancer surgery.
Results Summary
Acupuncture showed significant improvements in pain, depressive symptoms, shoulder function, and range of motion over time, but no statistical difference was found between acupuncture and the other treatments. The study did not report adverse effects or safety concerns.
Population
Seventy-nine women with post-breast cancer surgery pain (VAS > 3), of whom 67 completed the study (23 in the acupuncture group).
Effective Dosage
Not specified (only mentions treatment sessions).
Duration
Ten treatment sessions (duration per session not specified).
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
exercise therapy | decrease | pain | women undergoing breast cancer surgery | - | improvement | #1 |
acupuncture | decrease | pain | women undergoing breast cancer surgery | - | improvement | #2 |
silicon oxide tablets (Stiper®) | decrease | pain | women undergoing breast cancer surgery | - | improvement | #3 |
exercise therapy | decrease | depressive symptoms | women undergoing breast cancer surgery | - | statistically significant difference | #4 |
acupuncture | decrease | depressive symptoms | women undergoing breast cancer surgery | - | statistically significant difference | #5 |
silicon oxide tablets (Stiper®) | decrease | depressive symptoms | women undergoing breast cancer surgery | - | statistically significant difference | #6 |
exercise therapy | increase | shoulder function | women undergoing breast cancer surgery | - | significant differences | #7 |
acupuncture | increase | shoulder function | women undergoing breast cancer surgery | - | significant differences | #8 |
silicon oxide tablets (Stiper®) | increase | shoulder function | women undergoing breast cancer surgery | - | significant differences | #9 |
exercise therapy | increase | range of motion (ROM) | women undergoing breast cancer surgery | - | statistically significant difference | #10 |
acupuncture | increase | range of motion (ROM) | women undergoing breast cancer surgery | - | statistically significant difference | #11 |
silicon oxide tablets (Stiper®) | increase | range of motion (ROM) | women undergoing breast cancer surgery | - | statistically significant difference | #12 |
OBJECTIVE: To compare three rehabilitation treatments, exercise therapy, acupuncture, and silicon oxide tablets (Stiper®), in women undergoing breast cancer surgery, assessing pain, depression, upper limb function, and range of motion parameters (ROM). METHODS: Seventy-nine women with pain above 3 on the visual analog pain scale (VAS) were divided into three groups: exercise group was treated with exercise therapy, acupuncture group was treated with acupuncture, and Stiper® group was treated with silicon oxide tablets in place of needles. RESULTS: Sixty-seven patients completed the treatment, 26 from exercise group, 23 from acupuncture group, and 18 from Stiper® group . There was an improvement of pain over time in all groups, the first session compared with the fifth (p < 0.001) and with the tenth (p < 0.001), but not between groups. There was a statistically significant difference in depressive symptoms using the Beck questionnaire over time in the three groups, between the first and tenth sessions (p = 0.001), between the first and fifth sessions (p = 0.052), but not between groups. Regarding the DASH questionnaire for shoulder function, there were significant differences over time at all evaluated moments (p<0.001), but not between groups. There was a statistically significant difference in ROM over time in the three groups, but not between groups. CONCLUSION: The rehabilitation of physical dysfunctions in women who survived breast cancer through exercise therapy, acupuncture, and silicon oxide tablets in pain, depression, upper limb function, and ROM, proved to be effective, without statistical difference between the groups.