German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; Düsseldorf
Doi
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the reduction in volume of arm lymphedema secondary to breast cancer therapy utilizing an exercise facilitating device. Twenty-one women with arm lymphedema resulting from the surgical and radiotherapeutic treatment of breast cancer were randomly selected. Evaluation was made by water-displacement volumetry before and after each session. The patients were submitted to a series of active exercises using a facilitating device for four 12-minute sessions with intervals of 3 minutes between sessions in the sitting position with alignment of the spinal column. The lymphedematous arm was maintained under compression using a cotton-polyester sleeve. The active exercising device used was a mobile flexion bar fixed on a metal base at a height of 30 cm from the tabletop and at a distance of 10 cm from the patient's body. The paired t-test was utilized for statist ica l analysis with an alpha error of 5% (p-value er Irrtumswahrscheinlichkeit von 5% (p 2.023,0 ml mit einer mittleren Flüssigkeitsverdrängung von 66,9 ml (p<=0,001).Die aktive Übung mit einem einfachen Gerät kann eine signifikante Reduktion des Lymphoedems der Arme bewirken