Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Physical Therapy Department, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Abiverdi 1, Chamran Blvd, P.O. Box: 71345-1733, Shiraz, Iran.
BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2022 Sep 3;23(1):837. doi: 10.1186/s12891-022-05780-1.
We evaluated the effects of combined complex decongestive therapy (CDT) with electrotherapy modalities (ultrasound and faradic currents) in patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL), investigating upper extremity circumference, volume, pain, and functional disability.
Thirty-nine patients with unilateral BCRL were randomly allocated to three groups (n = 13) as the following: The control group received CDT, the ultrasound group received CDT and therapeutic ultrasound, and the faradic group received CDT and faradic current. All the participants underwent treatment for 10 sessions. The outcomes including volume, circumference (measured at five points), pain intensity, and functional disability of the affected upper extremity were evaluated at baseline and after the treatment.
Following the treatment, an improvement was noted in lymphedema volume, pain, and functional disability in all the three groups and there was a significant difference between the groups (P < 0.05). However, changes in limb circumference at the end of the treatment were not significantly different among the three groups in any sites (P > 0.05).
The combination of electrotherapy modalities, faradic current or ultrasound, with CDT can result in a greater reduction in lymphedema volume, pain, and functional disability in patients with BCRL.
IRCT, IRCT201310292391N14, registered 03/01/2016.
我们评估了联合综合消肿疗法（CDT）与电疗模式（超声和感应电流）对乳腺癌相关淋巴水肿（BCRL）患者的影响，研究了上肢周长、体积、疼痛和功能障碍。
39 例单侧 BCRL 患者随机分为三组（每组 13 例）：对照组接受 CDT，超声组接受 CDT 和治疗性超声，感应电流组接受 CDT 和感应电流。所有参与者均接受 10 次治疗。在基线和治疗后评估体积、周长（在五个点测量）、疼痛强度和受累上肢的功能障碍等结果。
三组患者在接受治疗后，淋巴水肿体积、疼痛和功能障碍均有改善，且组间差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。然而，在任何部位，治疗结束时肢体周长的变化在三组之间均无显著差异（P>0.05）。
电疗模式（感应电流或超声）与 CDT 的联合应用可使 BCRL 患者的淋巴水肿体积、疼痛和功能障碍得到更大程度的减轻。
IRCT，IRCT201310292391N14，注册于 2016 年 3 月 1 日。
