Effect of Thoracic Mobility with Breath Stacking Exercise on Chest Expansion in Postsurgery Breast Cancer Patients: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Context: Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women accounting for nearly 14% of all types of cancer for which the therapeutic procedure modified radical mastectomy is frequently performed on patients. Postsurgery patients are prone to having incision or suture site pain that will interfere with chest expansion. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of thoracic mobility exercises along with the breath stacking technique on chest expansion in breast cancer patients. Settings and Design: It was an experimental study carried out in an outpatient hospital setting. Subjects and Methods: A total of 46 participants eligible as per inclusion criteria were randomly assigned into 2 groups using a simple random sampling method. During the study period, Group A, the experimental group (n = 23), received thoracic mobility and breath stacking technique and the conventional group (n = 23) received thoracic mobility exercises alone. Pre- and postchest expansion was determined using a tape measure at the axillary and xiphisternum levels. Statistical analysis used: Data were analyzed using MS Excel on Windows 10 and usingStatistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp). Baseline data for participants in the experimental and comparison groups were summarized using descriptive statistics. Descriptive statistics included frequencies, percentages, mean, and standard deviation. Results: Chest circumference score at axillary and xiphisternum levels significantly improved in the intervention group after 4 weeks of the rehabilitation program (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The present study concludes that thoracic mobility exercises along with the breath stacking technique are beneficial for improving chest expansion in postsurgery breast cancer patients.