WATER EXERCISE COMPARED TO LAND EXERCISE OR STANDARD CARE IN FEMALE CANCER SURVIVORS WITH SECONDARY LYMPHEDEMA

Abstract

There are few studies showing thatphysical exercise can improve secondarylymphedema. We hypothesized that waterexercise would be more effective than landexercise in reducing limb volume. Secondaryobjectives were joint movement, BMI, dailyfunction, well-being, and body image. Limbvolume was measured with circumference orwas volumetric. Well-being and body imagewere measured with a study-specific questionnaireand daily function with DASH andHOOS questionnaires. Eighty-eight eligiblepatients with secondary lymphedema afterbreast or gynecological cancer participated inthis controlled clinical intervention study.There was a higher proportion of women whoparticipated in water exercises who reducedtheir secondary arm limb volume (p=0.029),and there were also significant differences forBMI (p=0.047) and self-reported frequency ofswelling (p=0.031) in the water exercise groupafter intervention. Women with arm lymphedemain the land exercise group improvedDASH scores (p=0.047) and outer rotation inthe shoulder (p=0.001). Our results suggestthat to reduce objective and self-reportedswelling, lymphedema patients may be offeredwater exercise training while to improve dailyshoulder function, land exercises arepreferred. To guide female cancer survivorswith lymphedema to effective exerciseresulting in reduced limb volume andimproved function, adequate evidenced-basedprograms are needed.