Pain and mobility issues commonly occur following breast cancer surgery and often persist despite use of pain medication and physical therapy. Our study sought to determine the value of myofascial massage to address these pain and mobility limitations. The results were recently published in the International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.
The randomized-controlled trial took place at a clinical massage spa Rocky River and enrolled 21 women with persistent pain and mobility limitations 3 to 18 months following breast surgery. Intervention patients received myofascial massages and control patients received relaxation massages twice a week for eight weeks. We found that intervention patients had greater reductions in pain and improved mobility compared to the control group. We anticipate expanding this trial as we prepare to receive an RO1 from the NIH this fall.