Effect of miofascial massage on pain on proprioception of women after modified radical mastectomy

Abstract

Introduction: breast cancer, among malignant neoplasms, has been responsible for the highest mortality rates in the world. Several problems can be related to the surgery, such as pain and changes in sensitivity, which are responsible for a higher myofascial strain that reduces the amplitude of movements – being directly related to proprioception. Objectives: to analyze the acute effect of an indirect management of the connective tissue on the pain and proprioception of women subjected to modified radical mastectomy. Method: this research is of the quasi-experimental type, with pre- and post-test, with a sample composed of women aged between 40 and 72 years. The following assessments were performed: socio-demographic questionnaire; Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire; pain analog scale and a kinesimeter for the proprioception assessment. After this, the women underwent myofascial massage. In the data analysis, we conducted the Shapiro-Wilk test for normality. For symmetric data, we used paired T-test, and the Wilcoxon for asymmetric data. Results: 12 women participated in the research. The results showed a reduction in the averages, which were not statistically significant in relation to pain and proprioception, and to indirect pre- and post-management of the connective tissue. Conclusion: we found no improvement in pain and proprioception after myofascial massage in mastectomized women.