A Single Myofascial Therapy Session Improves the Neural Mechanosensitivity in Breast Cancer Survivors

Postmastectomy pain is a highly painful condition with a neuropathic origin. This condition could also be aggravated by chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Some patients respond to massage while some may not, which could be due to how patients respond to stress or attitude toward massage. A study showed that breast cancer survivors with a positive attitude toward massage influenced immunoglobulin concentration and fatigue. Still, the effect of myofascial therapy on the pain component, such as the neural mechanosensitivity derived from oncologic treatment, is lacking.

A study from Spain investigated the short-term effects of myofascial induction on mechanosensitivity of upper limb nerves.

A randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study involved 21 breast cancer survivors with stage I-IIIA cancer. They were randomly allocated to either a treatment group (30 minutes of myofascial induction session) or a placebo control group (switched off 30 minutes of shortwave therapy). The treatment had a 4-week washout period between sessions that occurred in a physical therapy laboratory in the Health Science Faculty (University of Granada, Spain).

Neural tolerance to the movement was assessed using the neurodynamic test for the median, radial, and ulnar nerves.

The results showed that

• Treatment in combination with time increased range of motion of shoulder and elbow in affected upper limb nerves, but not for nonaffected upper limb nerves.
• There is also a significant difference in sensitivity for the affected upper limb ulnar nerve in the treatment group. But the median and radial nerves of the affected and nonaffected upper limbs did not show significant changes in both treatment and control groups.
• No significant interactions on pressure pain thresholds over the nerves of the affected and nonaffected upper limb nerves.

The authors concluded that a single myofascial induction session might partially improve mechanosensitivity of the median, radial, and ulnar nerves. It produces positive effects on symptom mechanosensitivity, especially in the ulnar nerve.