Effect of Resisted Deep Breathing and Myofascial Release in Postmastectomy

May 4, 2026 updated by: Riphah International University

Combined Effect of Resisted Deep Breathing and Myofascial Release on Pain, Respiratory Efficiency, Chest Mobility and Lymph Edema in Postmastectomy

This study aims to determine the combined effect of resisted deep breathing and Myofascial release on pain, respiratory efficiency, chest mobility and lymph edema in Postmastectomy.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The study will be randomized controlled trial and will conducted in Shokat Khanam hospital and Anmol cancer hospital. Non-probability convenience sampling technique will be used and 48 participants will be recruited in study after randomization. The subjects will be divided into two group. Group A will receive myofascial release. Group B will receive myofascial release with resisted deep breathing. Both Group will receive Baseline treatment which is including transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. The total duration of treatment will be 12 weeks and there will be 2 sessions each week. The tools that will be used are Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) for pain, Circumferential limb measurements for chest mobility or lymph edema and Spirometer for respiratory efficiency. After data collection will be analyzed by using SPSS version 21.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
48

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Punjab Province
      • Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 6400
        • Recruiting
        • Riphah medical center
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • amara eman, MSPT(WH)

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Radiation therapy and chemotherapy was finished at least three months
  • 6 months after mastectomy for breast cancer being diagnosed without lymphedema or with stage 1 lymphedema
  • Complete unilateral Mastectomy
  • pain and having one or more of the following symptoms: heaviness, numbness, oppression, stiffness, alterations in the function, or mobility of the limited shoulder range of motion.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Presence of shoulder pathologies for which surgical indications exist
  • Musculoskeletal injury in adjacent areas (shoulder or neck etc.)
  • bilateral surgery for the treatment of breast cancer
  • Bilateral lymphadenectomy
  • Open wounds on upper limbs
  • Circulatory disorders
  • History of shoulder surgery for reasons other than breast cancer.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Resisted Deep Breathing & Myofascial release
Myofascial release is a hands-on therapy aimed at relieving pain and tightness in the fascia, the connective tissue surrounding muscles, by targeting trigger points and stiff areas and Resisted Deep Breathing (RDB) is a physiotherapy breathing technique used to improve respiratory muscle strength, lung expansion, and ventilation efficiency
Other: Resisted Deep Breathing
The total duration of treatment will be 12 weeks and there will be 2 sessions each week
Other: Myofascial release
The total duration of treatment will be 12 weeks and there will be 2 sessions each week
Active Comparator: Myofascial release
Myofascial release is a hands-on therapy aimed at relieving pain and tightness in the fascia, the connective tissue surrounding muscles, by targeting trigger points and stiff areas
Other: Myofascial release
The total duration of treatment will be 12 weeks and there will be 2 sessions each week

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Spirometer
Time Frame: 12th week
The evaluation of pulmonary function will be performed using conventional spirometry with a Spirobank USB spirometer (Medical International Research, Rome, Italy). The directly measured parameters will include lung volumes, capacities, and flow rates, assessed through the procedures of slow vital capacity (SVC), forced vital capacity (FVC), and maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV), performed in this order
12th week
Circumferential limb measurements
Time Frame: 12th week
In the proposed study, upper limb volume will be measured using circumference measurements. The anatomical positions of the arm will be selected at 7 cm intervals, including the wrist (the slenderest part), 7 cm above the wrist (lower arm), 7 cm below the elbow (lower arm), at the elbow, 7 cm above the elbow (upper arm), and at the same level as the axilla (upper arm). To minimize measurement error, all measurements will be taken at a constant pressure, with participants seated in a position where the hips and knees are bent at 90 degrees.
12th week
Numerical pain rating scale (NPRS)
Time Frame: 12th week
Subjective pain will be measured using the Numerical pain Rating Scale (NPRS), which is the simplest and most commonly used pain assessment tool. Patients will be asked to mark a point on a line ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain) to indicate their pain intensity.
12th week
Chest Mobility
Time Frame: 12th week
Chest circumference at maximal voluntary inspiration (insp) and maximal voluntary expiration (expir), as well as chest expansion (CE) calculated as the difference between insp and expir will be measured in a sitting position using a tape marked in 0.1 cm increments at the level of the fourth intercostal space. Participants will be instructed about the procedure and asked to exhale fully and hold for expir, and inhale deeply and hold for insp. The highest insp and lowest expir values from three attempts will be recorded, and their difference will represent chest expansion
12th week

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Riphah International University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: hina gul, PhD*, Riphah International University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

  • Vijayakumar C, Jain A, Kalaranjani M, Kumbhar US, Kumar AN, Sreenath GJSQUMJ. Effectiveness of Myofascial Release Compared to Manual Lymphatic Drainage in Reducing Post-Treatment Shoulder Pain and Stiffness Among Patients Who Underwent Breast Cancer Surgery and Adjuvant Radiotherapy: Randomised controlled trial. 2025;25(1):328-35.
  • Sun R, Liao Y. The impact of combined Gua Sha and myofascial release techniques on upper limb dysfunction in patients with breast cancer and axillary web syndrome: a prospective case series study. Supportive Care in Cancer. 2025;33(4):270
  • Lara-Palomo IC, Castro-Sánchez AM, Córdoba-Peláez MM, Albornoz-Cabello M, Ortiz-Comino LJIJoER, Health P. Effect of myofascial therapy on pain and functionality of the upper extremities in breast cancer survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis. 2021;18(9):4420.
  • Yena K, Eun YP, Haneul LJEJop, Medicine r. The effect of myofascial release in patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema: a cross-over randomized controlled trial. 2023;59(1):85.
  • AMANY RAW, FATMA SA, NANCY HA, ASHRAF EEJTMJoCU. Effect of Resisted Deep Breathing on Post Mastectomy Lymphedema. 2024;91(12):1443-8.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 4, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 4, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 8, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 8, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 4, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • REC/RCR & AHS/25/0507

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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