The effect of 6 weeks resistance training with Theraband on upper and lower extremity muscle isometric strength in women with breast cancer

Purpose & One of the most common side effects of breast cancer and its treatment is the decreased muscle strength. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 6 weeks resistance training with theraband on upper and lower extremity muscles isometric strength in women with breast cancer.
Fifty patients with breast cancer with age range 29-65 years, who had completed period of surgical treatment, chemotherapy and radiation treatments, at least 6 months before, were randomly divided in to two intervention and control groups. The intervention groups were performed resistance training with theraband for 6 weeks and the control group during study period just had their normal daily activities. Muscle isometric strength were measured at shoulder flexion, shoulder abduction and external rotation in the upper extremity and hip flexion, hip adduction and knee extension in lower extremity sing by Lafayette electronic manual muscle tester. The data were analyzed using by ANCOVA statistical tests (p≤ 0/05).
After six months, muscle strength for upper extremity flexion movements (p =0.04), abduction (p =0.04) and external rotation of the shoulder (p =0.00) and lower extremity flexion movements (p =0.04), hip abduction (p =0.02) and knee extension (p =0.03) was increased significantly in intervention group.
It seems that decreased muscle strength caused by cancer and its treatments, was increased by six weeks resistance training with theraband in patients with breast cancer and could be useful to improvement of muscles isometric strength in women with breast cancer.