Mirror therapy effect on shoulder pain and disability and quality of life of mastectomy women: a randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Purpose

To investigate mirror therapy (MT) influence on shoulder pain/disability and quality of life in mastectomy women.

Materials and methods

Sixty unilateral mastectomy women were recruited and randomly assigned to an MT group (N = 30) or a sham therapy (ST) (N = 30). Women in the MT and ST group attended a nurse-led, unsupervised, 30 min a day, five days a week, and at home training program for three weeks with and without a mirror, respectively. Shoulder pain and disability scale and QOL outcomes were assessed at baseline and 3 months after intervention.

Results

Shoulder pain and disability were significantly improved in the MT group but there was not meaningful difference between groups in the EORTC-QOL scales except for some functional scores of QLQ-BR23 scale in the MT group after 3 months follow-up.

Conclusions

Nurses should instruct MT as a rehabilitation program to mastectomy patients during or after hospitalization to reduce their post-op shoulder pain and disability. This intervention may have also positive impact on their self-care outcomes. It is recommended that further studies should be performed with nurse-supervised exercises, a validated tool for measuring QOL for a long period after surgery, and a longer follow-up period at least for 6 months.

Implication for rehabilitation

• This study aimed to investigate whether an unsupervised, nurse-led mirror therapy (MT) can alleviate shoulder pain and disability of mastectomy patients and improve their quality of life.

• Our findings indicated that nurse-led MT as a novel rehabilitation option for mastectomy patients, may reduce shoulder pain and disability even after long period after the surgery.

• Rehabilitation centers can equip rooms for MT so breast cancer women can use it immediately after mastectomy.

• Mirror therapy can be used as a rehabilitation method for mastectomy patients because it is easy-to-use, inexpensive, and without the need to attend a rehabilitation center.

• Rehabilitation centers can provide mirrors along with nursing instructions to women who want to use this method at home.

Keywords:

• Mirror therapy
• shoulder pain and disability
• unilateral mastectomy
• EORTC QLQ-BR23
• EORTC-QLQ C-30

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all women who participated in this study and their sincere cooperation especially during Covid-19 era. URL address to this study is: IRCT20200421047161N1.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper.

Additional information

Funding

The study was funded by Vice-Chancellor for Research and Technology, Kerman University of Medical Science (No. 99000105).