Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37950230›Full record

Trial reportBMC women's health2023

Comparative effects of lymphatic drainage and soft tissue mobilization on pain threshold, shoulder mobility and quality of life in patients with axillary web syndrome after mastectomy.

Tahniyat Amir Meer, Rabiya Noor, Muhammad Salman Bashir, Mehwish Ikram

2 registry-linked trialsOpen access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC women's health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 10% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT05463185 naunknown statusnot on this map

Effects Of Lymphatic Drainage With And Without Soft Tissue Mobilization On Pain Threshold, Shoulder Mobility And Quality Of Life In Patients With Axillary Web Syndrome.

TypeinterventionalSponsorRiphah International UniversityRan2022 to 2023Enrolled20ConditionsAxillary Web SyndromeArmsStretching exercises, Soft tissue mobilization
NCT07266623 nanot yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Effects of Muscle Energy Techniques With and Without Manual Axial Distraction on Pain, Range of Motion Anf Functional Outcomes in Post-Mastectomy Patients With Axillary Web Syndrome

TypeinterventionalSponsorLahore University of Biological and Applied SciencesRan2025 to 2026Enrolled58ConditionsAxillary Web Syndrome, Post-mastectomyArmsMuscle energy technique + Manual axial distraction, Muscle energy technique
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Sono-Anatomy and Histology of the Deep Fasciae in the Upper Limb.Journal of ultrasound in medicine : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine · 2026
    Review
  3. Evaluation of The Spurgeon MethodInternational journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2026
    Article
  4. Protocol to improve quality of life, functionality, and exercise capacity in patients with axillary web syndrome after breast cancer: a randomized clinical trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Article
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Tahniyat Amir MeerFaculty of Rehabilitation and Allied Health Sciences, Riphah International University, Lahore Campus, Lahore, Pakistan.
Rabiya NoorFaculty of Rehabilitation and Allied Health Sciences, Riphah International University, Lahore Campus, Lahore, Pakistan.
Muhammad Salman BashirSchool of Health Sciences, University of Management and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan.
Mehwish IkramFaculty of Rehabilitation and Allied Health Sciences, Riphah International University, Lahore Campus, Lahore, Pakistan. mehwish.physicaltherapist@gmail.com.
Riphah International University · PKUniversity of Management and Technology · PK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe purpose was to compare the effects of manual lymphatic drainage and soft tissue mobilization on pain threshold, shoulder mobility and quality of life in patients with axillary web syndrome.

methodsThis randomized clinical trial was conducted on 36 breast cancer patients with developed axillary web; participants were randomly divided into two groups. One group was treated with manual lymphatic drainage; the other group was treated with soft tissue mobilizations in addition to therapeutic exercises, i.e., stretching, strengthening and range of motion (ROM) exercises. The duration of treatment was four weeks (5 sessions/week), with therapeutic exercises as a common treatment protocol. Outcome measures were Breast-Cancer specific quality of life questionnaires, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH), Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Patient Specific Functional Scale (PSFS), Dynamometer and Goniometer. All outcome measure readings were recorded at baseline and the end (4th week) of the treatment.

resultsThe compliance of the variable distribution with normal distribution was verified using the Shaphiro-Wilk test. Parametric tests were applied, and both groups showed significant effects (p < 0.05) in pairwise comparison (paired t-test). The comparison group analysis (independent t-test) showed that there was no significant difference in pain, upper limb strength, range of motions and fatigue component of quality of life questionnaire parameters (p > 0.05). Two parameters (DASH, PSFS) and one component of the quality of life questionnaire (global health) showed a significant difference (p < 0.05).

conclusionManual lymphatic drainage showed more improvement in functional movements. It was concluded that both groups, manual lymphatic drainage and soft tissue mobilization groups were clinically equally effective. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: This trial is registered at ClinicalTrial.gov PRS under trial number NCT05463185 on date 18/07/2022.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsShoulderFemaleHumansMastectomyPainPain ThresholdQuality of LifeRange of Motion, ArticularTreatment OutcomeUpper ExtremityAxillaBreast NeoplasmManual lymphatic drainageMuscle strength dynamometerMuscle stretching exercises

Identifiers

PMID37950230
PMCPMC10638722
OpenAlexW4388575977

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.