Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41272224›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Effects of a multimodal physical therapy approach on breast cancer-related lymphedema: a retrospective pre-post study.

Divya Varshini R, Mahalakshmi Venugopalan, Ashokan Arumugam, Filippo Migliorini, Nicola Maffulli, Rajkumar Kottayasamy Seenivasagam

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In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
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

6 authors.

Divya Varshini RSRM College of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Kattankulathur, 603 203, Tamil Nadu, India.
Mahalakshmi VenugopalanDepartment of Physiotherapy, Government Hospital, Madukkarai, Coimbatore, India.
Ashokan ArumugamDepartment of Physiotherapy, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, P.O. Box: 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Filippo MiglioriniDepartment of Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital of Halle, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Ernst-Grube-Street 40, 06097, Halle (Saale), Germany. filippo.migliorini@uk-halle.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7220-1221
Nicola MaffulliDepartment of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University La Sapienza, Roma, 00185, Italy.
Rajkumar Kottayasamy SeenivasagamDepartment of Surgical Oncology, PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Coimbatore, India.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Despite the availability of numerous lymphedema treatments, integrating physical therapy for breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) management has limited evidence. The objective is to evaluate the effect of a multimodal physical therapy approach in reducing upper limb (UL) lymphedema and improving shoulder range of motion (ROM) in women with BCRL. A retrospective study was conducted with 19 women diagnosed with BCRL. UL circumference and shoulder ROM were assessed before and after four weeks of therapy and showed significant improvement (p < 0.05). The mean difference between baseline and 4-week intervention was 2.11 cm for UL circumference (95% CI: 1.54, 2.68; Cohen’s d = 1.35), 46.31o for shoulder flexion (95% CI -57.5, -35.1; Cohen’s d = 1.68), 10o for shoulder extension (95% CI -13.4, -6.59; Cohen’s d = 1.74), 47.36o for shoulder abduction (95% CI -60.35, -34.38; Cohen’s d = 1.67), 18.94o for shoulder internal rotation (95% CI -24.4, -13.4; Cohen’s d = 1.37) and 16.05o for shoulder external rotation (95% CI -20.03, -12.07; Cohen’s d = 1.51). Women with BCRL showed significant improvements in lymphedema and shoulder mobility following four weeks of therapy. Further, robust randomised clinical trials are required to substantiate these findings in Indian women.

Indexed as

Breast Cancer LymphedemaBreast NeoplasmsPhysical Therapy ModalitiesAdultAgedCombined Modality TherapyFemaleHumansMiddle AgedRange of Motion, ArticularRetrospective StudiesShoulderTreatment OutcomeBreast cancer-related lymphedemaCompression garmentsIntermittent pneumatic compressionManual lymphatic drainagePhysical therapy

Identifiers

PMID41272224
PMCPMC12638769

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Registered trials

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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.