Feasibility Trial of ScarWork for Post-breast Surgery Pain Syndrome.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United Kingdom (UK). Most women are treated with a combination of surgery and radiotherapy. While these treatments are effective, they can cause ongoing breast pain for some, which can last months or even years. This long-term pain can have a major impact on quality of life, yet it is often overlooked and not well managed in routine care. One in three women may still experience breast pain three years after treatment. The pain can come from scarring, tissue damage, or nerve changes caused by surgery and radiotherapy. Treatments for this pain are limited. Many patients are advised the pain will subside on its own or are given basic painkillers, which sometimes have limited impact. ScarWork is a light-touch manual therapy, developed in the United States and aims to improve the way scars feel and look, reduce pain and tightness, and support healing. Although it has been available in the United Kingdom since 2014, there is very little research into whether ScarWork helps people who experience pain after breast cancer treatment. This small study is a first step to see whether ScarWork could be a useful treatment for people who have experience breast pain after surgery and/or radiotherapy. The researchers want to know: * Can this therapy be delivered in an NHS setting? * Do people find it helpful? * Is it worth doing a larger trial in the future? Participants will be randomly placed in one of two groups: one group will continue with usual care, and the other will receive up to five sessions of ScarWork in addition to usual care. Everyone in the study will be asked to complete short questionnaires about their pain and other symptoms, before and after treatment, and again one month later. Participants will also be invited to talk about their experiences in a short phone or online interview. This research will help show whether ScarWork might be a useful option for people dealing with breast pain after treatment. It will also help researchers design a larger trial in the future to test ScarWork more fully.

Sex

All

Minimum age

18 Years

Inclusion Criteria:

* Over the age of 18
* Early breast cancer patients who have had breast surgery with curative intent
* Radiotherapy completed ≥ 6 months previously
* In remission with no sign of active local disease
* Registering a score of ≥3 on perceived pain intensity or pain burden on a 10-point numerical rating scale (NRS)
* English speaking and able to communicate reasonably well
* Able to give informed consent
* Willing to attend for regular treatment at RLHIM

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of post-breast surgery wound complications
* History of breast surgery unrelated to breast cancer treatment
* History of previous ScarWork therapy
* Diagnosis of lymphoedema
* Severe co-morbidities or cognitive disability
* Receiving physiotherapy for post-breast surgery pain syndrome at the time of trial