Clinical trial · Interventional
Manual Lymphatic Drainage With Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises in Post Radical Mastectomy
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
Lymphedema is a persistent and chronic swelling condition that commonly develops after breast cancer surgeries involving axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). This condition causes pain, heaviness, and swelling in the upper limb, which severely limits shoulder mobility and functional performance in daily life tasks. While manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) is widely utilized to stimulate lymphatic flow and reduce tissue swelling, the added therapeutic benefit of combining it with deep breathing exercises remains less evaluated. This study is a randomized controlled trial designed to investigate whether combining diaphragmatic breathing exercises with manual lymphatic drainage is more effective than manual lymphatic drainage alone. The main goals of this study are to determine if this combined intervention provides greater reductions in arm circumference and subjective pain levels while significantly improving upper extremity range of motion and overall functional ability in female patients recovering from a radical mastectomy.
Conditions
Conditions (1)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breast Cancer Related Lymphedema | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (2)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises | Behavioral | — | UNRESOLVED |
| Manual Lymphatic Drainage | Behavioral | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (2)
- type
- ACTIVE_COMPARATOR
- label
- Group A: Control Group
- description
- This group will receive standard physical therapy management consisting of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) for 10 minutes, active range of motion exercises for the upper limb, and gentle muscle stretching, followed by 25 to 30 minutes of specialized Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD). Treatment will be administered 3 times a week for a duration of 4 weeks.
- interventionNames
- Behavioral: Manual Lymphatic Drainage
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Group B: Experimental Group
- description
- This group will receive standard baseline physical therapy management consisting of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) for 10 minutes, active range of motion exercises for the upper limb, and gentle muscle stretching, followed by 25 to 30 minutes of specialized Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD). Immediately following the manual therapy, participants will perform 2 minutes of structured diaphragmatic breathing exercises (controlled deep breathing in a semi-reclined position with a 4-second inhalation, abdominal expansion, and a 4-second exhalation phase). The complete protocol will be administered 3 times a week for a total duration of 4 weeks.
- interventionNames
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- Female
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
- Maximum age
- 65 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * Female patients aged 18 to 65 years. * Patients diagnosed with unilateral upper limb lymphedema secondary to radical mastectomy. * Patients with stage I or stage II lymphedema. * Patients who provide written informed consent to participate in the study Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with bilateral upper limb lymphedema. * Presence of active, recurrent, or metastatic cancer. * Acute skin infections or cellulitis in the affected upper extremity. * Severe cardiac conditions, congestive heart failure, or unstable deep vein thrombosis (DVT). * Patients who have undergone specialized physical therapy or manual lymphatic drainage for lymphedema within the past 3 months.
References
Publications (0)
Data not yet available