Rehability of clinical complications after breast cancer: development of a virtual reality software

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer promotes several physical functional changes. The innovative techniques of physiotherapeutic treatment, such as robotic rehabilitation, can contribute to the prevention or treatment of these complications. Objectives: Validate the virtual reality software developed and evaluate the effects on the myoelectric activity, scapular and manual force, pain, range of motion, perimetry, and quality of life of women after breast cancer surgery. Methodology: This is a longitudinal clinical study consisting of 23 women after breast cancer G1 (group virtual reality) and 23 women who did not undergo surgery due to breast cancer and constituted the GC (control group) to obtain the reference data of electromyography and dynamometry. Ten consecutive clinical attendances were held. In session 1 (S1), session 5 (S5), and session 10 (S10) the following parameters were evaluated: scapular and manual strength, myoelectric activity, pain, range of motion, lymphedema, and quality of life. Results: was obtained attenuation of the pain when comparing S1 with the S5 (p=0.0007), and S1 about S10 (p=0.003); Decrease of the circumference of the affected upper limb after 5 treatment sessions (p<0.0001), and the S5 about S10 (p=0.0002); Increased range of motion for the movements of abduction, adduction, flexion and shoulder extension, and there was a significant increase in all areas of quality of life. Regarding the analysis, electromyography increased shoulder strength GC versus G1 was observed, and changes in the mathematical characteristics analyzed, highlighting the increase in the signal amplitude for the characteristics MAV, RMS, MAVSD, MAVFDN, VAR, STD, and INTERQ RANGE of the brachial bicep muscle; however, the muscle deltoid. Previously, it presented a decrease, and the deltoid muscles were medium, and the upper trapezius did not present significant statistical values. Conclusion: Results were positive in pain mitigation, lymphedema, range of motion, increase in the recruitment of muscle fibers, and improvement of muscular synergism, factors that contributed in the improvement of the questionnaire of quality of life.