title: Aquatic exercise in a chest-high pool for hormone therapy-induced arthralgia in breast cancer survivors: a pragmatic controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the impact of aquatic exercise on pressure pain threshold in breast cancer survivors with hormone therapy-associated arthralgia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Single-blind, controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two major metropolitan hospitals and a Sport and Spa Club in Granada, Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty women aged 29-71 years with stage I-III breast cancer who reported arthralgia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were allocated alternately to either aquatic exercise in a chest-high pool or usual care while on the waiting list; control patients received treatment later. The two-month hydrotherapy intervention consisted of 24 sessions 3 days per week. Each session included 5 minutes of warm-up, 15-20 minutes of aerobic exercise, 15 minutes of mobility exercise and 20 minutes of recovery techniques.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pressure pain threshold at neck, shoulder, hand and leg were evaluated as primary outcomes. Cancer-related fatigue, as measured by the Piper Fatigue Scale, body mass index and waist circumference were secondary outcomes. A 2 × 2 repeated-measure ANCOVA was used in this study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No adverse events or development of worsening of pain was observed. Almost all the participants in the intervention group (89%) adhered to the hydrotherapy programme. Participants experienced a decrease in pressure pain threshold measured in neck, hand, shoulder and leg, as measured by algometry pressure, and waist circumference; all P < 0.05. Cancer-related fatigue (P = 0.06) and body mass index (P = 0.42) did not show significant improvement.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that hydrotherapy in a chest-high pool may reduce the pain threshold and waist circumference in breast cancer survivors with hormone therapy-associated arthralgia.
authors: Physical Therapy Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Granada, Spain.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Cantarero-Villanueva
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Fernández-Lao
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Caro-Morán
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Morillas-Ruiz
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Galiano-Castillo
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Díaz-Rodríguez
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Arroyo-Morales
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006875:Hydrotherapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal