Using video call applications like Skype to engage breast cancer survivors in an online as exercise program can help patients mitigate side effects of treatment like pain, fatigue and strength loss, according to a study published in the journal Cancer.
The study enrolled 81 participants who previously completed adjuvant therapy for breast cancer, which usually involves surgery followed by chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Of the participants, 40 were enrolled in an eight-week, internet-based exercise program and 41 were not.
Participants in the online workout program reported experiencing less pain, less fatigue and displayed improved back and lower body strength when compared with the control group at both eight weeks into the study and during a six-month follow up.
"The participants have ameliorated their pain, strength, fatigue and quality of life, which reflects that an eight-week exercise program followed through the internet can be successfully carried out without the need for an in-person therapeutic strategy," said the study's lead author Noelia Galiano Castillo, PhD, a researcher in the department of physical therapy at the University of Granada in Spain.
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