Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-28-2020
Publication Source
Supportive Care in Cancer
Abstract
Purpose: Survivors of breast cancer (BC) on the non-dominant side have more persistent deficits than those with cancer on the dominant limb. What is not known is whether those with BC use their involved upper limbs more, less, or at the same level as women without BC. Accelerometer use offers a quantifiable method to measure activity levels of upper limbs. The purpose of this study was to quantify the activity levels of the non-dominant involved limb among survivors of BC and compare these values to their dominant limb, as well as the non-dominant limb of a control group.
Methods: Participants (n = 30) were women with unilateral BC on the non-dominant limb, diagnosed between 6 and 24 months prior to data collection, and a matched healthy group of women as controls. Participants completed the following questionnaires: medical and demographics, Brief Fatigue Inventory, Brief Pain Inventory – Short form, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH), and Beck Depression Index. Participants wore an accelerometer on each wrist during waking hours for 7 days. Arm activity was measured using vector magnitude activity counts extracted from the accelerometers.
Results: There were no significant differences in total vector magnitude activity counts between groups for either limb. Within group dominant to non-dominant comparison was significantly different (p ≤ 0.001). No significant difference in pain was present but significant differences for fatigue (p = 0.002), depression (p = 0.004), and DASH scores (p = 0.035) were present.
Conclusions: Women with non-dominant BC use their involved limb similar to healthy controls but less than their dominant limb.
ISBN/ISSN
0941-4355
Document Version
Postprint
Copyright
© Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany
Publisher
Springer
Peer Reviewed
yes
eCommons Citation
Fisher, Mary Insana; Davies, Claire; and Uhl, Timothy L., "A Quantitative Comparison of Arm Activity between Women with Breast Cancer and Healthy" (2020). Physical Therapy Faculty Publications. 98.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/dpt_fac_pub/98
Included in
Biomechanics Commons, Musculoskeletal System Commons, Orthopedics Commons, Therapeutics Commons
Comments
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