In 2016, Odinets, et. al., conducted research about Postmastectomy syndrome, which is characterized by psycho-emotional and functional disorders in various body systems, is a common consequence of breast cancer treatment. This study aimed to assess the impact of a program of differential physical rehabilitation on the functional state of the autonomic nervous system in women with postmastectomy syndrome during the stationary stage of rehabilitative treatment.

Fifty women with postmastectomy syndrome following radical mastectomy, according to J.L. Madden’s classification, were randomly assigned to two groups: the main group (mean age: 55.44±1.06 years) and the comparison group (mean age: 55.60±1.14 years), each comprising 25 patients. The rehabilitative treatment program for the main group involved individually tailored physical therapeutic modalities based on the principles of medical gymnastics. This included the differential selection of static and dynamic respiratory maneuvers, post-isometric relaxation, Vodder’s manual lymphatic drainage, and autotraining based on J.H. Suhultz’s method. The comparison group performed therapeutic physical exercises described by T.I. Grushina. Heart rate variability (HRV) was measured twice: within 2-3 days after surgery and on days 19-20 of the hospital stay. Mathematical statistical methods were used for data analysis.

The study revealed reduced autonomic reserves, decreased overall HRV, and heightened tension of adaptive mechanisms in the women with postmastectomy syndrome. The physical rehabilitation program showed positive outcomes by correcting time-related and spectral parameters of HRV. It significantly improved the total activity of regulatory systems by enhancing the high-frequency, low-frequency, and very low-frequency components of the HRV spectrum. The stress index and mode amplitude decreased, indicating reduced stress levels, while the adaptive capabilities of the autonomic nervous system in the main group of women were extended.

In conclusion, the proposed program of differential physical rehabilitation demonstrates the potential for correcting the functional state of the autonomic nervous system in women with postmastectomy syndrome. Its implementation in specialized healthcare facilities can contribute to the comprehensive care and improved well-being of these patients.

Reference: Odinets, T. E., & Briskin, Y. A. (2016). Correction of the functional state of the autonomous nervous system in the women presenting with the postmastectomy syndrome at the stationary stage of the rehabilitative treatment. Voprosy Kurortologii, Fizioterapii, i Lechebnoi Fizicheskoi Kultury, 93(3), 34-37.