Can physical therapy ease arm pain after breast cancer surgery?
NCT ID NCT04225572
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looks at whether physical therapy can help breast cancer patients who develop axillary web syndrome (a condition causing tight, painful cords under the arm) after surgery. Researchers will compare patients who receive physical therapy to those who don't, measuring improvements in movement, pain, and lymphedema. The study involves 135 participants and is already completed.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
Active substance
physical therapy (exercise, manual therapy, lymphedema treatment)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could provide a standard physical therapy approach to help breast cancer patients recover better after surgery.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage trial with only 44 participants in the randomized phase, so results may not apply to everyone. Physical therapy is generally low-risk but may not significantly improve outcomes.
Disclaimer
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This is a summary of
the original study
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Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
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Locations
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University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center
Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455, United States