A Pilot Study on Bowenwork® for Symptom Management of Women Breast Cancer Survivors with Lymphedema

Abstract

The objective of this pilot study was to examine the feasibility of using Bowenwork as a complementary intervention for symptom management of breast cancer treatment-related lymphedema in women breast cancer survivors. The aims of the investigation were to 1) determine recruitment and retention rates 2) determine adherence to the intervention, 3) assess the safety and comfort level of the intervention 4) describe the effects of the six week intervention on lymphedema symptoms. A quasi-experimental, repeated measure design was chosen for this pilot study. Twenty-one community-dwelling women breast cancer survivors were recruited from three cities in Arizona, United States. The intervention was delivered in four consecutive sessions five to ten days apart. Baseline and post-intervention questionnaires were completed by the participants. Quality of life was measured with the SF-36 and the FACT-B questionnaires. The FACT-B was also used to measure functional status. Pain was measured with the Brief Pain Inventory. A paired t-test analysis was performed on the baseline and post intervention data. An ANOVA was performed on repeated physical measures (arm circumference and range of motion).Ninety-five percent of the women who enrolled completed the study. Adherence to the intervention and home exercises was high, at 100% and 95% respectively. The intervention was evaluated as safe without any reported major changes in medical condition or level of discomfort that required discontinuation from the study. A paired t-test analysis on the scores from SF-36 (mental health) and the FACT-B (quality of life and functional status) improved significantly following the Bowenwork intervention (p<.05). An ANOVA revealed a statistical significantly improvement in arm circumference and range of motion (p<.05).Bowenwork was shown to be an effective management strategy that improved mental health, increased quality of life and daily functional status, in addition to reducing arm circumference and increasing range of motion in women breast cancer survivors with lymphedema. A future full-scale study is needed to further explore these findings.