Cervical Motor Control in Long-term Breast Cancer Survivors

Background: Breast cancer is becoming a common disease; however survival rates have improved throughout the last years. As a result, this also means that breast cancer survivors suffer side effects concerning the disease itself and treatments, as it is the case of certain kinds of pain. It is known that 80% of breast cancer survivors suffer this even 5 years after the completion of treatment and this impairment can be associated with a high tendency towards depression, cardiorespiratory deconditioning and even altered cervical control motor. Aim: To determine the effectiveness of a physical therapy program based on cervical motor control training in order to improve motor control, mood state and quality of life. Methods: Fifty-two long-term breast cancer survivors will be allocated to experimental group (n=26) or control group (n=26). The experimental group will receive a nine-week tailored exercise training focused on cervical motor control. Discussion: There is a lack of knowledge about effective interventions when it comes to deal with altered motor control pattern of cervical area in long-term breast cancer survivors. Therefore, it is necessary to study the impact of this novel approach to improve quality of life in this population.