The Effects of Walking Poles on Shoulder Function in Breast Cancer Survivors

Abstract

Breast cancer treatment often results in impaired shoulder function, in particular, decrements in muscular endurance and range of motion, which may lead to decreased quality of life. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of walking pole use on shoulder function in female breast cancer survivors. Participants had previously been treated with 1 or a combination of the following: mastectomy, breast conservation therapy, axillary lymph node dissection, chemotherapy, or radiation. Participants were randomly placed in experimental (n = 6) and control (n = 6) groups and met with a cancer exercise specialist 2 times each week for 8 weeks. The experimental group used walking poles during the 20-minute aerobic portion of their workout, whereas the control group did not use walking poles but performed 20 minutes of aerobic exercise per workout session. Both groups participated in similar resistance training programs. Testing was done pre- and postexercise intervention to determine upper body muscular endurance and active range of motion at the glenohumeral joint. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant improvements in muscular endurance as measured by the bench press (P = .046) and lat pull down (P = .013) in the walking pole group. No within-group improvements were found in the group that did not use walking poles. The data suggest that using a walking pole exercise routine for 8 weeks significantly improved muscular endurance of the upper body, which would clearly be beneficial in helping breast cancer survivors perform activities of daily living and regain an independent lifestyle.

Nordic Walking - A New Form of Adapted Physical Activity (A Literature Review)

“…All of authors dealing with rehabilitation issues [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] underline the necessity of doing additional research. However, it seems that current scientific evidence, especially in the areas of cardiology [21-23, 28, 29], confirm the usefulness of NW in the rehabilitation programmes of patients after acute coronary syndrome, with intermittent claudication, with coronary artery disease, and after myocardial infarction.…”

“…there were three papers that met the inclusion criteria. [3,[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19], ten papers were on the use of NW in rehabilitation [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] and three items concerned biomechanical aspects of NW [2,30,31]. One publication was a case study of NW used for treating of a sacral stress fracture that resulted from training overload [32].…”

“…An experimental group which used walking poles during aerobic training achieved significantly higher results in muscular endurance as measured by the bench press ( p = 0.046) and latissimus dorsi pull down ( p = 0.013) when compared to the control group. the authors suggest that NW can be a valid and attractive form of physical activity in this group of female patients, where the conditioning of the upper-body seems apparent [24].…”

“…Sprod et al [24] assessed the effects of an 8-week NW training programme on the shoulder function in female breast cancer survivors. An experimental group which used walking poles during aerobic training achieved significantly higher results in muscular endurance as measured by the bench press ( p = 0.046) and latissimus dorsi pull down ( p = 0.013) when compared to the control group.…”

Nordic Walking as an Exercise Intervention to Reduce Pain in Women With Aromatase Inhibitor–Associated Arthralgia: A Feasibility Study

“…There is some evidence it might provide additional benefits over normal walking by reducing joint loading 17,18 and increasing aerobic endurance 19,20 and muscular strength. 21 Furthermore, a handful of studies in breast cancer populations have concluded that Nordic walking can improve shoulder function 21,22 and does not increase the risk of lymphedema. 21,23 A literature search of major relevant databases (MEDLINE, PsycIN-FO, SportDiscus, and CINAHL) from 1960 to 2012 revealed no prior research testing Nordic walking in women with AIAA, and thus, it was concluded that it would be useful and important to conduct a preliminary study to test the study design and whether an intervention could be delivered as intended.…”