Clinical Study on Transcutaneous Electric Acupoint Stimulation for Swelling Limb after Breast Cancer Operation / 上海针灸杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulation in intervening early-stage swelling limb after breast cancer operation.Method A hundred patients undergone radical mastectomy for breast cancer were divided into a treatment group and a control group, 50 cases in each group. The control group was intervened by ordinary post-operative nursing, while the treatment group was additionally given transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulation. By measuring the circumference of both upper arms, the incidence rate and degree of swelling arm in 2 weeks after operation were compared, meanwhile, the accompanied symptoms such as tightness of skin, pain in upper limb, numbness in upper limb, and heaviness of upper limb were observed.Result The occurrence rate of abnormal upper-limb sensations was 22.0% in the treatment group versus 84.0% in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). The occurrence rate of upper-limb swelling was 4.0% in the treatment group, versus 24.0% in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). Conclusion Transcutaneous electric acupoint stimulation can effectively prevent and release the early-stage upper-limb swelling after breast cancer surgery.