Efficacy of scrambler therapy on breast cancer-related lymphedema.
Ju Sang Lee
PMID 30464367WHAT IT FOUND
A single patient with breast cancer-related lymphedema reported pain dropping from 8 to 2 on a 10-point scale after ten scrambler therapy sessions.
Arm circumference did not change, and body water decreased by a negligible 10 ml. This is one person, not a pattern.
Key findings
01The patient's pain score decreased from 8 to 2 on the Visual Analog Scale after treatment.
02Arm circumferences remained unchanged at all measured sites, and bioimpedance showed only a 10 ml reduction in body water.
STILL TO COME
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What it does not show
This is a case report of a single patient, so the results cannot be generalised to other people. There was no control group, so it is impossible to know if the pain reduction was due to the therapy, natural fluctuation, or the passage of time. The study did not blind the patient or the assessors to the treatment, which could influence pain reporting. The change in body water (10 ml) is very small and may not be clinically significant.
Declared interests
None declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that scrambler therapy reduces lymphedema volume or is effective for the general population. The arm circumference did not change, and the pain reduction was observed in only one individual, which is not sufficient evidence to change standard practice.