The role of exercise in aromatase inhibitor-induced arthralgia.
Kerstin Yu, Pauline Portes, G Stephen Morris and 5 others
PMID 38780410WHAT IT FOUND
For breast cancer patients with aromatase inhibitor joint pain, combined aerobic and resistance exercise over many months had the strongest support to reduce pain and improve function.
Yoga and tai chi were feasible, but evidence is smaller.
Key findings
01In a 12-month randomized trial, combined aerobic and resistance exercise reduced worst joint pain by 1.6 points on an 11-point scale, while usual care increased by 0.2 points.
02Combined aerobic and resistance programs reported improvements in joint pain, physical function, and quality of life.
03Yoga and tai chi were feasible in small studies, but yoga showed pain and function improvements while tai chi did not significantly improve joint pain or physical well-being.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The reviewed studies were often small, and some were not adequately powered, so the results are not definitive. Pain medication use was not consistently reported, so exercise effects cannot be separated from analgesic use. Improvements may also reflect usual care, phone calls, education, social contact, or awareness of being in a study. No published studies investigated resistance exercise alone in this population. The review did not examine combined aerobic and resistance exercise with yoga or tai chi in this population. Only English-language studies were included.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this review as proof that a short yoga or tai chi course is equivalent to the combined exercise program. The strongest randomized evidence came from a long-term combined aerobic and resistance trial, and smaller studies cannot separate exercise effects from usual care, social contact, or pain medication.