Wang, H.; Liu, X.-L.; Wang, T.; Tan, J.-Y. (Benjamin); Huang, H. Breathing Exercises for Pain Management in Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review. Pain Management Nursing 2022, doi:10.1016/j.pmn.2022.11.003.
Wang, H.; Liu, X.-L.; Wang, T.; Tan, J.-Y. (Benjamin); Huang, H. Breathing Exercises for Pain Management in Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review. Pain Management Nursing 2022, doi:10.1016/j.pmn.2022.11.003.
Wang, H.; Liu, X.-L.; Wang, T.; Tan, J.-Y. (Benjamin); Huang, H. Breathing Exercises for Pain Management in Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review. Pain Management Nursing 2022, doi:10.1016/j.pmn.2022.11.003.
Wang, H.; Liu, X.-L.; Wang, T.; Tan, J.-Y. (Benjamin); Huang, H. Breathing Exercises for Pain Management in Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review. Pain Management Nursing 2022, doi:10.1016/j.pmn.2022.11.003.
Abstract
Objective: To explore the efficacy and safety of breathing exercises for pain management in cancer survivors. Design: A systematic review. Data sources: Thirteen databases, including PubMed, EMBase, CENTRAL, Medline, CINAHL, JBI, Science Direct, Scopus, SocINDEX, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CNKI, and Wan Fang, were searched from inception to May 24, 2021. Review/analysis methods: Studies that focused on the efficacy of breathing exercises for pain management in cancer survivors were included. Cochrane tools were used for the quality appraisal of the included studies. Due to the heterogeneity of the studies, descriptive data analysis was used to summarize the results. Results: A total of 10 studies were included in this systematic review. Slow pursed lip breathing showed benefits for post-surgical pain. Contradictory findings were identified in the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery breathing exercise for post-surgical pain. Slow deep breathing and Hey-Hu regular breathing techniques were effective for pain management in pediatric cancer patients. The Active Cycle of Breathing Technique and five-minute mindful breathing did not have any statistically significant effects on pain relief. Quality of life was measured in three studies, with some improvement. Only one study addressed adverse events and reported that no adverse events associated with the breathing exercises occurred during the study. Conclusion: This review found some evidence of positive effects of breathing exercises for pain relief in cancer survivors. However, the unsatisfactory methodological quality of the studies prevents its generalizability. More large-scale studies are needed to assess the efficacy and safety of breathing exercises for pain relief in cancer survivors.
Keywords
breathing exercises; pain; cancer survivors
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Oncology and Oncogenics
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
