“Matrix Rhythm Therapy (MaRhyThe) and cupping:” A novel multimodal approach for breast cancer-related lymphedema

Abstract

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer mortality in India, with an incidence of 210,801 cases in 2020 and every 29th woman being diagnosed with breast cancer. Among the various treatment options, side effects such as lymphedema are mostly caused due to chemoradiotherapy. Physical therapy is known to be beneficial in treating postcancer treatment side effects. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study report highlighting the efficacy of Matrix Rhythm Therapy (MaRhyThe©) in treating breast cancer-related lymphedema. A multimodal approach (MaRhyThe©, cupping therapy, and complex decongestive therapy) has shown to be beneficial in treating lymphedema, shoulder disability, pain, and muscle weakness and improving the quality of life in a breast cancer survivor.