Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the significance of tele-rehabilitation in granting access to physical therapy for breast cancer patients. To mitigate the adverse effects of chemotherapy, Jacobson's relaxation techniques can be performed from the comfort and safety of patients' homes. The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of relaxation exercises delivered via tele-rehabilitation in breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. METHOD: A total of 64 patients, were randomly allocated to the exercise group (n = 33) and to the control group (n = 31). The exercise group performed supervised "Jacobson Progressive Relaxation" exercises in groups of up to eight participants, three times a week for 6 weeks via WhatsApp© meetings. The control group was provided with a simple relaxation exercise brochure. The primary outcome was the "pain" which was measured by "Brief Pain Inventory." Fatigue, emotional state, quality of life, cognitive state, sleep quality, and kinesiophobia were considered as secondary outcomes. All measurements were made at the first appointment and after the intervention. RESULTS: The study was finally completed with 52 participants, 26 in each group. The exercise group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in pain (all subscales p < 0.05), quality of life (symptom scale p = 0.006), cognitive function (perceived cognitive impairment p = 0.009), and (total p = 0.016) subscales, sleep quality (p < 0.001), emotional state (depression p = 0.007, anxiety p = 0.003), and fatigue scores (p = 0.017) compared to the control group in the score change before and after the intervention. No significant difference was found between the groups in terms of kinesiophobia scores (p > 0.05). Within-group results exhibited improvement across various measures in both groups, with statistical significance (p < 0.05). DISCUSSION: The effectiveness of telerehabilitation-based progressive relaxation exercises in improving the pain, quality of life, cognitive status, sleep quality, anxiety-depression, and fatigue levels experienced by breast cancer patients undergoing taxane chemotherapy has been demonstrated in this study.