Effect of baduanjin exercises on shoulder dysfunction after thyroidectomy in thyroid cancer patients. A randomized trial

Background Shoulder stiffness and calcium imbalance could occur once after thyroidectomy among thyroid cancer subjects. There is no idealistic treatment, and the prognosis varies between the affected people. Objectives To investigate the effect of Baduanjin (BDJ) exercises on shoulder dysfunction post thyroidectomy for Thyroid Cancer Patients. Method Eighty patients (41 males and 39 females) were randomly allocated into two groups. Group A (BDJ) included 40 patients who performed (BDJ) with a traditional physical therapy program, and Group B (Control) included 40 patients who underwent only a Traditional Physical Therapy Program. Shoulder dysfunction was measured using the Shoulder Pain and disability index (SPADI), while active shoulder ROM was measured by using ImageJ software, and Total calcium concentrations to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment in both groups. The measurements were taken before and after 12 weeks of treatment. MANOVA was used to compare results within and between groups. Results There were significant improvements regarding (SPADI), shoulder ROM, and calcium concentrations in intervention group A after comparing the mean values before and after treatment (p < 0.05). For pain, BDJ experienced a significant reduction in SPADI scores post-treatment, with a mean change of −10.29, compared to Group B's negligible change. Disability scores also decreased significantly in BDJ, with a mean difference of −5.18. In terms of shoulder range of motion (ROM), BDJ showed improvements across flexion, abduction, external rotation, and internal rotation, with percentage changes of 1.6%, 3.7%, 5.7%, and 7.4% respectively, all with significant p-values. The control group showed minimal changes in these areas. Additionally, the total calcium concentration increased in Group A by 10.5%, while Group B remained relatively unchanged. These outcomes suggest that the treatment was more effective for BDJ across various measures, highlighting significant clinical benefits in pain reduction, functional improvement, and biochemical changes. Conclusion BDJ is an efficient treatment to improve shoulder dysfunction post thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer patients.