OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of vibration therapy to home-based exercises on shoulder muscle strength, range of motion (ROM), pain-related disability, and muscles' viscoelastic properties of shoulder and neck in patients with breast cancer undergoing radiotherapy. DESIGN: This randomized controlled superiority trial was conducted with 38 participants who underwent breast cancer surgery. All patients were randomized into two groups: (1) control group (CG) and (2) vibration group (VG). Both groups performed home-based exercises for 5 days a week for 6 weeks. VG received additional vibration therapy for 2 days a week for 6 weeks. Shoulder ROM, muscle strength, pain, disability, grip strength, and viscoelastic properties of the pectoralis major, upper trapezius, and sternocleidomastoid were compared pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS: VG demonstrated better improvement in shoulder ROM, muscle strength and pain-related disability (p < 0.05), except for internal rotation ROM. Only tone of pectoralis major was significantly higher in VG according to group x time interaction (p < 0.05); no differences were detected in terms of muscle viscoelastic properties in the CG patients (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Vibration therapy provided superior improvements in muscle strength, ROM, and pain-related disability compared to home-based exercises alone in patients with breast cancer undergoing radiotherapy in the early postoperative phase.

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