Multimodal Therapeutic Exercises and Their Role in Mitigating Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Longitudinal Study on Patient Outcomes

Introduction A common side effect post chemotherapy is chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a multimodal exercise program compared to standard physical therapy in treating CIPN symptoms and improving daily living skills. Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of multimodal therapeutic exercises and their role in mitigating CIPN symptoms on the neuropathy score and instrumental activities of daily living. Methodology Seventy-eight participants were divided into two groups: multimodal exercise program (Group A) and standard physical therapy (Group B) who fulfilled the inclusion criteria of age 25-55 years with CIPN (grade 2 or 3). Pre- and post-assessment was done using the modified Total Neuropathy Score (mTNS) and Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (L-IADL). Results A significant improvement in the mTNS was seen in Group A (14.68 ± 1.66 to 7.03 ± 1.49, p<0.0001) compared to Group B (14.98 ± 1.54 to 13.66 ± 1.34, p=0.00116). L-IADL scores also showed more improvement in Group A (7.54 to 11.23, p<0.0001) versus Group B (5.51 to 7.35, p=0.001). A statistically significant improvement was seen (p<0.0001) for both outcome measures post-intervention. Conclusion A superior efficacy was demonstrated by the multimodal exercise program demonstrated in reducing CIPN symptoms and improving functional outcomes compared to standard physical therapy. These findings suggest that comprehensive, multimodal exercise interventions may be more effective in managing CIPN and enhancing quality of life for cancer patients undergoing neurotoxic chemotherapy.