Introduction & Objective: Reducing in muscle strength of the shoulder girdle is a side effect of breast cancer treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of 4 weeks of resistance and mobility training on the shoulder girdle strength of women with breast cancer.

Materials & Methods: In this randomized clinical trial study twenty-seven postmenopausal women with breast cancer (mean age, 51±5.96 years), (mean height, 158.08±7.2 cm), (mean weight, 63.08±11.06 kg) who underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, were purposefully selected and divided into two groups of intervention and control. Intervention group performed 4 weeks (4 sessions per week) of resistance training with flex-band and stretch training at home, but the control group did not participate in any sports or physical program. Muscle strength before and after intervention was measured using a handheld dynamometer. The data were analyzed using ANCOVA.

 Results: Significant differences were seen between intervention and control groups in shoulder flexion, scapula abduction and upward rotation, shoulder internal rotation, shoulder external rotation, shoulder horizontal adduction and scapula depression and adduction strength, as all strength variables increased after 4 weeks exercise.

Conclusion: Since strength plays an important role in ADL performance and shoulder girdle function in breast cancer survivors, it seems that muscle strength improvement following combined home based exercise program can help patients after treatment to easier and faster rehabilitation.