<p>Background: Arm lymphoedema is a chronic condition affecting multiple aspects of patients’ daily lives but quality of life can be improved with excess volume reduction. Treatment consists of infection prevention, lymphatic massage, compression therapy and special exercises. However, there is little evidence regarding the effect of exercise in a group framework. Aims: Using a series of case reports, this article explores changes in arm volume and patients’ perceptions of quality of life after participation in a lymphoedema-specific group exercise class (as described in the Casley-Smith Method of Lymphoedema Treatment [Casley-Smith and Casley-Smith, 1997]). Methods: Data from eight women with post-breast cancer lymphoedema who partook in a weekly exercise class for a period of eight weeks was documented. The outcome measures used were arm volume and perception of quality of life evaluated by the Upper Limb Lymphoedema-27 questionnaire (ULL-27) (Launois et al, 2002). Participants’ comments are also reported. Results: Limb volumes reduced after each class and over the entire eight-week period. Quality of life scores improved for most participants in some of the dimensions. Conclusions: In this series of case reports, an eight-week exercise class was found to be beneficial for women with post-breast cancer lymphoedema. Declaration of interest: None.</p>
