Progressive Muscle Relaxation for Pain and Quality of Life in Thyroid Cancer

This is a single‐center, parallel‐group, randomized controlled trial to be conducted atPINUM Cancer Hospital, Faisalabad, Pakistan. A total of 32 patients with histologicallyconfirmed thyroid cancer (Stage I‐III) undergoing chemotherapy (1‐3 sessions) will beenrolled. Inclusion criteria: age 30‐50 years, moderate pain (NPRS 3‐7), baseline FACT‐Gscore ≥80%, history of lobectomy or thyroidectomy. Exclusion criteria: comorbidities(cardiomyopathy, respiratory disorders, severe mental illness), recent fractures orsurgeries, inability to follow instructions, current practice of relaxation therapies.Participants will be randomly allocated 1:1 using an online random number generator intotwo groups. Experimental group (n=16): Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique (PMRT)once daily for 4‐5 consecutive days, each session 20‐40 minutes, targeting head/neck,shoulders, arms/hands, lower back/hips, calves/thighs, and feet/toes. Each movementinvolves deep inhalation, tensing for 10‐20 seconds, then exhalation with relaxation.Control group (n=16): gentle range‐of‐motion and stretching exercises of same frequencyand duration. Outcomes: pain (NPRS, 0‐10) and quality of life (FACT‐G, 4 subscales)measured at baseline and post‐intervention. Normality of data assessed by usingShapiro‐Wilk test. Between‐group comparisons is performed by using Mann‐Whitney U test,and within‐group pre‐post comparisons using Wilcoxon signed‐rank test. No adverse eventsare anticipated. After study completion, results will be submitted separately in theResults Module.