Hi there
Had mx ten days ago, been doing the excersises and started struggling yesterday when trying to raise my arm.
To cut a long story short I have spoken with one of the bcn today and she informed me it probably is ‘Cording’
I’ve vaguely heard of it and don’t want to google but would prefer some feedback from people who have experience or knowledge of it.
I’m going to the clinic on Monday but any hints/tips/feedback to get me through the weekend would be greatly appreciated
Thanks, Dee
Hi Dee,
Is yours the same as mine I wonder? The pictures I’ve seen of cases of cording show a clear line (or chord) running down the entire length of the inner arm but mine is more of a tight or burning muscle type of thing when my arm is pushing straight up to the ceiling.
Mine is still there but I do try to remember to do some exercises - I’ve never been given any by hospital or BCN but I eventually received the DVD from the BCC website. I do the shoulder shrugs and arm circles to warm up but then I concentrate of doing 4 - 7 stretches of one sort or another and hold them as long as possible each time. A good one for me has been putting my hands behind the back of my head and pushing elbows out to the sides - obviously can be done whilst sitting watching TV too.
I hope these help but it is only exercise that will do the trick for you.
Love & hugs xx Chris xx
Hello there, sorry your arm/armpit has tightened up / got some cording going on -exercises really really do help - my physio says they can hurt a bit but thats OK - but so soon after surgery I would do them gently, then as time goes on you can be a bit more tough on your arm I think. I lie on the floor with feet flat on ground, knees up to ceiling. I lift my arms strainght above my head and then back over so I am at full body length, then bring arms back to sides of body, about 10 times or so. You can also hold your affected arm down in this position with your other arm…go easy tho. Then I open my arms to side and try to go equal way towards the floor with both arms. Also arms behind head in sitting position is great as Chris says.
Thing is you need to so some exercises most days for ever now, just to keep as flexible as possible…I had my mx in april with node clearance, did the exercises, got pretty mobile and stopped the exercises, only for the tightness to return.
best of luck, Nicola
Hi Dee,
I had my op on Christmas Eve and my cording started to develop the next day. It was a narrow line of pain running down the inside of my arm when I straightened it out and you could see the cord running across my armpit - it looked like a very tight tendon just under the skin.
I did the excercises I was given in hospital and was then sent to a physio. She gave me some more excercises and also massaged my arm gently. I got the DVD from BCC (order it here breastcancercare.org.uk/healthcare-professionals/publications/treatment-and-side-effects/*/changeTemplate/PublicationDisplay/publicationId/159/ ) which took a while to arrive but it’s free and is really effective.
I massage my arm (and my breast, my side where I had some fluid retention and operation scars) for 5-10 minutes every morning before I shower, using extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil is great for healing - my BCN was congratulating me yesterday on how good my scars are! The cord was extremely tender to the touch at first, especially in my armpit (big ouch!), but after a few minutes of massage it got much better and I was then able to stretch much further.
The massage is quite gentle strokes up the arm towards the armpit and if you do your breast and side as well, again its up towards the armpit so its all in the natural direction of lymph flow. Its important not to do it too hard (as would be done with a lymphatic drainage massage) or you’ll affect the nerve regeneration and the healing of lymph vessels.
By the way, the nerve regeneration can also be very painful - mine felt like a cross between severe sunburn and a chinese burn up my side, on my breast and in a band around my upper arm.
My cording has now almost gone and my movement is a huge amount better, so you just need to do your stretching exercises and massage. Get a physio to show you if you’re not sure.
Good luck!
Jane xxx
Thanks Ladies, it was going really well too! Just seems to have come on in the last 24 hours so was a bit shocked really when the bcn said what it could be.
The other post op excersises are going well too, just the arm stretching ones so won’t puch it until I see the physio on Thursday.
Just off to order that dvd…
Thanks again