Have just been told the pain in my arm following lymph node clearance is “cording” and I need physio on top of everything else! Has anybody any idea what this actually is? Apparently if it’s not seen to you get a frozen shoulder.
Westside Sue
You beat me to it!
BCC have a good booklet, which has a bit about cording in it. They don’t know why we get it we just do!
I’m struggling to do my post mastectomy (13th March) exercises, as I have a tigthness under my arm which is more paintful than the surgery site itself. I spoke to my BCN who said that you can massage it yourself which might help and you can do a further exercise which is to sit on a chair at a table and walk your fingers across the table in the straight line away from you. Yes I’ve been told I will need to see a physio for further exercises.
Does anyone have anything else that helped with cording?
with love
Pauline
Hi Girls
I too developed cording but persevered with the exercises given and massaged the area and it did get better. It was quite sore but worth persevering. I still have a slight tightness but they are not nearly as tight and thick as they were.
Lots of love
Fiona
xx
Been to a physio at Barts re cording and just been given a dvd from there on loan for 3 months with 3 sets of excercises leading onto weights.
The DVD is produced by the Oxford Breast Cancer Rehabilitation Programme.
Initial work by physio concentrated on stretches which I had to hold for 15-20 seconds The exercises were done lying on the floor arms bent behind my head like chiken wings and one involving holding a stick in both hands and bringing it over my head to stretch the affected arm and encourage it to the floor.
I was warned by the physio that during radio whatever movement I had I would probably loose quite a bit of and during that period the physio didn’t see me as she couldn’t work on my skin.
Saw physio last week and range of movement has gone from 75% to 95% but remains sore around the arm pit when I move it as if there is barbed wire there and at times it feels as if the cords are attched to my ribs so I end up massaging the area as well.
Generally any stretch seems to be good if it is held for about 20 seconds and doesn’t cause pain- discomfort tho is OK.
Hope some of this is helpful
Magsi
Wizz, Sparkler and Mags,
Thanks for the information. Am dreading anybody touching it - it feels like it’s really REALLY badly bruised! Although I have had two lumpectomies, the site of the clearance is what hurts after op 14th March. I suppose the good news is the tumour is out! Chemo to start 3rd April. Must do these exercises, although I am doing the ones given post op! Suppose I’m just a bit unlucky!!!
Thanks for your time and helpful information once again xx
Hi Sue
I had mastectomy and clearance 1st feb and had cording pretty bad so made myself massage it whilst in a really warm bath, or else rested the arm on a plliow and used myknuckles to help break down the cording…just grit your teeth. My arm felt like a cheese grater had been used on the back of it and it did hurt but carry on with those exercises and do some massaging…good luck and yes that nasty tumour is OUT !!
I do alot of lifting as I have a toddler so I think it helps in my case. !!!
Can’t avoid it can I …
good luck Sue
P x
Hi Ladies,
I had cording following mastectomy Mar 07. I found that doing the exercises helped reduce it at first, but then as I went through chemo it started getting worse again, with the pulling feeling going all down my arm to my wrist. Massage didn’t seem to help. After I finished chemo and could go swimming again, it rapidly got better.
I still have slight cording in my armpit, and the movement in my shoulder is still not as free as the other arm, but I think it is still gradually getting better.
Hi
Fiona - How long ago was your operation?
It sounds as though I have fairly mild cording, I went to see a ‘nurse consultant’ today who said that I wouldn’t need physio but MUST do lots of the exercises, especially the advanced ones on the BCC booklet. She also advised taking pain killers before them and doing them regularly throughout the day.
Magsi - I too have got to have radiotherapy and I’d forgotten it would affect my movement, thanks for the reminder.
take care
Pauline
Hi,
A timely thread for me as overstretched piano wire feeling down my arm to my wrist has been building up over the past week - lumpectomy & lymph-node clearance 26.2. I have a little sheet, in Finnish, with 4 simple exercises on it and I’ve been doing them, but I was wondering how to respond to the piano wire. More exercise, less exercise, no exercise at all? While I favour the latter, it’s good to know that more is better in this case. Two more weeks until my first treatment-programme consultation (seems a bit slow?) - by which time information might have been a bit late. So thanks, Pauline - arms are now making like windmills.
Cheers, M-L
Hi everyone
I too have cording under my arm from the node clearance, this is ok while I’m doing anything but as soon as I sit down to relax it seems to get a lot worse and by the time I go to bed it is really, really uncomfortable.
My lumpectomy was on Jan 14th so I thought it would have been a bit better by now. Was at Christies yesterday for my third FEC and again mentioned it to my ONC (Roadrunner - my cording seems to get a lot worse after chemo so much so that after my second one my shoulder ended up near my ear - must have been all the muscles going into spasm so I can fully sympathise with you on that) but ONC didn’t think it would be anything to do with the chemo but being the lovely man he is he phoned my Breast Care Nurse to tell her and she phoned me this morning and suggested stretching my arm out to the side as if reaching for something and then rotating the arm so you may want to give this a try. I’ve tried massaging the area which seems to work for a few minutes but nothing long term. On the positive side my Breast Care Nurse said this should only last a couple of months so here’s hoping.
Take care everyone.
Wendy x
I had mastectomy, axillary clearance and recon on 1 March and am seeing the physio in the breast unit next week as I don’t think I have as much movement in the arm as I should by now. Not sure if it’s cording but it hurts like mad if I try to lift the arm high, as if something is pulling tight right down to the wrist… many thanks for the exercises, will start them tomorrow. Those supplied by the hospital - stage 1 when the drains are in, 2 when the stitches are still there, and 3 when they’ve come out, are all very well, but I can’t do any of the stage 3 ones which involve lying flat and lifting arms above the head. I can’t even lie flat, it stretches my tummy too much where the flap was taken for the recon! Massaging E45 or other light lotion into it does make the arm more comfortable but I still can’t stretch it any higher!
Hi, I had terrible cording from both mastectomy and axillary clearance. I’m 2 months on now and it’s so much better. I almost have my full range of movement back. You must persevere with the exercises at home, and I was having weekly physio for a while. Aqueous cream is brill, massage into the armpit too, and when you can have a bath soak. I was very worried that the effects might be permanant and being a violinist even more so! I don’t have any tighness now, in fact my “bad” arm is now my good as I have a PICC line in other for chemo! All the best.
I had severe cording after WLE and axillary clearance. I couldn’t straighten my arm at all and had to use my left arm/hand to pick anything up. When my bc nurse saw me with my arm bent as if it was in a sling she got rather cross with me and said if I didn’t do my exercises I would end up with a permanently bent and shortened arm. This frightened me into doing the painful exercises, often with tears in my eyes. The worst one was “walking the wall” where you stand close to a wall, put your hands on it, then slowly walk your fingers up it. Had to force myself to do it daily, but I believe this was the only way I eventually got full movement back in my arm. 5 yrs on, I still need to rest my arm on a large pillow when sleeping otherwise it aches badly.
Liz
Hi Wizzbaby
I had my mast and node sampling beginning of December - and just finished rads a couple of weeks ago. As I say, still have some cording and I would say I cant stretch quite as far with my right arm so it is a bit tighter - but not painful anymore - I must admit I dont do the exercises any more but keep active - and I am sure all the painting I am starting to do around house will help!
Take care
Fiona
xx
Is there any advice as to sleeping positions after axillary clearance? I hate sleeping on my back and this week have stopped using a pillow under my knees (surgery 1 March included recon from tummy). Op on left side, if I lie on my left side the recon breast feels uncomfortably squashed and the arm goes a bit numb, but lying on my right side, the recon breast feels heavy as if it’s pulling down - I’m only a B cup so it really isn’t some huge weight there! I wedge a sausage-shaped ‘cushtie’ pillow under the breast to support it, which helps, but the arm is never really comfortable. Lyn xx
Hi, the sleeping position is tricky I do understand. I’ve had a mastectomy so can’t sleep at all on that side as nothing to “lean” on, and other arm has PICC line in. I just find lots of very soft pillows and on my back is ok, almost sat up if you know what I mean, but I understand your dilemma with the heaviness of the recon. So sorry, as the nights can be so awful with lack of sleep. Liz x
Lyn
Have you tried taking a mild sleeping pill such as Nytol which is quites safe to take for a short period, presumming you check first with the pharmacist.
Hope you are recovering well and the horses are fine. How are your daughters coping?
The clocks going forward can only make things better.
Jackie x
I had cording after WLE and node sampling. By the time I saw the physio I was 1 week away from my rads planning. I had a choice of postponing planning and rads or going to daily physio for massage/stretching and working like stink on the stretching at home - I chose the latter. Hurt like nothing on earth ( I swore a lot) but the difference it made was fantastic.
Was advised that I may have some mobility issues due to rads as one of my target areas is the armpit and I do now have a re-occurrance of the stingy pain in my upper arm. Physio advised swimming would be a great help but also said that our rads unit have a no swimming policy for the duration.
Hi Jackie, how are you now? I had completely forgotten the clocks go forward tonight! Went out today to try and get a prom dress for my youngest but it’s too early for us to reserve one, stopped to have lunch out with her and her father and she’s now gone to his place for the rest of the weekend. I was about to collapse into bed after another restless night but my eldest is going out after work today and was expecting youngest to have done everything outside? So who’ll have to do them? Me. And I haven’t been out there since my op because I knew I’d flip if everything was a mess, and end up doing too much. My son is here and hopefully can help with gates and buckets. Tell me about Nytol - I haven’t used it. How long does it knock you out for? Do you feel ‘drugged’ when you wake up? If it’s non-prescription my daughter could get me some tomorrow. Be nice to get some sleep this week before school starts again, and before chemo takes off.
Hi Lyn,
I’ve been wearing a bra since my clearance & large lumpectomy (actually, it was 2 lumpectomies!) beginning March. I got a Mothercare night bra, it’s cotton, provides a bit of support and doesn’t have any hard bits jagging in anywhere! I’ve also been sleeping in the spare room, as I can’t sleep in my bed because I keep trying to lie on my sore side! Somehow in a single bed it’s not an issue! Hubby not best pleased!
Seriously though, try a night time nursing bra.