beyond pink team
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Our Board
    • Annual Report
    • Contact Us
  • Support
    • Physical
    • Emotional
    • Community
    • Financial
    • Caregiver
    • Online
  • Education
    • Newsletter
    • Ignite the Cancer Conversation
    • Quality Care
    • Resources
    • Request Speaker
    • The Cancer Journey
  • Advocacy
    • What is Advocacy
    • National Breast Cancer Coalition
    • Iowa Stop Breast Cancer
    • Research
    • Influencing Policy
    • Access to Care
  • Join Us
    • Be an Advocate
    • Volunteer
    • Events >
      • 16th Annual Pink Ribbon Run
    • Membership
    • Donate to BPT
    • Follow Us
 If you are Breast Cancer Survivor and  you would like to contribute your story to our Newsletter, 
​please send us a message here.
DOWNLOAD Current NewsletteR

Categories

All
Advocacy
Bone Health
Breast Density
Breast Disease
Caregivers
COVID 19
COVID-19
Emotional Support
Environment
Exercise
Fatigue
Financial
Gender
Genetic Testing
Grief
High Risk
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Ignite
Implants
Intimacy After Cancer
LGBTQ
Lymphedema
Mammography
Meditation
Men
Mental Health
Metastasis
MRI
NBCC
Nutrition
Obesity
Pain
Pregnancy
Prevention
Radiation
Reconstruction
Reduce Risk
Rehabilitation
Screening
Sex
Side Effects
Support Groups
Surgery
Survivor
Survivorship
Treatment
Vaccine
Yoga
Young Women

Archives

January 2023
October 2022
July 2022
April 2022
January 2022
October 2021
July 2021
April 2021
January 2021
October 2020
July 2020
April 2020
January 2020
October 2019
July 2019
April 2019
January 2019
October 2018
July 2018
April 2018
January 2018
October 2017
July 2017
April 2017
January 2017
October 2016
July 2016
April 2016
January 2016
October 2015
July 2015
April 2015
January 2015
October 2014
July 2014
April 2014
January 2014
October 2013
July 2013
April 2013
January 2013
October 2012
July 2012
April 2012
January 2012
October 2011
July 2011
April 2011
January 2011
October 2010
July 2010
April 2010
January 2010
October 2009
July 2009
April 2009
January 2009
October 2008
July 2008
April 2008
January 2008
October 2007
July 2007
April 2007
January 2007
October 2006
July 2006
April 2006
January 2006
October 2005
July 2005
April 2005
January 2005
October 2004
July 2004
April 2004
January 2004

Post mastectomy pain syndrome

4/1/2018

0 Comments

 
By Jill Kuyava, MSPT
Millennium, Hudson, IA

Post mastectomy pain syndrome or PMPS is a chronic pain condition thought to be as a result of direct nerve trauma, usually of the intercostobrachial nerve or axillary nerve pathways, and neuromas. It can occur in 20-63% of people who undergo surgery and following chemo or radiation, depending on which resource you read. With more modern surgical techniques being done, occurrence is decreasing.

Symptoms can include dull, burning, aching, stinging, stabbing, itching persistent sensation in the anterior chest, medial- upper arm and armpit, increased by shoulder girdle movement. It is diagnosed after three months post mastectomy, lumpectomy, and after all other causes have been ruled out. The risk of developing PMPS increases with axillary node dissection, especially with a larger number of nodes removed.

Pain increases also with stress, infection, anxiety and depression. PMPS can cause difficulty sleeping, pain with movement which can cause a frozen shoulder, difficulty performing tasks at home and make it very hard to work. Other effects can be soft tissue fibrosis and scarring, decreased strength, limited range of motion, lymphatic efficiency and swelling, reduced bone density, nerve hypersensitivity which can make even light touch of clothing hard to tolerate.

It can affect mood, social life, and difficulty or inability returning to work. Treatment can include; biofeedback, hypnosis, desensitization, pain medicine (which is not usually that effective), Neurontin, and injections. Specific treatments by therapists will guide you through gentle massage, range of motion (ROM), low intensity strength and cardio exercises prescribed for the specific individual, as well keeping a watchful eye on potential issues such as lymphedema, axillary web syndrome, causalgia or CRPS, and frozen shoulder.

These programs can significantly decrease pain, brain fog, and chemotherapy related fatigue while increasing your strength, endurance, ROM, self-esteem and memory. Walking is often a huge part of these programs. If you obtain the recommended 150-180 minutes of ​moderate to high intensity exercise per week, recurrence also is significantly reduced. Research on exercise and rehabilitation during cancer treatments continues to show positive effects for cancer patients, particularly breast cancer. As a result, there has been an increase in the number of therapists specializing in this population. Oncology patients’ referral to a rehabilitation program should be that as a cardiac patient referred to cardiac rehabilitation, immediate.

If you, as a patient, experience any of the above-mentioned symptoms of PMPS, it is encouraged to be proactive and speak with your oncologist or nurses about rehabilitation options and starting an exercise program. 

​
Read Full Newsletter
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

CONTACT US

Beyond Pink TEAM
c/o Jeanne Olson, Treasurer
1407 Asbury Lane
Waterloo, IA 50701
​beyondpinkteam@gmail.com
(319) 239-3706
©2020 Beyond Pink TEAM
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Who We Are
    • Our Board
    • Annual Report
    • Contact Us
  • Support
    • Physical
    • Emotional
    • Community
    • Financial
    • Caregiver
    • Online
  • Education
    • Newsletter
    • Ignite the Cancer Conversation
    • Quality Care
    • Resources
    • Request Speaker
    • The Cancer Journey
  • Advocacy
    • What is Advocacy
    • National Breast Cancer Coalition
    • Iowa Stop Breast Cancer
    • Research
    • Influencing Policy
    • Access to Care
  • Join Us
    • Be an Advocate
    • Volunteer
    • Events >
      • 16th Annual Pink Ribbon Run
    • Membership
    • Donate to BPT
    • Follow Us