Cording after mastectomy
Mastectomy - What is cording?You learn new stuff all the time don't you!
Even as an experienced family doctor I can honestly say that I hadn't heard about mastectomy related cording until after Marjory had her mastectomy. I guess that reflects the way that (in the UK at least) breast cancer patients have their care provided in a holistic way from the breast cancer centre they attend.
The senior nurse on the surgical ward chatted to Marjory about cording after her mastectomy operation. I've read up on it since and - in simple terms - here's what I've found out.
- Cording occurs as a result of the lymph glands and lymph channels being removed from your axilla region or armpit
- Cording often shows itself as a palpable tight and painful band of tissue (like a cord - hence the name) running down the arm towards the hand
- Cording can be felt at any part of the arm (Marjory had pain and tightness down the back of her arm but I've heard of other women who feel it in the forearm or around the elbow)
- Cording is a kind of soft tissue tightness usually seen in the axilla.
It can extend from the mastectomy or lumpectomy or even the drain scar down the arm to the wrist. It is painful and can sometimes recur. The pain of cording can settle in a few weeks or can last for months - Some physical therapists say that the cords can be stretched or massaged and that this can lead to an immediate improvement in range of motion and a decrease in pain. Some women say that massage is too painful to tolerate
- Cording is probably due to changes in the arm's lymph vessels and can appear six to eight weeks following surgery or even months afterwards.
- Cording usually gets better spontaneously, though you may need physiotherapy to stretch the cords and some doctors may give you antibiotics as treatment
You can read more about cording and other complications after mastectomy on the breast cancer care website or check out our mastectomy overview page for more related articles
Gordon
posted by Marjory @ 12:59 PM
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7 Comments:
It is now over a year and a half later - and my cording is becoming much more apparent.
Cathy, It has been almost two years for me and cording has reappeared with swelling in my arm as well. It is quite painful. Lauren
Lauren, since I've been fighting the pain for over a year, lemme tel ya some things. Nerve blocks don't help. Pain meds could but have their own side effects. I'm sitting here now with two pieces of foam tuck into the bra strap, under the armpit, and that seems to help. When I relax the arm onto the foam, it relieves some of the muscles that pull on the cording. and I'm in OT twice a week for myfascia release and cord stretch.
I was very relieved to hear my nurse use the word "cording" as it described so exactly what I was suffering from, and I had been panicking about what was going on. Mine has occurred following a sentinal lymph node biopsy during which 4 nodes were removed. It is very painful, but I am trying hard to stretch and excercise as much as possible. Checking the internet, it seems surprisingly common, but no one seems to be warned beforehand?
I had cording (axillary web syndrome) within 2 weeks of my lumpectomy and 3 sentinel node removal. I was panicked, because I could straighten OR lift my arm, but could not straighten AND lift my arm at the same time (above shoulder height). For example, i couldn't reach to the back of my mailbox or dryer, and couldn't get things out of cabinets. The surgeon sent me in for twice a week PT. I stretched multiple times a day as well. It took about 6 weeks to get back to near normal.
The books and websites downplay this syndrome, saying that it typically self-resolves, and many (most!) of my docs hadn't heard of it, but it was real and scary for me until it started to improve.
I am a physio who treats cording. There are specialised Physio's who treat this complication to mastectomy which can occur several years after mastectomy in some people but more usually immediately after surgery. If you need help, find a physio either through NHS or privately or contact ACPOPC a special interest group within the chartered Society of Physiotherapists.
Sharon Levett
Thanks so much for posting this info. I'm a 30 year old breast cancer survivor and have just recently been experiencing this kind of pain in my arm. I'll pass this info on to my family doctor who suggested tennis elbow as the culprit. I also wanted to share my blog address, a journal I kept while fighting breast cancer. Some may find it helpful and supportive. Thank you.
www.babywillyoulovemewhenimbald.blogspot.com
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