Breast cancer
posted by LeitrimLady
22 March 2013

When does full movement in arm return?

Last reply: 21 October 2015 11:50

Hi - not sure if there is a typical point when arm movement gets back to normal ? I am 4 weeks over surgery for right side mastectomy and also had a senitel node biopsy. Started driving again yesteday and generally movement good apart from upper arm and inner elbow area when I raise my arm. BC Nurse says it is still the nerve endings repairing, but I just dont see it improving at all despite doing my exercises. Maybe I am expecting too much too soon.

Thanks LL

12 comments

Comments

commented by youngk
22 March 2013

21 October 2015 11:50

mine took a good while. You are doing well to be driving so soon - I waited 6 weeks before I felt able to drive properly! It does improve gradually over time. I think I was still attending physio until about 8 weeks after surgery.

Good luck with your recovery Image removed.

Karen

commented by bettersoon
22 March 2013

21 October 2015 11:50

Yeah, give yourself a break, 4 wks is great going! I'm 7 wks post op with same side & lymph clearance, but feeling great strides each week with a little gentle yoga alongside physio exercises. Wks 5-7 in fact have seen the biggest improvements, so be patient with yourself.

I was only just thinking today what an amazing capacity our bodies have to heal themselves... Given what we've been through, we should be proud Image removed.

commented by Josephine
23 March 2013

21 October 2015 11:50

Hi Leitrimlady

Yes definitely looking for too much too soon! But I was the same, I posted numerous times here with arm related questions. It will improve, just keep doing the exercises. I went to physio a good few times but it was just her showing me other exercises to do, not actually doing work on me. I had cording in my armpit post op and that made it more difficult to do the exercises. I think really all it needed was time. I'm 9 months post op now and my arm is about 90% right.
You are great to be driving. I didn't drive for ages. I found it hard to change gears.
You are doing great girl!

commented by LeitrimLady
23 March 2013

21 October 2015 11:50

Thanks for replies. Its so hard to know whats nornal or when to flag something up to prevent it scalating into something bigger. I am taking it easy on the driving, just a few small journeys, dont plan to do any laps of Mondello just yet ! Consultant oked me to start again and probably easier as i had right side mx so gears are ok.
Thanks again LL x

commented by elizo
24 March 2013

21 October 2015 11:50

Hi new here
I did all the exercises and start having problems with my arm 8 weeks after surgery I mentioned it to doctors who said keep doing exercises. Six months on I got to see physio in hospital and I am now being treated for frozen shoulder which is very painful. It was actually the bc nurse that sent me for physio .

commented by Ania
24 March 2013

21 October 2015 11:50

I had cording after my mastectomy and ax clearance on left side and couldn't straighten my arm at all. I was doing exercises for weeks also got pulleys from the physio in the hosp. She worked on my arm for a few sessions to loosen the cording, and one day it all fell back into place, now I have full movement back n my arm. Keep doing the exercises!! It does get better, but it takes a bit of time.

commented by aniq
24 March 2013

21 October 2015 11:50

What exactly is cording and what does it feel like? I'm having really bad pain under my arm since my surgery. I'm doing my exercises but find some of them difficult due to this. I've also started to get pain halfway down my arm.
A referral has gone in to the Physio dept at my local Hosp but have no idea when I'll get an appt.
Any ideas?

commented by LindyLu
24 March 2013

21 October 2015 11:50

If a referral letter has been sent in then call the physio Dept. Tell them you are in bits and that you are having trouble caring for your baby on top of all the other pieces going on and could they see you ASAP!

Good look, it sounds as though you might need a few physio sessions. I went back some months after my surgery for physio as I had a really poor range of movement thanks to post surgery infection at my mastectomy site. They thought I may have had cording but is was not, rather the muscle had just tightened up from lack of use!

L

commented by Ania
25 March 2013

21 October 2015 11:50

Cording - you should prob look it up for a better definition, but when I lifted my arm, I could see it was like a stretched string under my skin. The lymph system had tightened up, and this was restricting my movement.

commented by FunkyChick
26 March 2013

21 October 2015 11:50

Hi girls, had the "cording" or as physio called it "auxiliary web syndrome" She had to work on it a lot after Mastecomy for about 5mths if I recall, it then returned a couple of months later & she worked on it again. I was fine then & did the ICS physical activity program & had no problems with it except last Oct got my re-con & it returned, again physio worked on it & it seems to have cleared now. It was very painful & restricting but it does go with the physio. Good luck with it.

commented by suzanne
30 June 2015

21 October 2015 11:50

had cording a lot, focused on physio till i was blue in the face from it, kept going at it for 40 mins exercises 4 times a day, for 6 weeks. got 95% range of movement back - yippee, tough going. had to i live alone. needed functioning arm again, i'm right handed

commented by Casper1
06 July 2015

21 October 2015 11:50

I also have Cording. The physio did not do any work on it but was given exercises to do. Exercises are painful but worth it. I have just begun to feel that it is resolving...just a little cording left.

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