Early rads and arm/shoulder pain

Lojo

Hi,

I'm 3 sessions in to rads post MX (no recon). After yesterday my upper arm and shoulder are quite stiff/sore. I'm thinking it's more likely from the awkward position on the table with my arm twisted over my head, but I'm not sure. My arm fell asleep yesterday during treatment. I've told the techs about it. I don't see the doc til tomorrow. Could it be an effect of the rads this early? I just don't want it to get worse if it's positional. Any advice? (I've increased my stretches to 2x a day in hopes of staving it off)

Holeinone

Lojo, 

My upper arm, the underneath part got really sore the first 2 weeks of rads. I told RO about it, he said very normal, you are stretching & hopefully relaxing that area that is been traumatized from surgery. I did my best to really relax once I got situated and arms holding that bar. I am 2 weeks post rads. That area gets sore almost daily. I am starting to work in the yard, clean up debris. My oncology nurse told me to keep stretching and expect it to be sore for awhile. Muscles were cut, then radiated, nerves are trying to regrow. 

Lojo

Thanks holeinone,

Did your arm feel fine prior to starting rads? I'm just a little surprised, I guess, as I'm almost 3 months post-surgery and that arm/shoulder had been totally fine for the last 6 weeks or so. I'll see the doctor tomorrow and mention it to her. Today was a little better  - a shorter session that was just the treatment and no pictures/planning.

Holeinone

Lojo, 

My arm was still sore, I was 5 months post lumpectomy. I had a lot of cancer in my axillary, so I do not know if that meant they cut deeper. I had dose dense chemo & was very sick, so it was not the most healing time. 

I have my American Cancer  Society pamphlet it says " Radiation therapy may affect your arm & shoulder for up to 6 to 9 months after treatment is finished". 

Fun never ends 

sbelizabeth

Hi, Lojo--shoulder issues are very common among breast cancer patients who have had surgeries and radiation.  My own experience is that I developed a frozen shoulder a month or so after rads, and needed lots of physical therapy to get it moving again.  In my own case, though, I had extensive surgery and even more extensive radiation that damaged the muscles and tissues of my chest and upper back, so it's no surprise it affected the shoulder.  It's the whole "knee bone connected to the hip bone" thing--our bodies are designed to work as a functional unit.

My advice is to pay attention to it, and if it gets worse, don't let your doctor blow it off as no big deal.  If you're developing a shoulder issue, the sooner it's addressed, the better.

Lojo

Thanks - So is potentially the beginning of frozen shoulder? Yikes. I'll definitely keep tabs on it.

TB90

Lojo:  I started getting cording again after only two radiation treatments.  I originally thought this must be coincidence, but now I am not certain.  Had treatment #3 today and am doing lots of stretching.  I had this following surgery but it resolved completely with some stretching.  I am going to contact a physio-therapist tomorrow as I do not want this to worsen. I was so pleased with my recovery after surgery and I hate to re-injure my body with these damn, but necessary rads.  

Lojo

Thanks TB90

I saw the RO today and she said cording and is getting me set up with a PT appointment (at the same place in the hospital that does lymphedema therapy). Is PT likely to be massage, stretching?

It's actually a bit better today.

TB90

Yes, it is stretching and sometimes massage, mine does acupuncture and there is ultrasound, etc.  All painless and very effective.  Well, stretching can be uncomfortable, but not really painful.  I no longer have acupuncture on my left arm though.  I checked in with the LE physio today at the hospital where I am receiving treatments and she is currently away on vacation.  Hope to see her soon.  The radiation tech said that the rads would not have caused the return on the cording. So I must have done it to myself some other way.  Mine is better now too.  But I think if we are prone to this coming back, best to get it treated.

Lojo

Well, good news is that I have a PT appt, bad news is it's not for another 12 days, which includes another 7 rads. They're trying to get me in for a cancellation sooner. Ugh. I had trouble doing my normal gentle yoga yesterday

TB, my RO also said the radiation itself was unlikely to have caused the cording so early, but that rads treatment definitely triggered it due to the arm positioning and general physical stress.