Neural tension or lymphadema

Jackiebro

hi all...

So I went to A LANA certified specialist and she measured me.... since my swelling is minimal...70 mL Difference... she feels i have neural tension?

I believe it is lymphadema... nerve pain is tingling & numbness. I have tightness, achiness, feeling of fullness, tired arm, the feeling of a swim float i.e. Around my arm, or a blood pressure cuff wrapped on high at all times.

Anyone else have this dx

Brightness456

I'm definitely not an expert, but I was just evaluated last week for some cording issues post lumpectomy and I barely have any swelling other than in my underarm at all, but I was told because I had 5 nodes removed I'll always have to be careful with that arm and watch for symptoms of lymphedema. Regardless of what they choose to call it, are they addressing the symptoms?

Outfield

Jackiebro, how did she arrive at that 70mL difference? Did she mean that arm was only 70mL different from the other arm, or was she comparing to a pre-treatment baseline? If it's the first, then it's not as useful because most people, especially people who are or have been very active doing something that uses one arm more than the other (for example, sports like softball and pole vault) have a larger dominant arm. Either way, tape-measure measurements aren't very accurate - considerable inter-rater unreliability (two different people measuring the same person are unlikely to get the exact same numbers).

My own arm with lymphedema was not larger in circumference than my other arm at the time I was diagnosed, but the veins on my forearm were invisible, and you could not pinch up a piece of skin as thin as on the other side. It had a puffier, less defined shape.

The nerves supplying the arm can get really jacked up with treatment. Did you have an axillary node dissection? It's also very common to have shoulder problems after mastectomy, and shoulder pain can cause symptoms in the arm. But I get the sense you're most worried about finding out if it's lymphedema, and if you're uncomfortable with what she told you I'd seek out a second opinion. Certification is a tool to help identify people who are good at what they do, but it's not perfect.

Kicks

Are you sure that she said 70 mL (mililiter) as that is a measurement of fluid and would be the equivalent of a bit over 1/4 cup/2.4 liquid ounces - volume. Perhaps it was 70 mm (milimeters) which is a linear measurement and would equate to approx. 2 3/4 inches. Or perhaps a typo?

Perhaps there is a new way to measure for determining presence of LE but I've always been measured using linear measurements and have heard others say the same.