Post-mastectomy exercises

I had a PT person visit me in the hospital while in for my UMX.   Seems like it was something they did for everyone.  She gave me about 6 exercises to do immediately and then there were 4 to add on when drains were out.  These excercises are extremely important to do to make sure that you get your motion range back and don't get frozen shoulder so I am suprosed you didn't get them.  HERe are the first step ones I remember:

1.  stand and move head so you look all the way to the right and then to the left...repeat 10x

2.  stand and look all the way up at celing  and then all the way down.  10x

3.  do the motion of bicep curls-stand with hands down and bring up so fists hit shuolders 10x

4.  shrug shoulder all the way up then down  10x

5.  rotate shoulder around and in and then around and out 10x

6.  stand facing wall and walk your fingers up the wall ending at shoulder height.

after drains

7.  lied down and raise arms straight up to be perpendicular to body 10 x

8.  lie down with arms at side and then sweep along floor to top-like making snow angels

there were more but I can't remember them. Maybe do a google search

Hi November.  I had BMX with full ALND on one side and a sentinal node on the other.  My surgeon gave me a print-out of exercises that I could start doing a short time after surgery (I dont remember the specifics).  I pushed hard for PT, and she did send me.  I have had 6 orthopedic surgeries and was dumbfounded that referral to PT was something I had to ask for.  

I saw a therapist who was a certified lymphedema therapist for rehab guidance after surgery. Basically, the advice is start low, go slow.  Even with just the sentinal node removed, you do have some risk for lymphedema so it makes sense to rehabilitate after the surgery with that in mind.  The lymphedema board is a great place for good answers - there are a couple super-knowledgeable women who post regularly there.  

Outfield mentioned lymphedema, and that's a critical mention.  Current thinking is that if you have had any nodes removed--even one-- don't lift your arms above shoulder level for at least a week; two weeks for added safety.  There's some evidence that damaged lymphatics have a small window of opportunity to heal--7 to 10 days--but lifting arms above shoulder level likely interferes with that. One study of women with axillary dissection had half do the traditional range-of-motion exercises right after surgery; the other half waited 7 days.  The 'immediate' group had 2.7 times the incidence of lymphedema during the year after surgery, but both groups were tested for physical ability at one year, and there was no difference in ability to reach, move arms, shoulder movement, etc. 

Hi Everyone,

I had NSBMX with direct to implant reconstruction on Dec 27th. My PS didn't want me doing anything for weeks not even set the table. It has to do with the movement of your arms and the production of fluid , if you still have drains they will tell on you if you move too much. I am surprised to hear of people doing so much exercise so soon! I finally started Physical Therapy 6 weeks post op with a lymphedema specialist. We started with lymphedema breast massage for 2 weeks to help move fluid and then at 8 weeks started Range of motion stretching exercises. I had 2 lymph nodes removed on the left underarm and had very limited ROM on that side. I am happy to say my ROM has improved immensely since then . I would be very careful and go with your doctors advice as to when to start any exercise.

In my case it doesn't seem to have been any problem to wait to start PT, as carol57 mentioned, it is critical to do all you can to prevent lymphedema .

Karen

American Cancer Society has a booklet about exercises to do at home, and one needs to make sure to do them for ever, I stopped doing mine , even as a long term survivor, I had a frozen shoulder that took one year  to mend and this time with PT .