Post Surgery Cording

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fight4two
fight4two Member Posts: 146
edited June 2014 in Lymphedema

Hi Ladies, I originally posted this question in the surgery forum, but was directed to you as very knowledgeable and helpful.  I am hoping you girls will have some advice for me, or can give me some ideas on exercises or stretches I can do.

I have post surgery cording which is very painful from armpit to elbow.  It is limiting my ability to do the post surgery range of motion exercises I was prescribed.  I need to do radiation soon and assume I'll need my flexibility back for that.

My PS said to massage the cord to soften it up, but he massaged from armpit down to elbow.  Should I massage the other direction to avoid increased LE risk?

Do you ladies know if I have increased risk for LE if I go through radiation while still having this cording?  I've been trying to do some wall crawls, but the cord is very painful in this position.  Is it a good thing or bad thing to push through the pain?

I am trying to get a referral to see a PT, but its taking a lot of time.  Any warnings on what NOT to do in terms of stretching/massaging is also appreciated.

Thanks!!

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  • Binney4
    Binney4 Member Posts: 8,609
    edited February 2013

    Ouchie!Frown I'm so sorry, Fight. Nasty business, but you'll get on top of it. Here's information on cording and LE:
    http://www.stepup-speakout.org/Cording_and_Axillary_Web_Syndrome.htm

    There is a link on that page for your therapist/doctor to request specific manipulation information. Hope it's soon greatly eased and you can move on to radiation more comfortably!

    Gentle hugs,
    Binney

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  • karody
    karody Member Posts: 89
    edited February 2013

    I just wanted to tell you that I had pretty significant post surgical cording like you and three years later I had almost forgotten about that!  I do still have a cord in my armpit if I lift my arm straight over my head, but it isn't too noticable and doesn't limit my range of motion very much.  My husband is a burn survivor and he has pretty bad cording, so I do understand how bad it can be.  His is really noticable, but he finds that the more he stretches, the more it will give.  But if he quits stretching it, it will tighten back up.  Mine took a lot of work the first several months after surgery, but then pretty much ceased to be an issue.  Keep stretching it and massaging it as much as possible.  It is still very much possible it will get better.

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  • Hwally
    Hwally Member Posts: 14
    edited March 2013

    Hi There,

    Just wanted to chime in. It is my understanding that any kind of cording can lead to/indicate lymphedema. I had cording directly after surgery (had one infected lymphnode removed) and the lymphedema didn't show up till months later. It can take a long time for the cording to get better. I had cording without really realizing it and was stretching for about a month or two before it got better. Low-key excercise seemed to help (I spent a lot of time throwing the baseball to my husband. At first I couldn't throw hardly at all and then I slowly got better).

    Just don't overdo it. You know your body. Gently stretch your arm. I used a stretchy excercise thing (My husband is a PT and he has these lying around everywhere) that looks like a rubber band and slowly stretched it out. If an excercise/stretch hurts too much don't do it.

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  • Annette47
    Annette47 Member Posts: 957
    edited March 2013

    I had cording as well following my surgery and it took a couple months before it went away.   I just kept doing my stretching, but I think it was time more than anything that helped it resolve.   Then during the 4th week of radiation it flared up again, but not as bad and resolved quickly.   From what I understand there is a *suspected* link with lymphedema but there doesn't seem to be much if any hard evidence that I could find.   It also seems like the prevalence of cording is higher than that of lymphedema so while it may be a risk factor, it doesn't necessarily mean it will happen.

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