Iron Bra.......... Can anyone suggest good massage techniques?

Hi, Shabby!!!

So sorry to hear you're still having discomfort. I hear you about the Iron Bra feeling!!! I thought that would disappear with Exchange.

You're about six months behind me in scheduling... my BMX was in December 2011, and my Exchange was in August 2012.

From the minute I got the New Girls, I was miserable. I never, ever, got that "ahhhh" feeling that everyone else seemed to get the minute the TEs were out.

The PS wrote it off to all the pocket work he did. Physical therapy didn't really handle cases like mine. () Not only was the Iron Bra feeling of horrific tightness there 24/7, I also had excruciating pain.

I did start going to a myofascial release therapist, who found tons of scar tissue and fibrosis... in SO many places! (Not just in the pocket areas...)

It took months of her manipulations and my stretching exercises for the pain to go away.

Now, I still have extreme tightness and the Iron Bra feeling 24/7, but honestly, if I don't focus on it, I don't think about it as much.

I complained to my MO that I feel my implants every minute of every day. She said to give it time. I said "It's been a YEAR!!!" She said give it MORE time.

She explained that the brain has a memory of how the Old Girls felt, and now it has to create new memories of how the New Girls feel. Once my brain has figured out that what I'm feeling is now my new normal, it won't bother me so much. I asked what I could do to hurry my brain up, and she just smiled and gave me the look.

I did have a prescription for Valium which I took at night after a nice long bath. Sometimes that helped.

So sorry I don't have better advice... just gentle hugs!!!

I went to a chiropractor last week.. First one was free, but she is out of network so not goingback.

I am also not sure but stuff she did could put me at LE risk.



PT in my area just does stretching exercises.



Wish there was you tube video on this.

I had a BMX with no reconstruction back in 1/2011 (I really can't comment anything from personal experience with reconstruction). It took about 4 months of OT with myofascial release before I was discharged. Depending on how bad the scar tissue adhesions are, it could take awhile.

Your OT should be giving you stretching exercises to at home as well. I saw two different OT's each week. One worked mainly on a deep myofascial release and the other used more light yoga stretches for me to do there and at home.

Personally, I would never go to a chiropractor for scar tissue adhesions. There is a special technique that needs to be used to release the scar tissue.

It can be a slow process to heal from this. I wish you patience....

Shabby, it takes a loooong time, but it WILL eventually get better. I was getting really frustrated too, but now that I am 2 years out, it really has gotten much, much better. Stretching is key. See a PT for stretches or look on the net for post-MX exercises.

I go to the gym, and until about 4 months ago, the machine for the pecs would hurt in the resting position, from the stretch across the scars. Now it doesn't anymore.