Is this a normal pain that comes with lymph edema?

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gginna
gginna Member Posts: 15
edited August 2014 in Lymphedema

Is it normal to feel  a pain like pin pricks in my arm that is being treated for lymphedema? I'm on my 3rd week of massage therapy 2 times a week plus we are using bandages to get the swelling out this seems to be working the swelling is down a lot. Except now I'm feeling just in the upper part of my arm pin pricks also I don't know if this has anything to do with my lymphedema in the middle of my shoulder blade up to the area right above my collarbone I thought it was a stiff neck but it's been hurting me for a month or so now. I never mentioned it to my massage therapist cause I didn't think it had anything to do with my lymphedema now I'm beginning to think it may be the cause of my shoulder and back pain. Does anyone else have these problems lymphedema is all new to me?

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  • ketch
    ketch Member Posts: 157
    edited August 2014

    I have truncal LE and I have a good deal of pain with my LE. I also have a stiff neck at times, but mine is mostly in my shoulder, underneath my arms and my foobs. It also sometimes, esp when I walk a distance, in my shoulder blade area. The fluid moves around...just not in the direction it should! SO to answer you, and I am far from an expert (there's a ton of knowledge on these boards and I'm not one of them), it sounds like you're having truncal LE problems, too.

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  • FireKracker
    FireKracker Member Posts: 8,046
    edited August 2014

    me too

    It will be 4 yrs. in Since I finished tx

    Then the truncal LE paid me a visit

    No matter what I do it always kinda hurts..I'm very careful with what I do but the pain is never far away

    I also find the weather plays some part in it...

    I hope one of the experts come along with more info...

    Also watch ur salt intake

    BC the gift that keeps on giving....where is the return line????

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  • carol57
    carol57 Member Posts: 3,567
    edited August 2014

    Pinprick feelings, or for me a definite tingly feeling, can be characteristic of LE. Also, I have the same shoulder-blade experience as Ketch.  I have mild LE on the upper arm, and I most often feel heaviness and a horrid ache of the arm, more so than visible swelling.  But to Ketch's point, I get tingly and even a burning sensation around my shoulder blade on that side, especially when walking long distances.  The body's lymphatic system is divided into four quadrants that are somewhat self-contained, so if you draw a line that crosses the belly button from side to side, and from the center of your collar bone down to the groin, you can visualize the four quadrants, including your limbs.  When you do the massage or wrap or wear a compression garment, the fluid moves out of the arm and finds places to go that we hope direct toward our larger lymphatic vessels and thus exit the body. But the entire quadrant is affected, and I think inevitably some other areas in the quadrant get overloaded with the fluid we are moving.

    Some women use a paint roller to reach back and gently massage that upper back/shoulder blade/lower neck area.  Another approach is to stand against a wall with a foam roller behind you, and move up and down, with gentle pressure against the roller (and this is also an an ab exercise, and a leg exercise--triple benefit!).  Here's the kind of roller I mean, and there are lots of other types if you google it: 

    http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002X211R4?psc=1

    I hope you get some relief, and this is definitely something to ask the LE therapist about.

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  • glennie19
    glennie19 Member Posts: 6,398
    edited August 2014

    OH, Carol,, an paint roller!  I never thought of that!  I do use the foam roller and that helps my back/shoulder stuff. Feels good too.

    Mine is mostly truncal, with mild upper arm involvement. I do get these tingly, pin prick sensations.  The armpit area feels full and heavy. I just wore my new bathing suit for the first time and it seems a bit tight in the underarm area. Crapola! As I really like this new mastectomy suit that I got from Land's end.

    firekracker,,, Where is that damn return line?  I'm right behind you!!

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  • FireKracker
    FireKracker Member Posts: 8,046
    edited August 2014

    Been lookin for that return line for almost 5 yrs.now

    I count from when I. Found my lump

    I'm swollen for a few days now and that does mean pain

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