Underarm pain caused by lymphedema?

jarris, I have found that I get "zingers" and "twinges" and all kinds of different feelings, I think that is normal as our bodies adjust to a new normal. I am like you, I still carry stuff, I still carry on with my life. I think we are happier that way.

I also have the tennis ball in the armpit feeling. I had LE therapy by a certified therapist and she ignored it! She dumped the problem on the fitter to fit me for "swell spots" but I do not wear a bra so there is nothing to attach the swell spots to.

Jarris, I also have pain with the LE, which for me is the worst part. Twinges, zingers, and a dull ache are all happening here. It sure does sound like LE and I hope you are able to get help with this.

Glennie- Forgive me if I am asking a question I asked before but I am recommitting to new PT and plan for dealing with truncal edema and possibly some changes in left arm. I still have my surgical binder which I wear from time to time and I just saw a swell spot that can be used on inferior breast. My most problematic area is right lower side of left breast so hard to get compression in cleavage area. How often do you use the binder and swell spot? My PT said I may want to consider vest for overnight but when I look at them not only are they pricey but they look terribly uncomfortable. Trying to come up with something to do on work days-I work 12 hours shift so I am hard as a rock at end of day. Can you also use swell spot with a bra or tank? Thanks for any input

have2laugh:  I can imagine that it would be difficult to get compression in that area.  I wear the breast binder and swell spot every day, generally 12 hours or more a day. Some days I don't put it on right away, but I do notice a difference if I don't wear it for a couple of days (like I did one vacation).  I don't sleep in it, but I suppose you could.  And I have worn my swell spot in a compression bra with my foob for dressier days!  I work at home, so most days are not dress up days. A bra or compression tank would work as long as you can keep the swell spot in the place you need it. Mine will start sliding down with the breast binder, so I just yank in back in place.   The bra I have is a Wear ease compression bra and it is no problem to just hook the front hooks,, slip the swell spot in place and then zip up the front.

EAB Medical also has bras,, but the binder part on the bottom is different than the bottom on the breast binder, and my therapist thought it might trap lymph there, as it was fairly tight.  the bras look great, they have a nice wide shoulder strap, that I thought would be great to keep it from sliding down, but it was just too tight. And a bigger size would not have given me the right compression.  I tell you this, just to let you know how it didn't work for me,, but obviously it works for some.  It is really trial and error.   But hopefully if you can find something comfortable to wear all day,, then you won't have to go with a nighttime vest. so far, that's working for me.  **knock on wood**

Hi there- My lymphedema presents as yours does minimal swelling but with pain. I am having the procedure done by Dr. Chen in Iowa in July for treatment.

winningtoday, please,post your LE surgery for us to all learn more about it You are brave and breaking the ground for us timid ones.

just getting started with lymphedema. Got cami but still having problems with left breast and under arm and top part of arm. Simply discomfort! Got bra from pretty and pink cancer shop but it doesn't seem to help to highunder arm? Where can I look at the bras you are talking about. Need help! Shuf

thanks sooo much for the help! Shuf

hi there,

I had chemo, surgery and radiation all in 2003.

When I get tired or when it is hot and humid, the tennis ball syndrome hits me.

I go one a month for lymph drainage massage which helps. Therapist is an RMT who specializes in lymphedema and has only bc survivors as patients.

Most RMTs will say they can do it but after having surgery it is important to see someone well trained.

I also get the little electrical shock pains in surgery site.

None of it is fun, but hey, we are alive!!

Hugs

bodhi

Hey all--I was directed here because I posted what worked for me in another forum so it was suggested that I cut and paste my experience:

"A couple of weeks after my surgery, I developed a seroma in my arm pit and started having lymphedema issues in my arm and wrist. I tried some of the exercises and nothing worked until one day at work I started just flexing my pec muscles repeatedly. The swelling was gone within days. My guess is that since the lymph nodes that I had removed were gone, moving the muscle helped move the fluid out."

"I was an athletic trainer for 8 years through high school and college so I kind of used my knowledge of anatomy and experience dealing with injury management combined with common sense given that the most of the lymph nodes I'm missing are along the lateral (outer) side of my right pec muscle. The pectoralis major muscle inserts right along the armpit where my seroma had formed so it made sense to flex that muscle to get the remainder of my lymph nodes working to get the fluid out."

Good luck!

kmmd -- I should start this with the caveat that this is not scientific but just my best guess as to why it worked in my case. I developed large seroma in my armpit. When my seroma was at it's largest, I was experiencing lymphedema in my arm. All the exercises that I was given by my breast care specialist had to do with the arm but since my seroma was right around where the pectoralis major muscle inserts and attaches to the humerous (upper arm bone), it seemed like there was a blockage of lymph fluid around the lateral group or central group of axillary lymph glands where my BS had removed a node. Part of the lymph system kind of flows from the armpit along the lateral (outside) of the pec muscle. Lymph is normally moved around by muscle movement so flexing the pec muscle helps stimulate the pectoral group of lymph nodes at the side of the breast sort of like an internal lymph massage. My seroma was there for 3 weeks and completely disappeared in two days once I started flexing. I was flexing around 20 times every 10 minutes or so throughout my entire 10-hour work shift and about every 30 minutes or so when I was at home.

In my head, I pictured it as how traffic tends to back up where a 3 lane highway collapses into a 2 lane highway. Move the traffic out of the two lane road (lymph in my pec area) and the traffic in the 3 lane road (lymph in my armpit and arm) has somewhere to move. I'm a little loopy right now from bronchitis/low-grade fever so my normal thought processes are a little off-kilter... I hope my convoluted explanation helps in someway.

doxie -- it's kind of similar to the old "we must increase our bust" exercises or Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson when he starts twitching his pecs. I've been able to do it for years but it originally took some practice.

This is The Rock and he demonstrates about 45 seconds in:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkG97P5vuvo

Marley, I think you have made a marvelous discovery. It will probably travel like wild fire through the lymphedema community. It would be nice to have a study done. But I'm sure it will be rapidly incorporated into practice without a study. Then maybe some big wigs will think to take a look at it.

Great find on the Rock as demonstrating the pec movement. Plus, he's such a beautiful  man inside and out.

I swim. I do the backstroke b/c of spinal problems. I was swimming for the exercise. A direct effect of the swimming was my pecs got stronger and kept my foobs from slipping into my armpits. Nice and perky LOL. Ended up being a two for one activity.

I certainly wish I had known of your technique when I had my seroma.  Thank you, I hope you keep bumping this over time so others don't miss this