Cording - did gentle massage get rid of it?

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eot28
eot28 Member Posts: 40
edited January 2017 in Lymphedema

Hi there,

I have cording in my left arm even though I had no lymph nodes removed. I've been going to PT and they haven't worked too hard on it yet but I fear they may have a stronger touch than I would like. It seems like there is mixed opinion about how to treat cording, with some doctors and therapists saying you should massage them and 'break' them or 'pop' them. But I heard from a lymphedema doctor that massage of cords should be very GENTLE so as to avoid increasing the risk of lymphedema.

I'm confused on who to trust. Just curious if anyone has experience with gentle massage and stretching getting rid of the cord without needing to 'break' it or 'pop' it?

I'm very worried about lymphedema (since I already have a lot of post-op swelling). So I want to ask my PT to be gentle with the cording if that seems to be the best treatment (or have them avoid working on it since they seem to have a 'strong touch' so far).

Thanks!

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  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited November 2016

    My PT was able to break up an axillary cord with gentle massage but it took a couple of sessions, with me doing special stretches using a rubber “Dycem” (sp?) pad to create sufficient traction to isolate the cord.

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  • xxyzed
    xxyzed Member Posts: 230
    edited November 2016

    I had restricted arm movement which the therapist thought was cording but couldn't see any actual cords. I focussed on arm exercises 3 times a day which fixed it after about 2 weeks. There was no hard massaging of the cords just the normal light massage I do daily to the whole area

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  • Annette47
    Annette47 Member Posts: 957
    edited November 2016

    I did have some cording, but no signs of swelling. I didn’t see a physical therapist for it, but did lots of gentle stretching and lightly massaged it myself (not hard enough to make it pop) and it went away after a couple months.

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  • Bagsharon
    Bagsharon Member Posts: 200
    edited November 2016

    I always wondered when you "pop" or "break" the cord, where does it go? Is that what contributes to lymphedema? I had/have cords going up my rib cage and all the way down to my wrist. I did daily stretching exercises on my own until I regained full range. I still have the cords though they are not as prominent and do not restrict my movement. I'm only a few months out from surgery so perhaps they will go away eventually. More importantly, I do not have traditional lymphedema swelling. It could be a coincidence but with all the controversy around it, I wouldn't take the chance.

    EDIT: Here are the exercises that were recommended to me by my breast surgeon: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/moreinformation/exercises-after-breast-surgery.

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  • tsoebbin
    tsoebbin Member Posts: 474
    edited November 2016

    Gentle massage and the use of a couple of blue tapes or plastic pads to isolate the cords and stretch them. My husband stretched them 2x per day and PT twice a week.

    They are really a PAIN!

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  • Jennie93
    Jennie93 Member Posts: 1,018
    edited November 2016

    DO NOT let them "massage" that area in any way that causes pain! That is exactly what triggered my LE!



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  • eot28
    eot28 Member Posts: 40
    edited December 2016

    Thanks everyone! I will make sure to tell my PT to only lightly massage the cord if at all. An oncology massage therapist told me that untreated they usually go away within 6-9 months. So I might just stick to my own gentle massage and stretching of it for now. Thanks again!

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  • mustlovepoodles
    mustlovepoodles Member Posts: 2,825
    edited December 2016

    I had cording so bad I couldn't fully extend my right arm. You could see it from across the room! It also affected my right ribcage almost to my waist. My massage therapist did gentle myo-fascial release for about 10 weeks, until it all resolved. I recommend if you go this route, find an experienced well-educated practitioner.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited December 2016

    I had cording that I could see in my armpit. Stretching every day keeps it away. The best stretch for me is to put my hand up on a door frame as high as possible. I need to turn away from my hand to feel the stretch now.

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  • mellee
    mellee Member Posts: 434
    edited December 2016

    ChiSandy, what special stretches did you do? And how did you use the Dycem pad?

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  • tsoebbin
    tsoebbin Member Posts: 474
    edited December 2016

    i used the blue pad. Well my husband did use it on me to hold the cord and stretch it. lots of gentle massage throughout the day and he stretched in morning and night.

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  • mellee
    mellee Member Posts: 434
    edited December 2016

    Toebbin, how exactly does the blue pad work? What do I need to do in order to hold the cord and stretch it? I'd be very grateful for any instructions! Would love to try it out and see if it helps me.

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  • tsoebbin
    tsoebbin Member Posts: 474
    edited January 2017

    You need a second set of hands to do it the way I know to use it.

    Put the.pad on the cord, and a second piece of pad about 2 inches away... Push in until you feel it on both ends and gently pull to stretch it lengthwise.

    Make sense?

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  • mellee
    mellee Member Posts: 434
    edited January 2017

    Not sure I understand.

    By "both ends" do you mean either side of the cord? If so, then you push the cord (using the pad) toward the second piece of pad? So it's almost squeezed between the two? Do you only move the first pad?

    I looked online and can't seem to find instructions.

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  • tsoebbin
    tsoebbin Member Posts: 474
    edited January 2017

    Yes, only move one pad, but pull it away from the other pad

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  • tsoebbin
    tsoebbin Member Posts: 474
    edited January 2017

    Yes, only move one pad, but pull it away from the other pad

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  • Chloesmom
    Chloesmom Member Posts: 1,053
    edited January 2017

    My cording came back twice! It was on both sides but worse on the side with the nodes.

    It extended to the wrist and gave me carpal tunnel with burning pain in my thumb

    I did the reverse of the blue pad motion. Shortened the cord by wrinlking it a few inches st a time.

    Also had a cord from rib cage into abdomen. Went to a PT who specializes in visceral work to release that. It was pullung on my bladder and made me temporarily incontinent!

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  • wallycat
    wallycat Member Posts: 3,227
    edited January 2017

    Mine was massaged "well"...sometimes it popped. My PT said that they will pop on their own so helping it would not cause issues.

    Mine never came back and so far, all is well.


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  • meg2016
    meg2016 Member Posts: 287
    edited January 2017

    I had a lymphedema specialist for my PT, she did firm massage, but I never had a pop. She would work on a little bit of it per time, not trying to get it all to go away at once, but starting at my wrist and massaging a bit further each visit until it was gone (probably 2-3 weeks.) I was going 3x per week to work on the cording. I also did a lot of active stretching between my appointments. She gave me a very good one where you sit cross-legged on the floor with an exercise ball out to your side (if you have access to two balls, it is great to do both sides at once.) You want your hand resting on the ball so there is space between your body and the ball and then you roll the ball away from your body, leaning toward it, stretching out that side. Do it on both sides or alternate sides if you have two balls. The same starting position but rolling forward toward in front of your body and back also helped.

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