Does a mastectomy cause shoulder arthritis?

I do not believe it can cause arthritis, but bursitis and inflamed tendons, muscles, etd.

Arthritis is inflamed joints but the treatment is the same for the other problems except muscle. 

Ice and heat are helpful except that ice doesn't help arthritis.

NSAIDS, like naproxen, etc can be tried.

I found that massage and NSAIDS were very helpful.  sometimes stress will show up in my shoulder,  and my change of posture with mast. was also a factor.

I've wondered about that too. I only had a lumpectomy with SNB and partial breast rads. Three months later I was in a lot of pain and had a big knob where my clavicle had hypertrophied at the junction with the sternum. The surgeon suspects the radiation, the radiologist suspects surgery, and the orthopedist says it's coincidence. A friend who is a rheumatologist, however, says shoulder injuries are common from the positioning for surgery and rads and can lead to arthritis on the affected side.

Hey Deb....

I have almost eactly the same problem. My pain is only on the "bad" side, so I often wonder if rads added to the problem.  Mine also started right after my lumectomy, got worse while on chemo and got REALLY bad after the mast surgery. 

So far I have been told I had frozen shoulder and or arthritis.  I also have bad LE in that arm, so I think part of my pain issue is from that.  Add on 2 cases of shingles on that 1/4 of my body and I never know which ailment is causing the pain.

I got sick of docs telling me things that we exactly opposite...exercise it vs don't use it....heat vs ice...

About 3 months ago I had a bone scan to rule out mets.  Once I knew the pain was not from cancer I decide to take over my "treatment" myself. 

I asked for and got a script for Celebrex from my PCP.  I take it twice a day.  I know about the possible heart problems with this drug, but I have also read about ongoing studies of this family of drugs having a possible side effect of reducing reocurrance of cancer.  Weighing  all the pros and cons, I am comfortable on the drug.

I also just started lifting weights...something that my PT had a cow about because of the LE.  So far, my swelling is NOT getting worse with the weight lifting.  In the end I hope getting strong and loosing weight will help all of the things that are causing me pain.

All I can say is that you may need to get firm with your docs to get them to take you seriously.  Don't give up.  Make them listen to you.

Hugs

Deb C

I can only repeat four words over and over and over:

"A good physical therapist, a good physical therapist, a good physical therapist..."

Also "Do your exercises, do your exercises, do your exercises". There have been two times that I've slacked off on doing my resistance exercises since my exchange surgery a year ago and boy have I paid for it! I'm doing it now - I didn't do them from mid-Dec to mid-Jan when I was on vacation, plus I was carrying a big bag around and my mid-back is killing me. the muscles pull on the spine in a strange way if I don't keep up with it and it causes a kyphosis. Hurts a lot. I'm back in the gym and have a chiro appointment Friday.

Of course it could be mets... (if only I could stop my brain from going there!!!) 

I had a cancer-related mastectomy and a prophylactic mastectomy and I currently have 2 very sore, chronically hurting shoulders. They hurt when I pick things up, when I turn them inward, turn them outward, and sometimes when I elevate them. I'm also on Arimidex.



I don't know if mastectomy causes arthritis, but it sure does cause some type of shoulder related problems.



You ladies are right, it's time I get with the program... the exercise and physical therapy program.



I feel for you Deb, and all,

Tender