Hi Mandy, I certainly didn't realise just how common back pain can be for women who have had mastectomies until I spoke to my physiotherapist this year. She deals with a range of women's issues, including pelvic realignment, and said that she sees quite a few women who experience back pain due to changes in posture and balance as a result of having a mastectomy. I had a mastectomy (right breast) in April 2012 and was lopsided for 2 years before having a reconstruction last year. I experienced dreadful back pain (made worse by scoliosis) that certainly got worse in those 2 years before reconstruction, despite my prosthesis which provided some weight on the right hand side. I was using anti-inflammatory meds quite regularly to ease the pain and like Paula, was often asked about why I stood crookedly. When I had my reconstruction last year this was the first step in helping me to regain better spinal balance but I had to "retrain" my muscles and spine which had tightened and cramped over the previous two years and was causing much of the pain I was having. I now regularly do core strengthening and pelvic floor realignment exercises and these have worked really well and I no longer use anti-inflammatory meds. My physio also used acupuncture or dry needling to soften a lot of the scar tissue and despite my initial scepticism, it worked immediately to soften both my mastectomy and reconstruction scars, making movement much easier. I'm feeling much stronger and I think a lot of these allied health support services can offer women invaluable help in combatting the lingering effects of breast cancer. Jane xx
