Forum Discussion
Neck, shoulder and back pain due to imbalance after single breast mastectomy
I would like to hear from anyone who is suffering from the above. I had my surgery in 2004 but over the past 3+ years I have endured excruciating pain, and undergone every medical test, physio plan etc known and the overwhelming advice is that my problem is the imbalance. Apparently the scapula is overworking on the L side (mastectomy side) and twists the spine.. hence all my woes.
The L breast weighed 1.5kgs (as per the pathology report) I am a D cup and it seems common sense to me that there is no way we can balance that up with either an external prosthesis which weighs around 350 gms, and I do not want an implant for the left side and a reduction for the right. I am seeing a surgeon in a few weeks regarding having the remaining breast removed... and have heard that many suffer.... please let me know as I feel this should be highlighted for those affected.
It may be that a great number are suffering in silence, or putting it down to "ageing changes" !
Take care everyone, and thanks- Mandy
15 Replies
- @Custard Fantastic that it has improved so much.
- @Custard
that is awesome to hear Mandy so glad it has been a good choice for you.
Alice - Hi girls, well it is almost 4 months now and I am feeling terrific. Even my lower back pain (L3,4) has improved which was totally unexpected. I only wish doctors had suggested this as remedy five years ago, and did not have deaf ears to others in the same situation! Looking forward to 2018.. I have even bought a gorgeous Jantzen mastectomy swimsuit and walking heaps to tone the bod. Love to you all! Mandy
- While I miss my boobs, @majo, clothes fit better and it's nice to know that my buttons will stay done up. Good luck. Marg xx
- Hi Mandy I had my masectomy exactly 12 months ago on my first visit back to my surgeon he told me a lot of his big breasted ladies opted to have their second breast removed because of backache , I put that on the back burner but I see him Tuesday so have started really thinking about it about and I am going to go with the other masectomy . Actually apart from the drain the,op wasn't bad at all . Also it will have its advantages no more poor shoulders it indented with bra straps from holding big boobs up , no more chafing in the summer ,tops that fit better,, no more more mammograms, being able to choose a smaller size boob like I used to be , sounds good by the way I am nearly 76 , majo
- Lovely. So glad you have noticed an improvement.
- Hi all, I have had my remaining breast removed and cannot believe the difference. After some physiotherapy to balance up the twisting spine, I am terrific. The weight was 1.5kgs, same as the original cancer Left breast, and within a few days the neck pain left quickly followed by the shoulder then back pains. The surgery was on 31 July and last weekend I went on a tour of caves in the NW of Tassie, down and up hundreds of steps, dodging stalagmites and stalagtites, and climbing ladders and I had NO ill effect at all!
I would encourage any woman who is suffering imbalance to chat to their doctors, and as a hint, all male medicos I dealt with were not supportive but the girls were!! I wrote a poem -Although you were “identical” and part of a pair,
I always preferred you, for comfort and usefulness
It wasn’t hard to compare.
Not that your pal was unattractive in anyway,
But you dear left breast, was the one I wanted to stay.
Then after feeding my two babies, with several bouts of mastitis
The years flew and I was confronted with a nasty diagnosis.
You were removed within a week and harsh treatments followed on
It took many months (years) for my brain to feel we had won.
Happy events and experiences followed through the sun filled days
But soon that joy and fun times became a grey haze.
Chronic excruciating pains occurred in neck, shoulder and back
Even my groin was hurting and we all sensed this was something to attack.
Endless tests, appointments, dollars and health professional plans
Resulted in the only recommendation was to remedy that imbalance.
So your dear twin, which by now was really tired
Was in the line for me to say “You are fired”.
That in itself caused many to have angst and worry
And loved ones, for that I am sincerely sorry
But just one week on, I know I should have done this years ago
My twisted spine, caused by Right breast, has already started to straighten
And the gnawing ache below my shoulder blade has flown!
Ah dear breasts, I owe you much, but in the end you both let me down
In differing circumstances,
Now I am liberated, free from appendages and ready to face the world breastless.
The strangest thing that you weighed the same, even after a gap of many years,
And as my body aged and changed shape, you stayed true to your peer.
Life is ahead with only normal “ageing changes”
There is a smile on my face, a twinkle in my eye, watch out world, I am dangerous.
- I only had a little breast removed so cannot relate to the weight loss issue on that side however I did go through a period of shoulder pain behind the scapula which was driving me barmy. My big son, about 180kg stood up behind my chair and gave me a massage in that area. He said he could feel like a knot there and while he was rough and it was painful he got right to the bottom of it and the pain went away.
After that I started to replace some of the tasks of my main arm which is the no breast side with my other arm. Just easy things like lifting things down from shelves and stuff. I think you do have to get some development in the slack arm so you get a balance.
Also in sleeping, I have noticed since there is no breast to impede my laying on that side, my arm tends to over curve in sleeping. I tilt my pelvis so I am not putting pressure on the shoulder while sleeping. I also got a pillow top cover for my mattress which has helped my shoulder and hips a lot.
I massage myself in the breast less arm and side many times a day as it just seems to like tightening up by itself. I still get phantom stabbing pains in my chest which are fleeting but that shoulder is good now. I agree Brenda, I have noticed the reduction in pain level if the day is going well but it still is there to a degree. The twisting of my spine is tangible and I have developed a habit of shrugging the left shoulder... hope that stops lol!
By the way I googled "reduce back pain with single mastectomy" and our discussion came up, with my name (I have been on the BCNA online for over 10 years and that was the way we all started off), but with their help altered it to Custard today. Still Mandy in Launceston though HAHA!!
- It can be a bit of stress too. My shoulder and neck rising up to a headache had completely stopped in the week I had no appointments but the morning I visited the psych nurse it came back again. She told me it can be a stress thing and if bad, put heat packs on it. No appointments today and no sore shoulder and neck either. :)
