Cording help

I wasn’t I wasn’t told about cording or lymphodema either until I discovered the cording.  I wore the sleeves every day and massaged the area where I had lumpectomy AND the area below where cording was. Two breast care physios showed me exercises for each. Lymphodema involves raising my arm (left) for half an hour whilst masssging under arm, and breast snd surrounds. Working outwards from the breast and down the arm and down from ribs. 
For the cording I held the arm out loosely and rested wrist on chair or ???  Hard rubbing or massaging under the arm and under breast. In same position work the hand up and down through wrist.
other one is bend arm in and put hand behind base of neck - then stretch your elbow up and back. 
Do the same with the arm straight. Stretch up as far as possible and as far back till it hurts. 
By the way I was so rigorous my lymphodema has settled snd I don’t have to wear the sleeves. And the cording is nowhere to be seen now. I can still feel it but can’t see the cording. Good luck. 

@Pookie I've had cording and my physio massaged it and showed me how. VERY painful but it's been effective. @Brenda5  I'm surprised to learn it can come back years later.

I'm constantly astonished on this forum to read how often people who've had private treatment have not been referred on to the essential follow-up treatments. - or even advised about them. In my public system, all that happened automatically - lymphedema education workshop and then regular physio appointments.

I know some ladies who have abandoned private treatment when they've had a recurrence and gone private and been very happy with it.

I have cording return even years later but with raising arm exercises and lots and lots (meaning several times a day) of patting and massage right from the wrist all the way back up the arm and across the collar bone I can usually get it right in a couple of days myself. 

Thank you for all your advice and experience. I have contacted my radiotherapy nurse and they have booked me in to see a physio ((but not for another two weeks!) but an occupational therapist gave me some advice over the phone on stretching and massage.  I am also seeing an oncology massage therapist tomorrow. I am just frustrated that there was no discussion about any of these side effects when I had surgery. If they could be avoided to some degree with simple massage and exercise, surely it’s a fairly straightforward referral or fact sheet. 

Hi @Pookie sorry to hear you have problems with cording post surgery. Your GP may be able to assist to refer you to a lymphoedema therapist to help manage the cording or the Australasian lymphology association also has a find a practitioner tool to locate a trained therapist in your area (link below). Do you have a breast care nurse you can contact for support and advice?

 https://www.lymphoedema.org.au/the-register/find-a-practitioner/ 

You can also access allied health to help cover costs through a subsidised chronic health care plan through your GP Please see
https://www.bcna.org.au/resources/booklets-and-fact-sheets/#chronicmanagementplans

I've also found the trapeze bar on a pilates thingummy to be very good - painful, but good.  Not many gyms have pilates equipment, though.  Anything that maintains that stretch, really.

I think that the issue with cording is that no-one really knows why it's happening (other than due to injury of the lymphatic system) and what it really is so it is convenient to ignore it's existence.  Different reputable sites I've looked at quote the incidence as between 5%-85% of women suffering after axillary node clearance so it seems pretty clear that it's neither understood, nor well reported or researched.  I have been told that it's a one-off thing that can be resolved and, that it's a forever thing that can only be managed.  It seems that, while some have permanent relief, there's enough of us who inconveniently remain with permanent issues.  There also appears to be two types of cording - the type that @zoffiel had originally that can be "popped" and the type I have (and possibly zoffiel has now) that is more of a web-like structure and will not pop.  (Cording is actually called Axillary Web Syndrome.)  Mine certainly involves the scar tissue from the mastectomy and things are tight under the skin around the scar.  I have laser therapy and some sort of suction cup machine therapy to loosen the skin from the underlying scar tissue, as well as massage.

@Pookie I got some cording which I went to a physio to get sorted - it was quite painful but did go quite quickly. She also treated me for chemo induced lymphodema which has also resolved. If u do go to a physio make sure they know what they are dealing with. All these potential things should of been discussed with u by your surgeon  :(

Hi @pookie Cording is creepy and it's not given the attention it should be in pre-op discussions; most of us find out about it the hard way.
I've had problems with it on two occasions. 12 years ago the approach was to use gentle stretches and moderate massage. That did nothing for me and, eventually, my physio reluctantly agreed to do what is called friction massage with the idea of 'popping' the cords. We both cried during that, but it seemed to do the trick. In 2017 I had a different physio who took to cord popping with all the enthusiasm of a kid snapping bubble wrap. I still cried but the results were not so satisfactory. There's been a great deal of burrowing around happening in one armpit so perhaps the scar tissue is causing the ongoing problems.
None of that helps you today though, does it.
The most effective stretch that I've found is called 'childs pose' if you aren't a yoga person, Google it. Down dog is good if the cording moves into your forearm. 
There are a series of stretches which some physios recommend which include one where you walk your hands up a wall (Google walking hands up wall axilla stretch) but I find the yoga moves better as you can use your body weight to help deepen the stretch. That, of course, depends on your general physical condition. The hand walking one is quite safe and can even be done sitting in a chair if necessary.

Try both and see what suits you best but please take it easy to start with until you get used to the sensation and you figure out what your range of movement is. Be warned, it feels horrible. Massage as much as you are comfortable with as well.
Try to get a physio appointment when everyone comes back to work. Mxx

You have to be quite firm with the massaging under the arm - it's pretty hard to do it firmly enough to yourself but I've been almost in tears at the physio when it's been at it's worst.  So, under the shower is good.  My surgeon has told me to use bio-oil on my scar so I also massage around the area at the same time.  Keep up your stretches but rather than do the 10 (or however many you've been told) do only 3-5 at a time but hold each position for awhile.  Really easy to stretch, too, when you're watching telly or something.

I haven't developed lymphoedema (touch wood) but I still do some of the exercises when I've worked my arm hard (I figure it can't hurt).  The first is to very lightly stroke from the elbow to the shoulder, around the arm.  The second is to stand with your arms outstretched to the side then bring your hand into the middle (so your elbows stick out to the side).  Very slowly, breathing in, stretch your arms out to the side again (should take about 5 seconds), hold for 5, then slowly, breathing out, bring your hands back to the middle (5 seconds).  Do this 5 x.  It apparently stimulates the lymph pathway but the key is to do it slowly.

If you put the region you live in (you don't need to be specific), members may be able to give you info on oncology masseurs so that you can try to get into someone reputable..

@Sister