Forum Discussion
Cording/axillary web syndrome
Hi everyone, it's been a long time since my last post and so much seems to have happened in my life in that time. After having a lumpectomy and axillary lymph node removal on the right side, July 20...
Hi! late to this one - but I had mastectomy and node removal in 2021 with no issues, but I had a recurrence (in the flap) and they took another node - which resulted in cording (so. painful). I managed to get rehab initially and did my daily stretching during chemo, which seemed to resolve it, but it came back during/after radiation. It has been 12 months since I finished radiation and I work most days on stretching and massaging the area - with frequest trips to the lymph lounge where they do painful massage and low level laser. Sigh. I feel like it's never going to get better.
My breast surgeon told me 12-18 months post radiation the scar tissue etc. will get worse so I'm doing what I can to try to stave it off. It's annoying though, because I find it hard to put some clothes on (like crop tops). I think consistency is the key, but honestly some days I just can't be bothered. I'm tired of being in pain all of the time! The recovery is almost (almost) worse than the treatment!
deekay77 you have had a tough time - sending you positive vibes. It sounds exhausting.
Hang in there if you can, I think it gets better.
I totally agree that experiencing pain really takes it out of you, and this breast pain from scarring or cording when I had ultrasounds was one of the few things that made me shed a tear and a whimper.
The good news for me is that with the passing of time it has reduced, now I can put pressure on the area without that level of pain.
Not sure if there’s a correlation but I have been doing yoga and I feel like it’s helped.
Hope things settle for you really soon, after this very rocky time.
Thank you ☺️
I do a bit of yoga at home but I like to do my strength training and I prioritise that. Maybe a proper yoga class with an instructor would help - it’s always hard to know if form is correct when you’re doing it alone.
I still have a good range of motion in my shoulder - but I can feel the scar tissue creeping down into my rib and recently I’ve had some shooting pain behind my rib which I can only assume is related. It takes my breath away!2026 is my year of healing focus. Meditation and movement for the win!!
I had a lumpectomy and sentinel node removal. Chemo and then radiation. I had some physio sessions after my radiation treatment and everything seemed fine until about 7 months after I finished treatment and I lost a lot of mobility in my shoulder and had a lot of tightness and discomfort around and down my right arm, despite keeping up my exercises. It seemed to happen very quickly, rather than being a gradual loss.
My doctor gave me 5 physio sessions available on a Medicare plan.
The physio was painful at times and I had some bruising after one particularly intense session on the scar tissue in my arm, but it did the trick and I almost have full range of movement in my shoulder again and most of the tightness has gone.
I keep up my exercises, and will go for more physio if I notice it getting bad again.
I went back to the Lymphoedema Lounge today - I'm treated by one of their physios - OOF it hurt - she gets in deeper than I do because I worry about hurting myself. Just need to keep doing what I'm doing I suppose.
My mobility is pretty good - but where my chest wall is involved - I get a bit stuck and feel like my skin will tear (I know it won't). I do keep forgetting about diaphragmatic breathing so I've set myself a reminder to focus on that each day.
Here's to 2026 - another year of healing and strength!
