Although I did all the exercises I was supposed to do and, according to the surgeon, healed beautifully, I still got cording after a mastectomy with axillary clearance. The surgeon advised me to go the physios who specialise in lymphoedema and laser therapy. I have had 4 sessions with them and the cording has subsided amazingly and I have far more easy movement in that arm (I could do things before but it hurt like hell). Cording can lead on to lymphoedema, apparently but I don't know the ins and outs of that. One of the things that the physio did was to take baseline measurements of the circumference of my arm and the fluid levels to match against any possible fluid buildup.
