Who diagnoses cording?

Glad you're getting it sorted @goingdancing

I have a little cording in my right arm after lymph node removal- I have been working with a physio and is pretty under control. Seems for flare up a little with each chemo and I also have a little fluid retention in that arm but the physio won’t call it lymphodema yet as chemo can cause this. Definitely keep doing any exercises. Apparently my physio told me that skinny girls are at more risk of cording but they don’t know what - weird!

I had cording in my right arm from chemo very severely, you can still see how bad it is now, there was nothing to do for it, I just kept slowly stretching it, so have full movement no probs at all just looks unsightly. I also had cording after my mastectomy/recon but again over time settles down with gentle stretching and exercise. x

The user and all related content has been deleted.

So I attended a physio today. I have cording on both sides, worse on left. Physio stretched them out. Also fluid collections on both sides, worse on left. I have exercises to do. Hoping I can be as effective as physio was. Need to see GP re fluid when he's back from holiday. Attend hospital physio in May. I'm still lucky that this is all I have to deal with compared with many others.

Thanks Sister. On the left I can feel hard firm (like a bone or firm round rope or tube) non painful to touch long continuous areas below incision (not in) around to back below (not in armpit) and another one vertical up chest wall from top of incision beside armpit and up to beside shoulder area, When the drain was still in I thought was the drain under the skin. It's not like the small "piano strings" I have in the right armpit. Shall look for advice today.

I can only speak from my experience but cording feels just like it sounds.  When you stretch in a particular way (for me it's upwards), it feels as if there's cords under the skin pulling tight and stopping a full stretch.  It actually looks a bit like tendons pulling.  Although it's under the arm, the tenderness can be felt along the scar, down the side on the ribs, at the elbow and also the back of the shoulder.  This is because the muscles and scar tissue are being pulled as well.  Apparently, left untreated, it can be a precursor to lymphoedema so you want to get it dealt with if it is cording.  The physio should be able to tell fairly easily.  My physio did baseline measurements to check for swelling in case of future problems and I am having laser therapy to work on it.

Thanks for responses. I did manage yesterday to bring forward hospital physio appt from mid June to mid first week in May. Mid June seemed a long way off. I'm was told in phone call to hospital physio that it's early days in my recovery journey. I'm not even sure it is cording. No one has palpated what I am feeling (except me). Seems it may be different to what others are describing. I think I can feel slight cording on right but left is very different both in location and characteristic. Shall see if I can find someone with experience in Perth who can assess it before then. Just to ensure it's not something I should be doing something about ASAP. I'm lone sailor in life so functionality important as it is for others I'm sure.

The sooner it's treated the better. Your surgeon can recommend someone or find a specialuss physio.

Hi @goingdancing I had a double mastectomy in March 2017 and had to have radiotherapy from 6 weeks post op. The radio oncologist wasn’t happy with my arm mobility for the radiotherapy so I saw an exercise physiologist from 4 weeks post op. She diagnosed me with cording and it was treated very successfully with stretching and self massage with balls. I think if you do have cording, the earlier it’s treated, the better