Sunday, March 10, 2019

Dealing with Shoulder Pain After Breast Cancer Treatment

Breast cancer treatment is a life-saver but also can have side effects, including some related to shoulder pain. It is good to start doing the exercises as soon as the doctor recommends it. After that, a regular tune-up with a physical therapist can help.


PUBLISHED March 08, 2019

Felicia Mitchell is a poet and writer who makes her home in southwestern Virginia, where she teaches at Emory & Henry College. She was diagnosed with Stage 2b HER2-positive breast cancer in 2010. Website: www.feliciamitchell.net
Would it not be nice if we could wake up from breast cancer treatments like new again? Although we are fortunate to have so many targeted treatments, sometimes we end up with annoying physical challenges that range from the minor to the major. One minor repercussion is the effect on shoulder mobility.

While lymphedema was not a total surprise for me during the course of treatment and I was prepared, my shoulder impingement complications did become a challenge to work through. Over time, I learned that an assault on the rotator cuff is not unusual after a mastectomy and/or radiation, as stated in this ASCO Post article.




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