1/1/12 - Exercises After Breast Surgery

If you have lymph nodes removed... this is VERY IMPORTANT!  As soon as you are discharged from the hospital, begin doing arm exercises to keep your arm from "freezing up."  You will not regain mobility in your arm if you skip doing this!  You need mobility for everyday life, but also you will need to be able to raise your arm overhead for 20 minutes to receive radiation therapy.  So, as painful as it can be... you must do this.

After my first lymph node surgery 5 years ago, Dr. Covelli told me to do these exercises and assured me that I would not hurt anything or pull stitches loose.  (I needed to hear that!)  The key is to do the exercises 4 times a day, and gradually attempt to stretch a little further each day.  I did them then and quickly regained full mobility of my arm.  I do them now as well, and am amazed at how much I have recovered so far.  The top two to do are arm reaches, where you walk your fingers up the wall (from your side and facing the wall), and try to go farther each time.  It helps to have some gauge of how you are progressing... for me I used the wall next to a large painting and remembered the position where I started on my first day!  The other is to do arm circles in both directions.  I also like lying down on the bed and letting my arm fall back behind me over my head.  Here is a link to additional exercises:

Exercises After Breast Surgery

When I first start, there seems to be a "string" or two of muscle that is particularly painful.  I made no effort whatsoever to "break" this string... I just gently stretch to the point where I feel I shouldn't go any farther.  After about a week, I no longer have that particular sensation.  There does continue to be a point of pain, however, so don't go past that... just keep gently stretching as far as possible and hold it for a minute or so, and although it seems slow, the muscles will stretch again.  It's been 2-1/2 weeks since my last surgery and as of today, I can bring my arm all the way up!  It's not completely comfortable, but I can get it there.

But I'm not finished!  I will need to do these exercises for the next couple years!  Yes, years.  It is very easy for the affected arm to tighten up, so make it a regular habit to keep doing the stretches often.  As time passes, it won't have to be 4 times a day, but by then you'll welcome feeling the stretch and find yourself reaching up to touch the top of door frames!  LOL!