Women
who have suffered the indignity of breast cancer often have the added insult of breast
tenderness or pain. The causes of this are multifactorial:
-
The tumour itself and
surgery would have disrupted the normal architecture of the breast disturbing
the flow of fluid around it. Not only will this cause a throbbing aching
discomfort in itself it makes the breast heavier and hotter straining the
adjacent muscles.
-
Surgery also cuts the minor nerves in the breast and under the
arm, when these try the repair themselves the usual numbness gives way to a
burning over sensitive pain (hyperaesthesia) which can last for several years.
On top of all this, the disrupted nerves not infrequently send sharp lightening
jabbing pains into the breast – these neuralgic pains may only last a few
seconds but they are enough to make your toes curl!
-
During radiotherapy the skin
can become red and itchy and in the long term it can contribute to the
underlying thickening and fibrosis of the tissues.
How can you help:
It’s
important to gently break up the scar (fibrous) tissues which have accumulated
in the breast tissue itself, between the breast tissue the skin and the
underlying muscle and ribs. At first moving the arm or upper chest is often
associated with an aggravation of the pain because the tissues do glide smoothly
across each other – sometimes even a tearing sensation is felt.
To
ease the pain try to obey the following rules:
-
exercise
- exercise is an
excellent way to break down the scar tissues particularly those which
affect the shoulder and armpit, follow the instructions in the “exercise and
the breast section”.
-
massage
- local gentle massage
has also produced some excellent results some of the worse effected women I have
encountered. It is particularly good on the breast itself and the surrounding
skin which may have stuck down onto the ribs. Put some extra virgin olive oil on
the fingers and gently try to roll the skin over the ribs – be as firm as
possible but do not cause any pain or bruising as this will be counter
productive. At first you will not notice an improvement but with daily
persistence the mobility will improve along with the pain. As an added bonus,
let you partner to assist you.
-
Evening primrose supplements - If exercise and massage do
alleviate the pain some patients have reported a benefit from oral evening
primrose supplements. There is very little proof that this works but it is
unlikely to do any harm. Remember to eat less calories otherwise whilst on
these oils as they can be fattening.
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