Breast Cancer Surgery and Shoulder Pain

By Cheryl Guarna, PT, MPT, CLT

Oncology Rehab and Wellness Resources, LLC

. http://oncrehabandwellness.com/

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Breast Cancer Surgery and Shoulder Pain

Are you experiencing shoulder pain after breast cancer surgery?

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women living in the US, making up 22% of the 13.7 million US cancer survivors and 41% of female cancer survivors.  By 2020 this number is projected to exceed 18 million.  Due to continued advances in treatment, breast cancer survival rates continue to improve.   

Shoulder pain is a common issue that occurs after breast surgery – up to 68% of patients by some reports.   It can result in restricted arm movement or pain when reaching overhead and can greatly interfere with even the simplest of household tasks.  The pain is commonly caused by tendonitis or frozen shoulder.

Tendinitis is a result of the compression or irritation of one or more rotator cuff tendons. This is usually due to altered mechanics of the shoulder girdle resulting from muscle tightness that frequently follows surgery.   When tendinitis develops it must be treated.  It is unlikely the pain will go away or improve with time.

Another, more painful condition is frozen shoulder which develops when the arm is not moved enough after surgery.  The condition can be quite painful – and is usually noticed by a marked decrease in your ability to raise your arm or pain with moving your shoulder.  The condition typically doesn’t improve on its own, thus a comprehensive plan to restore the shoulder’s health is necessary.

If you are experiencing shoulder pain or other symptoms after breast cancer surgery, a physical therapist can help you effectively treat these conditions.

When seeking out a therapist it is ideal to find someone experienced in working with patients with breast cancer.  These specialists have experience with specific treatments and exercises that can improve your situation.  They will develop a program to reduce the pain and rehabilitate the shoulder joint. The program will include pain management techniques, improving range of motion, stretching and strengthening and restoring appropriate posture. Since it is essential to have full movement in the shoulder for healthy living, it is paramount that these post-surgical issues be dealt with medically.

Shoulder pain after breast cancer treatment is very common, very treatable, and essential in order to enjoy a full recovery.  Don’t hesitate to seek out an assessment to see if physical therapy may be helpful for your condition.