Pain Reduction Tips

Most breast cancer survivors experience tightness in the chest, weakness or pain in the back and some neck pain. Most of these aches and pains are pretty common because when we are diagnosed with breast cancer and experience the treatments/procedures that go along with breast cancer. We also sort of hunch our shoulders up and forward in a protective position further causing back, neck and shoulder discomfort.

There are some simple stretches (that can be done anywhere) to alleviate tightness and pain that associates mastectomies and/lat flap treatments. The easiest one I can describe here is a simple shoulder roll. Sit up straight, with your feet on the floor, pull your shoulders up (like you are shrugging them), then pull them back as if you are squeezing your shoulder blades together, then drop them down, as if you are pressing your shoulders towards the floor.

This simple exercise can correct your posture, which will cause you to open up your chest and activate your shoulder muscles. Thus, starting you on the path of MovingOn from cancer.

For more rehabilitative exercise information go to http://www.movingonfromcancer.com Exercise is so important for all of us. Unfortunately, treatment, side effects and surgeries can really get in the way of maintaining a regular exercise routine.

I have always been an active person and I felt that during treatment I just had to get some form of exercise in on a daily basis - even if it was just a walk. I had read a study of women who exercised during breast cancer treatment and that women who exercised during chemotherapy experienced less anemia. So, I really tried to keep up exercise as much as possible during chemo and I found this to be very helpful.

However, somewhere along the line (after multiple surgeries and just overall weakness from radiation treatment) I began exercising less and less. I knew it was a mistake, but, once the pain from surgeries (and perhaps treatment) set in, it simply became more and more difficult to exercise. Who wants to get up and go for a run or walk when your whole body aches?

My oncologist kept telling me how important it was to exercise. I have to admit, there was a period of time post surgeries where I started to feel sorry for myself and just did not push through the pain to work out or even go for a walk. It was a difficult period of time.

But, ultimately I got back on track. I can't say that I exercise enough, but, I am exercising more and more and I definitely notice that I experience less pain when I exercise regularly. I recently discovered yoga and that has been a huge help. It has made my upper body much more flexible (I had a bilateral mastectomy and lat flap - using the latissimus muscles in my back for reconstruction). As a result, I have had a lot of discomfort post surgery. Through yoga I have been able to regain some of the range of motion that I lost due to surgeries and radiation. I find that I sleep better when I keep at the yoga. I don't try to do every pose or position that the yoga instructor does. I do the best I can and make sure that the poses (stretches) I am doing feel good. If I need to alter a pose in order to accommodate my lymphedema prone arm, then I do.

I can't emphasize enough how helpful doing yoga has been. It has made all other forms of exercise easier as I now have more range of movement and greater flexibility. I also think that the breathing exercises during yoga are very helpful too. I actually work up a sweat doing Yoga (I did not expect that at all). I highly recommend it.

The kind of pain I experience ranges from overall body aches to more intense, in one spot, kind of pain in my back, neck and head. It is frustrating and definitely not like anything I experienced pre-cancer treatment. But, it is what it is. I try to remember that my body is still healing and I try to be patient.

Right now, i am struggling with headaches and back pain mostly. But, I had to miss yoga for over a week because I do not have a lymphedema sleeve at the moment (new one on order). I feel my best when I get 3 or 4 days of yoga in a week. It feels great when i get in that often. I also find that I want to exercise more (walking and running) when I keep up with 3 or more Yoga sessions a week. Yoga involves a lot of stretching and breathing. It feels really good to do.

I plan on doing a 1/2 marathon (there, I said it, so now I have to do it) sometime next Spring. I want to do it to mark three years post cancer diagnosis. I am a long way off from running that distance. But, I am going to try to get up to that (at least doing part run/part walk).

I see Yoga as the route to being able to get more physically fit because it simply makes all other forms of exercise easier for me. For example, prior to cancer I used to run. I enjoyed it. But, post surgery I find that my upper body really takes a beating when I run. I get very tight and it causes some pain. I think it is because of the rearrangement of my back muscles (for my breast reconstruction surgery). When I run my upper body or core works to be stable and I can feel the muscles all trying to do their job, but, it causes a strain on the areas where muscle was removed and where I have scars. The yoga seems to be stretching some of that out and making it easier to run and easier to do a lot of things. I am still, by no means, up to speed. But, I feel hopeful about the improvement I have experienced so far.

My gym provides yoga classes for free. Also, the hospital where I was treated offers yoga for breast cancer patients. I have not tried the hospital's yoga classes, but, these are also offered at no charge. When ever I go to a new class, with a new instructor, in introduce myself to the instructor ahead of time. I let them know that I am recovering from breast cancer treatment and surgery and that I have some limitations. So far the instructors I have had have been very helpful. By letting the instructor know ahead of time that I have some limitations, it makes me feel more comfortable participating in the class (I can't do all of the poses all of the time, but, I try my best and do what feels appropriate for my body). I don't feel uncomfortable about the fact that there are some things I simply can not do. At first I felt embarrassed about my limitations. But, this is the body I have now and the fact that I can do anything with it at all after what it has been through is something I am thankful for. Plus, I feel far less embarrassed knowing that my instructor knows my limitations and why I might not be able to do something he or she has asked.

Also, Yoga is a practice - so you are always trying to do something, practicing it and so simply doing that: trying, is doing it right.