› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Arm pain a year after lymphnode disection…
- This topic has 18 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 8 years, 1 month ago by
Lil0909.
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- December 13, 2016 at 11:50 pm
I am having pain and tightness in my left arm from the top of my bicept all the way down to my wrist. I had 6 total nodes removed with 2 taken during the SNB and 4 with the complete disection in September 2015. Only one of the 6 had a cluster of cancer cells. I have not had discomfort outside of a little tightness when fully flexed up until a week ago. I do not notice any swelling but went and purchased a sleeve just to be safe. Have any of you expereinced this sort of pain this long after surgery? Is this something I need to contact my doctor about or will it get better with time and the lymphnode drainage self massages I am doing?
I am new to this group!! And so very grateful I stumbled upon you all!!! I look forward to leaning on you when need be and buoying up when I can!!
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- December 14, 2016 at 1:39 am
Hi Tina,
Welcome, I will be at the 3 year mark this coming March stage 3a. My situation is very similar to yours, left under arm lymph node dissection. It took about a year before I had swelling in my arm and chest. I work with a lymphedema specialist on a regular basis and wear a compression shirt, sleeve, and glove. You may want to see a specials to get checked.
Take care, Ken
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- December 14, 2016 at 1:39 am
Hi Tina,
Welcome, I will be at the 3 year mark this coming March stage 3a. My situation is very similar to yours, left under arm lymph node dissection. It took about a year before I had swelling in my arm and chest. I work with a lymphedema specialist on a regular basis and wear a compression shirt, sleeve, and glove. You may want to see a specials to get checked.
Take care, Ken
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- December 14, 2016 at 4:06 pm
I saw a therapist shortly after my surgery and of course there were no problems then. She did show me how to do the massage to get the lymph moving and I have been doing that in the morning and in the evening. No evident swelling, just the pain when trying to straighten my arm. It is feeling better today but I beleive I may need to make that call to get in to see her. I would rather be safe than sorry I suppose. Thank you for your reply!!
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- December 14, 2016 at 4:06 pm
I saw a therapist shortly after my surgery and of course there were no problems then. She did show me how to do the massage to get the lymph moving and I have been doing that in the morning and in the evening. No evident swelling, just the pain when trying to straighten my arm. It is feeling better today but I beleive I may need to make that call to get in to see her. I would rather be safe than sorry I suppose. Thank you for your reply!!
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- December 14, 2016 at 4:06 pm
I saw a therapist shortly after my surgery and of course there were no problems then. She did show me how to do the massage to get the lymph moving and I have been doing that in the morning and in the evening. No evident swelling, just the pain when trying to straighten my arm. It is feeling better today but I beleive I may need to make that call to get in to see her. I would rather be safe than sorry I suppose. Thank you for your reply!!
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- December 14, 2016 at 1:39 am
Hi Tina,
Welcome, I will be at the 3 year mark this coming March stage 3a. My situation is very similar to yours, left under arm lymph node dissection. It took about a year before I had swelling in my arm and chest. I work with a lymphedema specialist on a regular basis and wear a compression shirt, sleeve, and glove. You may want to see a specials to get checked.
Take care, Ken
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- December 14, 2016 at 3:43 pm
If you have hada lymph node dissection you are at risk of developing lymphoedema anytime afterwards and it may only become noticeable when extra demands are placed on you system that is greater than your bodies reduced capacity to deal with the lymph. I had it explained to me that the dissection is like taking away the lymph highway/motorway and that the lymph now has to travel on minor roads- but if there is too much traffic we get grid lock and swelling…
So lymph increases if you have an infection or cut on the hand or arm- don't move about for extended periods and allsorts of other reasons.
When are you due you next check up with the doc ? It is probably a good idea to let them advise you as you aren't really mentioning any swelling and this could be a trapped nerve in your neck giving referred pain in the arm…or something else entirely. Fluid retention can give you carpal tunnel symptoms and pain in the wrist/fingers too. You havn't been doing any painting and decorating recently or lots of gardening and secateur work that would irritate your wrist ?
Anyway- more questions than answers but it it does not settle back quickly then I would try to get some professional medical advice.
Good luck
Deb
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- December 14, 2016 at 3:43 pm
If you have hada lymph node dissection you are at risk of developing lymphoedema anytime afterwards and it may only become noticeable when extra demands are placed on you system that is greater than your bodies reduced capacity to deal with the lymph. I had it explained to me that the dissection is like taking away the lymph highway/motorway and that the lymph now has to travel on minor roads- but if there is too much traffic we get grid lock and swelling…
So lymph increases if you have an infection or cut on the hand or arm- don't move about for extended periods and allsorts of other reasons.
When are you due you next check up with the doc ? It is probably a good idea to let them advise you as you aren't really mentioning any swelling and this could be a trapped nerve in your neck giving referred pain in the arm…or something else entirely. Fluid retention can give you carpal tunnel symptoms and pain in the wrist/fingers too. You havn't been doing any painting and decorating recently or lots of gardening and secateur work that would irritate your wrist ?
Anyway- more questions than answers but it it does not settle back quickly then I would try to get some professional medical advice.
Good luck
Deb
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- December 14, 2016 at 3:43 pm
If you have hada lymph node dissection you are at risk of developing lymphoedema anytime afterwards and it may only become noticeable when extra demands are placed on you system that is greater than your bodies reduced capacity to deal with the lymph. I had it explained to me that the dissection is like taking away the lymph highway/motorway and that the lymph now has to travel on minor roads- but if there is too much traffic we get grid lock and swelling…
So lymph increases if you have an infection or cut on the hand or arm- don't move about for extended periods and allsorts of other reasons.
When are you due you next check up with the doc ? It is probably a good idea to let them advise you as you aren't really mentioning any swelling and this could be a trapped nerve in your neck giving referred pain in the arm…or something else entirely. Fluid retention can give you carpal tunnel symptoms and pain in the wrist/fingers too. You havn't been doing any painting and decorating recently or lots of gardening and secateur work that would irritate your wrist ?
Anyway- more questions than answers but it it does not settle back quickly then I would try to get some professional medical advice.
Good luck
Deb
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- December 14, 2016 at 8:46 pm
I had my axilliary nodes removed in June of this year. Since then, I've had a 'dead' area in my upper arm and under my arm where the nreves were compromised during surgery. Just this past week, I've noticed some tighness and soreness in those areas and, when I pinched myself under my arm, I could actually feel it for the first time since the surgery. My nerves are healing! Could this be similar to what you are experiencing?
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- December 14, 2016 at 8:46 pm
I had my axilliary nodes removed in June of this year. Since then, I've had a 'dead' area in my upper arm and under my arm where the nreves were compromised during surgery. Just this past week, I've noticed some tighness and soreness in those areas and, when I pinched myself under my arm, I could actually feel it for the first time since the surgery. My nerves are healing! Could this be similar to what you are experiencing?
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- December 14, 2016 at 8:46 pm
I had my axilliary nodes removed in June of this year. Since then, I've had a 'dead' area in my upper arm and under my arm where the nreves were compromised during surgery. Just this past week, I've noticed some tighness and soreness in those areas and, when I pinched myself under my arm, I could actually feel it for the first time since the surgery. My nerves are healing! Could this be similar to what you are experiencing?
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- December 19, 2016 at 9:17 pm
Hi! I had a complete lymph node dissection in my right arm. I have muscle tightness all the time. The main thing that helps me is massage. I see a massage therapist as well as a chriropracter that specialized in muscle work and they massage out the sticky areas – where I feel tight and painful and stuck, for lack of better word. It really helps a lot. The work my chriropracter does can be pretty painful, especially graston technique to work out the scar tissue, but it really works! I'm happy to have a bit of pain if it helps over all. Hope that helps!
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- December 19, 2016 at 9:17 pm
Hi! I had a complete lymph node dissection in my right arm. I have muscle tightness all the time. The main thing that helps me is massage. I see a massage therapist as well as a chriropracter that specialized in muscle work and they massage out the sticky areas – where I feel tight and painful and stuck, for lack of better word. It really helps a lot. The work my chriropracter does can be pretty painful, especially graston technique to work out the scar tissue, but it really works! I'm happy to have a bit of pain if it helps over all. Hope that helps!
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- December 19, 2016 at 9:17 pm
Hi! I had a complete lymph node dissection in my right arm. I have muscle tightness all the time. The main thing that helps me is massage. I see a massage therapist as well as a chriropracter that specialized in muscle work and they massage out the sticky areas – where I feel tight and painful and stuck, for lack of better word. It really helps a lot. The work my chriropracter does can be pretty painful, especially graston technique to work out the scar tissue, but it really works! I'm happy to have a bit of pain if it helps over all. Hope that helps!
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- December 19, 2016 at 9:17 pm
Hi! I had a complete lymph node dissection in my right arm. I have muscle tightness all the time. The main thing that helps me is massage. I see a massage therapist as well as a chriropracter that specialized in muscle work and they massage out the sticky areas – where I feel tight and painful and stuck, for lack of better word. It really helps a lot. The work my chriropracter does can be pretty painful, especially graston technique to work out the scar tissue, but it really works! I'm happy to have a bit of pain if it helps over all. Hope that helps!
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- December 19, 2016 at 9:17 pm
Hi! I had a complete lymph node dissection in my right arm. I have muscle tightness all the time. The main thing that helps me is massage. I see a massage therapist as well as a chriropracter that specialized in muscle work and they massage out the sticky areas – where I feel tight and painful and stuck, for lack of better word. It really helps a lot. The work my chriropracter does can be pretty painful, especially graston technique to work out the scar tissue, but it really works! I'm happy to have a bit of pain if it helps over all. Hope that helps!
-
- December 19, 2016 at 9:17 pm
Hi! I had a complete lymph node dissection in my right arm. I have muscle tightness all the time. The main thing that helps me is massage. I see a massage therapist as well as a chriropracter that specialized in muscle work and they massage out the sticky areas – where I feel tight and painful and stuck, for lack of better word. It really helps a lot. The work my chriropracter does can be pretty painful, especially graston technique to work out the scar tissue, but it really works! I'm happy to have a bit of pain if it helps over all. Hope that helps!
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