After breast cancer – help with chronic pain

Pain after breast cancer surgery

Due to breast cancer, it is necessary after breast removal, the so-called posmastectomy pain occurs primarily in the chest, armpits, possibly affecting the shoulder, arm, and often lasts a long time. It is also not uncommon for this type of pain to occur after partial, breast-conserving surgery, even after lumpectomy. The feeling itself may be burning, stinging, or seem numb, but in most cases it doesn’t seem unbearable.

Photo by 123rf.com

According to American research, the postmastectomy pain it affects 20-30% of women who have undergone surgery, more often when tissue is removed from the upper part of the breast or armpit. This may be due to nerve damage in the affected areas, although specific causes are constantly being researched. It is also more common in younger women who have undergone so-called axial lymph node dissection, that is, those in whose armpits the entire chain of lymph nodes has been removed, and not just so-called sentinel lymph nodes. Fortunately, the former procedure is much less necessary. Postoperative radiotherapy also increases the chances of residual chronic pain. An interesting addition is that British research shows that they az Women who have had breast surgery and suffer from chronic pain, such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, low back pain, or migraine, are three times more likely to experience severe pain in the first week after surgery than others. According to experts, this relationship can be explained by the mental state.

Photo by 123rf.com

Post mastectomy pain can also be treated

– If you experience pain after breast removal, the most important thing is for the patient to ask for help, not having to deal with it alone. – emphasizes dr. Éva Pádi, the oncologist of the Pain Center, is a specialist in oncological pain relief. – This is because the pain in the chest, arms and armpits can not only wear the patient mentally, but also hinder the specific movement, which in the long run can cause a significant restriction of movement. This is why it is important to be aware that post-breast pain can be treated. Medications can be drugs, although care should be taken in this type of nerve pain, as it is not the strong opioids that can reduce pain, but other agents specifically designed for this purpose. Alternatively, it may be worthwhile to try alternative methods, from medical acupuncture to neural therapy – according to the patient’s ideas, condition, and symptoms. Of course, psychic reinforcement is just as important, as it often helps to passsit low and accelerate healing.

According to Dr. Pádi, it is worth taking pain therapy very seriously, as pain can increase the risk of complications, for example. This is due, among other things, to the inability of those affected to move as they should and to implement postoperative practices that would help recovery. That is, complex pain therapy can even improve your chances of long-term recovery.