Postmastectomy pain syndrome

在任何类型的手术后患有疼痛和不适,包括乳房切除术,它并不罕见。

大多数女性在乳房手术后的日期和几周内都有一定程度的疼痛。许多人继续有几个月甚至几年的奇怪的感觉。当疼痛徘徊超过几个月并开始影响生活质量,它被称为后切除术疼痛综合征。

This type of chronic pain can happen after radical mastectomy, modified radical mastectomy, and breast-conserving surgery, which is known as a lumpectomy.

Read on for information about treatment and management of postmastectomy pain syndrome.

If you have postmastectomy pain syndrome, you might have persistent or intermittent pain in your:

  • 胸部
  • armpit
  • arm
  • shoulder

除了疼痛,您还可能会遇到一些这些症状:

  • numbness
  • tingling
  • severe itching that can’t be relieved by rubbing or scratching
  • 燃烧的感觉
  • increased sensitivity to pain, or hyperalgesia
  • a shooting pain
  • phantom breast pain

Having chronic pain can lead to other health problems.

For example, arm or shoulder pain could force you to favor one arm even if you’re unaware that you’re doing it. This can lead to frozen shoulder syndrome. It can also increase the risk of developing lymphedema, a condition in which lymphatic fluid fails to drain properly. The buildup of fluid can cause your arm to swell.

Persistent pain can also lead to insomnia, leaving you exhausted and more susceptible to illness.

It’s unclear why this happens to some women but not to others.

During a mastectomy, some of the nerves in the chest must be severed. It’s likely that postmastectomy pain syndrome is the result of nerve damage.

之间 20 and 30 percent of women who have breast surgery develop postmastectomy pain syndrome.

It’s more likely to occur in women who:

  • had a full axillary lymph node dissection as opposed to a sentinel lymph node biopsy
  • received radiation treatment
  • had chemotherapy
  • 有激素治疗

Caucasian women are at lower risk for postmastectomy pain syndrome than women of other races.

Ongoing pain or discomfort after mastectomy doesn’t mean that cancer has returned or that something went wrong during surgery. You shouldn’t have to wonder, though. If you have pain or other symptoms that aren’t getting better, it’s a good idea to see your doctor about it. Your doctor will probably begin by examining the surgical area to make sure you’re healing properly.

When pain involves the arm or shoulder, your doctor can check to make sure you’re not developing any limitations in movement or range of motion. If your ability to move your arm or shoulder is limited, over time it can become more difficult and more painful to move that shoulder. This can lead to frozen shoulder.

您的医生可能还希望评估您的淋巴水肿,这是乳房切除和淋巴结去除的潜在副作用。堵塞的淋巴系统可防止排水并导致流体积聚。这可能导致胸部或臂上肿胀。您的医生可以根据您的症状和其体检结果进行这种诊断。

首先,你的医生会试图弄清楚痛苦来自哪里。

对于肩部问题,一系列每日运动锻炼可以提高灵活性,减少肩痛。使用物理治疗师可能有所帮助。如果你开发冰冻的肩膀,你的医生也可能会把你推荐给骨科医师。

No cure for lymphedema is available, but special exercises and massage can help the flow of lymph fluid and help treat it.

Another treatment for lymphedema is compression, which helps to move lymph fluid. There are two ways to have compression therapy. One is with a pneumatic compression sleeve that’s connected to a pump to create intermittent pressure. The other is to wear a specially fitted compression sleeve.

For pain due to skin inflammation, try a topical pain reliever, such as capsaicin (Qutenza, Theragen, Rezil), in the form of lotions, creams, or gels. If you’re receiving radiation treatment, ask your radiation oncologist for skin care tips.

You can treat nerve pain with over-the-counter pain relievers. If that doesn’t work, stronger prescription pain medications may be helpful.

A2014 study发现星状神经节块连同客tamine successfully decreased pain after mastectomy. It also improved range of motion in the shoulder. This decreased the need for analgesic medications. A stellate ganglion block is a local anesthetic your doctor can inject into nerve tissue in the neck. It usually takes a series of injections to effectively treat the pain.

慢性疼痛通常需要多关个方法。可能证明有益的替代或互补疗法包括:

  • 痛苦
  • acupuncture
  • 按摩
  • relaxation exercises
  • transcutaneous nerve stimulation

保持您的整体健康将有助于您的痛苦的能力。这就是为什么保持营养饮食并定期锻炼是重要的。这也可以帮助您在晚上睡个好觉。

如果你因慢性疼痛而有失眠,请告诉你的医生。

每个人的情况都不同。您的整体健康,年龄和生活方式都会影响由于乳房切除术引起的慢性疼痛。

Postmastectomy pain syndrome can be managed. Work with your doctor to find the pain control therapies that work best for you.

It may also help to network with others who’ve had breast cancer or chronic pain. For more information about support groups in your area, contact the 美国癌症学会 或者American Chronic Pain Association.

Connect with our breast cancer Facebook community for trustworthy answers and warm support »

在乳房切除术后,重要的是遵循外科医生的术后指令并报告副作用。以下是要记住的一些其他事情:

Wearing a breast prosthesis too soon can be painful

无论您是在重建过程中是否在重建过程中,您可能会很快就会戴上胸罩或乳房假肢。这可能是不舒服的甚至痛苦。你的胸部需要时间愈合,你的皮肤将嫩滑几周。如果您对胸部有放射疗法,您的皮肤可能更敏感。

在过渡到假肢乳房之前,您将能够戴文胸和轻质泡沫母乳。遵循外科医生的建议,何时何时进行这些变化。

You need to massage the scar area

Once the bandages are off and the postsurgical drains are removed, your surgeon will advise you on how to massage your chest in the scar area. This helps to soften adhesions that can cause pain. Gentle rubbing every day also helps to desensitize tender areas.

Movement is helpful

当你在痛苦时,很难想到运动,但重要的是继续移动手臂和肩膀是很重要的。让它成为一定程度的点,每天几次旋转手臂。这将有助于保持灵活性并防止刚度。

Your routine can wait

尝试在乳房切除术后恢复通常的常规可能很诱人。但是让你的身体时间休息和恢复是非常重要的。冲击该过程可以让你回来并使恢复时间更长。