What Is Post-Mastectomy Pain?
Post-mastectomy pain, also known as post-mastectomy pain syndrome (PMPS), is persistent pain following a breast cancer operation. A mastectomy is major surgery, and chronic pain following surgery is one possible complication. There is no single particular type of mastectomy pain. Patients can feel muscle spasms, numbness, tingling, burning, tenderness, or a dull ache around the breast. Pain might be felt in the chest, the armpit, or the arm on the side of the body where the operation was done. Some patients experience �frozen� shoulder-pain, stiffness, and lack of mobility in the shoulder. Sometimes the skin on the breast or chest becomes inflamed causing itching or burning.
Is Post-Mastectomy Pain Normal?
PMPS, to some degree, is common after a total mastectomy, a partial mastectomy, a lumpectomy, and breast reconstruction following surgery. Studies have found that between 25 percent and 50 percent of women who have had breast cancer surgery experience some level of pain, ranging from mild to severe. The pain can begin as soon as the day of the operation or appear up to three months after surgery. Mastectomy pain can last from a few days to as long as three years, if left untreated.
What Causes Post-Mastectomy Pain?
The two main causes of PMPS are nerve damage and the buildup of adhesions (scar tissue). One reason a mastectomy is such a serious operation is that it affects a number of muscles and nerves, depending on how much of the breast is removed and where the cancer is located. Sometimes nerves have to be sacrificed when the cancerous tumor is cut away. During any operation, adhesions form almost immediately after tissue is cut. This is the body’s natural response to injury and the first step in the healing process. These adhesions cause pain when they restrict nearby tissue or internal body structures that are designed to move freely.
What Is Post-Mastectomy Pain?
Post-mastectomy pain, also known as post-mastectomy pain syndrome (PMPS), is persistent pain following a breast cancer operation. A mastectomy is major surgery, and chronic pain following surgery is one possible complication. There is no single particular type of mastectomy pain. Patients can feel muscle spasms, numbness, tingling, burning, tenderness, or a dull ache around the breast. Pain might be felt in the chest, the armpit, or the arm on the side of the body where the operation was done. Some patients experience �frozen� shoulder-pain, stiffness, and lack of mobility in the shoulder. Sometimes the skin on the breast or chest becomes inflamed causing itching or burning.
How Is Post-Mastectomy Pain Treated?
Treatment for PMPS depends on the cause of the pain. For all post-mastectomy patients, standard treatment includes counseling to relieve the stress and shock of surgery. For all pain, the first treatment is over-the-counter or prescription pain medicines. This is also the main treatment for pain involving nerve damage. Acupuncture sometimes relieves nerve-related pain. Massage and physical therapy are the best treatments for pain caused by scarring. Particularly effective are massage and physical therapy techniques that break up and remove the post-operative adhesions from the body.
