underarm pain

I have had a mastectomy and now for the past 2 years have re accuring underarm pain very annoying but doesn't seem to me to be cancer but probably muscle tissue scar tissue pain this was never discussed with me after my surgery I think the way we are treated today or may be any day is totally inhumane what you go through after you lose a breast and nothing is even discussed regarding the pain that might follow 5 years later and never a word about reconcstructive surgery not that it is really important to me as an individual but I would imagine if a were a person of money this would have been discussed immediately    Anyway I am having this irritating very uncomfortable pain under my arm where 6 healthy lymph nodes were removed just in case I was told but I had an ulrasound last year and nothing showed up    I'd like to know if this is common


This discussion is related to breast and underarm pain.

[zouzi]

Hi,
So sorry that you are still having so much pain,but this is not an uncommon problem. It's a common phenomenon in at least 25 percent of women.Generally, when they have this syndrome, women will feel a lot of pain, numbness, and burning under the armpit and also across the chest. Most of the time this occurs because of injury to a nerve. Commonly, there's a nerve called the Intercostal Brachial nerve, which is injured during surgery.

These sensations can last for a long period of time, and can actually occur anywhere from weeks after the surgery itself, to years later. Women who experience this pain should be seen in a pain center,because there are some nerve blocks that can be done. In particular, one that is sometimes helpful would be the Stellate Ganglion Block, which would be done by an anesthesiologist trained in pain medicine.

The other thing worth thinking about and considering ,would be acupuncture,many women seem to find relief rather quickly.
Best wishes and I hope that you'll feel better soon.