Post mastectomy cramping

Good afternoon, I had a single left side mastectomy in 2016, all nodes removed on that side, no reconstruction. I have noticed lately I am getting severe cramping in the muscle over my ribs on this side, especially if I reach to my right hand side, eg, I had to reach round to fasten the zip on the right hand side of my jacket, which required using both hands, and the pain was immense! It’s like a spasm all across the left hand side of my chest wall, is this normal please?

  • Hello and thanks for posting,

    The chest wall area has many muscles and nerve endings that can get inflamed or irritated. Do try some daily gentle stretching exercises, and think about how you are sleeping position wise, as sometimes this can cause issues. Try and avoid heavy lifting on that side. Maybe consider a private physiotherapy assessment. 

    Most of the time these things resolve over a few weeks, if it persists then make a GP appointment. They can also refer for NHS physiotherapy if needed.

    They will advise you if they want to do any other tests or scans, or an x-ray.

    Hope this helps,

    Best wishes,

    Vanda