V. Gently, lean forward until you feel a stretch in the front of your chest and shoulders.
Strengthening Exercises ‚
Strengthening exercises keep your muscles firm and strong. Stand or sit up tall on a chair without arms for your exercises. Start by doing each of these exercises 3 to 5 times. Slowly, work up to doing each exercise 10 times. Do all exercises slowly. ‚
- Shoulder blade squeezes ¢ ˆ ’ Pinch your shoulder blades together on your upper back and hold 3 to 5 seconds. Relax.
- Shoulder circles ¢ ˆ ’ Sit or stand with your back straight. Raise just your shoulders up towards your ears. Move them back, down, and then forward in a circle. Repeat, but now move your shoulders in a circle going forward.
- Arm raises ¢ ˆ ’ Cross your hands at your knees. Now, lift your arms up to make the touchdown signal. Be sure to squeeze your shoulder blades together. Hold for 3 seconds.
- Diagonal chops ¢ ˆ ’ Clasp your hands together. Bring them over one shoulder. Make a chopping motion ending at the opposite hip. Next, do the motion over the opposite shoulder chopping down to the opposite hip. You should slowly twist your trunk when doing the chopping motion.
- Wall walking ¢ ˆ ’ Stand and face a wall. You should be about a foot away from the wall. Put your hand on the wall in front of you. Walk your fingers up the wall until you feel a stretch in your chest or armpit area. Hold 20 to 30 seconds.
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What will the results be?
- Less pain
- Less stiffness
- More range of motion
- More strength
- Better able to use your arm
What problems could happen?
- Frozen shoulder
- Cut site could open if too aggressive
- Draining from cut site
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Increased swelling of your hand or arm
- Redness or a rash on your arm
- Your arm feels warm to the touch
Helpful tips
- Stay active and work out to keep your muscles strong and flexible.
- Be sure you do not hold your breath when exercising. This can raise your blood pressure. If you tend to hold your breath, try counting out loud when exercising. If any exercise bothers you, stop right away.
- Always warm up before stretching. Heated muscles stretch much easier than cool muscles. Stretching cool muscles can lead to injury.
- Try walking or cycling at an easy pace for a few minutes to warm up your muscles. Do this again after exercising.
- Never bounce when doing stretches.
- Doing exercises before each meal may be a good way to get into a routine.
- Exercise may be slightly uncomfortable, but you should not have sharp pains. If you do get sharp pains, stop what you are doing. If the sharp pains continue, call your doctor.
Where can I learn more?
American Cancer Society ‚
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/moreinformation/exercises-after-breast-surgery ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚