Behind the Scenes of Lingering Pain and Tightness After Breast Cancer
As I think about the topic of this week's blog, I hesitate and wonder, how do you talk about pain without it being a big ol' drag. Maybe we should talk about our favorite kind of ice cream instead? (Mine's chocolate:-) Sometimes women wait years to work with me and the biggest reason I have heard is that...
" I just don't want to think about breast cancer." or
"I just want to put it allllll behind me."
Sound familiar?
Yet pain and tightness on top of a baseline of anxiety and a sense of unease make it harder and harder to do just that. Pain is the body asking for attention. If you ignore pain, the volume just keeps getting louder. So, get some ice cream, and let's talk about what's happening behind the scenes of all of that lingering pain and tightness and how to get into step with yourself after breast cancer.
Ohhhh K, so I have found over the years of working with women after breast cancer that a little data about how your body is working goes a long way towards healing AND healing looks like ...
not thinking about pain all-day
doing more of you without paying for it later with more pain and tightness. (oh that pesky pain cycle! Keep reading for more about how to get out of those pain cycles)
So hold up the Google search for what the heck is wrong with you and/or is my breast cancer back and all the things your brain wants to know. I'm gonna share a few insights that can add to your research about your body and soften those bumps along the road to healing after having all of those breast cancer surgeries and treatments.
Getting your mind and your body on the same healing path is essential to getting those long-term wins!
Let us start with the ever-present and not-so-subtle, daily reminder that you had surgery...your scars.
Scars are way more than the lines they appear to be on the surface of your chest, back, and/or belly. Underneath the scar, there is a spiderweb of tissue that branches out to stabilize the area. As you’re healing, scar tissue, along with fascia, is trying to restrict movement so you can heal. When you do the specific scar release that I teach to my clients, the gentle sustained, compression for at least 2-5 minutes in one area (get your FREE guide HERE), you are engaging the scar and all of its branches as it integrates three-dimensionally throughout your body, maybe even to the back or side, above or below where your incision was. Your shoulder pain might be from that tiny, little biopsy scar. Your scar tissue might be contributing to the rib and shoulder blade pain that keeps you up at night.
FASCIA FASCIA FASCIA
Let's chat about fascia and its layers and layers of tissue! One of its many jobs is to act as shock absorption for your body. A two-year-old that moves like Gumby and bounces when they fall is a great example or when you step off of a curb wrong, you bobble but catch yourself easily.
Fascia also isolates and protects your body like the wedges of an orange. If you eat steak and see the marbling throughout... that’s facia as well. It's tough and you might not even be able to chew it, as in spit it out and discreetly put it on the side of your plate or nonchalantly pass it under the table and give it to the dog.
Fascia has an elastin, spiderweb-like component that allows your body to move and stretch with its superpower being to expand and contract. That makes you the Wonder Woman that you are. Let us not forget that the nerves that intertwine in-between and throughout all the many components of fascia. If the facia is tight, the pressure squeezes directly on the nerves causing pain. Tight fascia and scar tissue are also contributing to lymphedema. Like a kink in the garden hose, the lymph has nowhere to go. Relieving the tightness is essentially taking out the kink and now your lymphatic drainage will be that much more effective.
We can relieve the tightness and create space between the layers of fascia, allowing the nerves to slide and glide. Less pain with more movement. Yay!!!
Why does the facia get tight? The body is wired to protect itself so if it hurts to move your arm, your body’s going to use the fascia system to tighten down and restrict movement. Now it hurts because it's tight...and then it tightens because it hurts. This pain cycle is a big contributing factor to not only consistent pain but how pain and tightness over time can get worse.
So how do ya get out of this pain cycle?
Gentle, sustained compression and elongation for 2-5 minutes in one spot. You never go past your edge. You're not bracing or thinking how awful and painful it is. You can feel it and it might even be a little ick but you can hold it. Imagine a sponge on the kitchen counter. Push into the sponge and stop and wait when you feel the counter. If you go past your edge then the nervous system is gonna kick you out so fast and you're just gonna create more pain and bracing and the body is gonna add even more protection. That looks and feels like more pain and tightness or just temporary relief.
Adding the myofascial techniques and embodiment strategies that I teach will help you reconnect with your body, so you can relieve pain and tightness, gain peace of mind, and get to know your new favorite self!
YOU DID IT!
You might still be chewing from that big ol' chat about fascia and pain cycles so ice cream it up. Stay on it with your self-care and let it flow. You deserve all the TLC and walks and all the things that keep you in the healing zone!
Wishing you didn't have to do this all on your own? I have just three 1-1 Beloved Bust Coaching spots left. Read more about it working with me HERE.
Get out of pain, find your joy, and reclaim your body after breast cancer.
Don't miss the Facebook Live I did talking all about the behind-the-scenes of pain and tightness. Click here to catch the replay!
