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Helping Breast Cancer Survivor with Shoulder Pain
One of my clients is a woman in her late 30’s who is 3 years out from having very aggressive breast cancer that led to a double mastectomy, axillary lymph node dissection on the left, and a diep flap. She had breast reconstruction immediately. The fascia across her right breast, upper chest, shoulder, upper back, and through her axilla was pulled taut during the surgeries. She now finds herself having constant shoulder pain.
A recent MRI showed nothing. Her doctor says everything looks fabulous. The only relief she is able to get is through a combination of fascial running and SMRT. During each session, which is only once every two weeks due to financial constraints, I work the lateral border of the scapula, through the axilla, across the upper chest, and into the upper arm. But it is the release of the subcutaneous fascia along the ribs just under her right breast implant that produces the most relief. As the ribs open and realign, her shoulder glides posterior and into a more neutral position. The compression in these ribs tends to shorten serratus anterior. The release of the intercostal muscles and subsequent expansion of these ribs allows serratus anterior to find length and the scapula to move toward balance between abduction and adduction.
Full Circle’s final SMRT: Shoulder, Axilla, Ribcage, & Upper Back course of 2014 will be held at Carolina Pointe II in Chapel Hill, NC, September 5-7. Register before August 5th for a 10% or $45 tuition discount. https://efullcircle.com/class-schedule/
