Hello:

I'm 5 months out of treatment. There is one month I'm suffering muscular pain in the radiated areas in the neck (both sternocleido) and both trapecius.

I try to do exercise but I don't know if it is a good solution. The pain is stronger when I do some streching in these areas.

Is it there any kind of remedy? Exercises, streching, massage, electrostimulation, hot apply, cold apply, topical or oral NSAIDs ...?

Is the pain produced but a damaged muscular fibres or perhaps is it produced by vascular damage or both?

A lot of questions...

Hugs for everybody.

Hey Raymonet,
Just starting rads now so I cannot speak from my own personal experience. I work in the field of rehab though and recommend you see a physical therapist with experience with radiation effects. All of the above you mentioned will help - exercising, stretching, etc. you just have to do it the right way, in the right order, at the right time - a physical therapist can get you started on the right path to regain muscle use and decrease pain. When something hurts we do all kinds of things that are biomechanically wrong to compensate - in the end you're left dealing with the first problem and then the secondary issues that arise from improper compensation of movement.
Hope it's possible for you to see a physical therapist and get that shoulder/neck moving well again!
Jennifer

I haven't had the neck pain but have read about it, and I think Jensip is right about seeing a PT for specific stretches.
More generally, I would recommend yoga, massage and easy walking. Those are all investments with a payoff that will be better than being inactive.
Best wishes.

Hi There,
I am 156 months post TX and still do get neck pain. I had 40 RADS and they beat the snot out on my neck,. I do strech it twice a day, some streaches a PT gave me. Once a week or so I will take Tylenol. I can PM you the strech if you like, they do work well.
Steve

Steve,

You must have flown through your recovery to be 156 months post Tx already!

I'm 41 months out from the end of treatment, and know precisely what you are experiencing. You don't have a signature, so I can't tell if you had a neck dissection or, if so, what type.

The radiation fibrosis gives that "wooden neck" feeling, but the fibrotic tissue can also impinge on nerves that run through the side of the neck, and produce a variety of symptoms, ranging from stiffness, to muscle pain, to spasm, to symptoms mimicking carpal tunnel. Physical therapy and stretching has been helpful for some. There is also some literature indicating that botox injections can be helpful, but I don't know anybody personally who has had these.

If you had a neck dissection, the problem can be compounded, due to trauma to the nerves, particularly if the dissection extended into Level V, where the Spinal Accessory Nerve frequently becomes involved. That can result in a spectrum of symptoms all its own, including trapezius and shoulder issues.

You're not alone!

[quote=davidcpa]Steve,

You must have flown through your recovery to be 156 months post Tx already! [/quote]


Ha ha, side effect...bad typing!!!
15 months!

Oh so glad to hear that my typing gone awry is a side effect of TX. I was afraid I was getting old or something.