Arm Massage Gives Post Operative Pain Relief

Massage therapy provides natural pain relief in people with different conditions such as low back pain or fibromyalgia. But the benefits of massage seem to go beyond nonspecific pain, with more and more lymph node dissection patients claiming pain relief after being given arm massage.

Women with breast cancer who undergo surgery usually undergo lymph node dissection either for cancer staging or to ensure that the cancer does not spread. However, lymph node dissection can be painful. It can also result in arm and shoulder mobility problems or lymphedema.

Thankfully, patients who have been given arm massage after lymph node dissection seem to experience less pain. A study was then done to evaluate the effectiveness of massage in alleviating pain after lymph node dissection.

Summary of the Study:

• Fifty-nine patients diagnosed of breast cancer participated in the study. They all underwent lymph node dissection. Information was collected before the surgery and after the surgery at fixed intervals (one day after, ten to fourteen days after, and four months after the lymph node dissection).
• The patient’s loved ones were taught how to do arm massage and were asked to do the massage after the participants underwent lymph node dissection.

Results of the Study:

• The information gathered from the participants revealed that there was a decrease in post-operative pain by those whose arms were massaged by their loved ones.
• There was also an improved shoulder and arm function in this group compared to those who did not undergo arm massage.

Arm massage a natural means of providing pain relief for patients who undergo lymph node dissection as part of their breast cancer surgery. It effectively decreases discomfort and pain. Pain relief is important to ensure that a post-operative patient will not suffer from long-term consequences of prolonged arm immobility, such as contractures or reduction in muscle size.

In addition, arm massage makes breast cancer patients feel closer to their family. Arm massage may be a loved one’s way of showing support for someone suffering from breast cancer who has just undergone lymph node dissection.

If you want to find out how the study was done, read the details here.