What are the most crucial arm exercises after a mastectomy? It is common for doctors to prescribe some exercises that may aid in recovery after a mastectomy.
Usually, mastectomy affects the normal movement of the arm and shoulder. Read on to learn more about arm exercises after a mastectomy:
Arm exercises after mastectomy
Your specialist doctor might suggest that you do some exercises to speed up your recovery from a mastectomy and help your arm regain its normal range of motion.
Depending on each patient's health, the specialist doctor decides when to start arm exercises after a mastectomy. The doctor frequently gives advice not to do certain exercises while wearing surgical sutures or surgical drainage tubes.
You should stop performing any exercises in the following circumstances:
- Shortness of breath.
- Chest pain and tightness.
- Swelling in the arm , shoulder, or breast.
Benefits of arm exercises after mastectomy
The reason for this is due to the effect of the mastectomy on the arm and shoulder. It typically begins with some light and simple exercises, such as combing the hair and lifting the arm up, and it may increase gradually according to the patient's health condition and the instructions of the specialist doctor.
After a mastectomy, the patient may initially feel unable to move their arm, so the doctor suggests practising arm exercises.
Here are the potential benefits of post-mastectomy arm exercises:
- Maintain arm and shoulder movement.
- Reducing the pain resulting from the mastectomy.
- Reducing swelling.
- reducing excess weight brought on by certain hormones and drugs for breast cancer.
- Improvement of mental state and increase energy levels.
- Prevention of recurrence of breast cancer .
- minimising the negative effects of some cancer treatments, such as fatigue, nausea, and a decline in physical activity.
Examples of arm exercises after mastectomy
The following are the most crucial arm exercises after mastectomy, which are frequently performed 5-7 times per day. Before beginning any of these exercises, check with your doctor.
1. Raising the stick:
Lying on your back with your knees bent and holding a stick in both hands while raising them as high as you can without experiencing pain for 5 seconds is one of the most crucial exercises that could aid in restoring your arm's natural range of motion.
2. Hand shoulder press:
When performing this exercise, you must sit in a chair and ensure that your back and neck are straight. After placing your hands behind you and clenching them together, you must then pull them as far towards your lower back as you can while keeping your back and neck straight, continuing for three to five seconds.
3. Side Stretch:
One of the arm exercises after the mastectomy is to stretch the sides, as it may help in stretching and lengthening the arm muscles, by sitting on a chair and keeping the back and neck in a straight line, then clasping the hands and raising them together as much as possible without feeling pain, then bending slowly on each side for 3 minutes. Seconds.
Tips when doing arm exercises after mastectomy
In order to improve blood circulation, it is advised to warm up before exercising by walking for a period of 10 to 15 minutes, and you should stop working out if you experience any pain.
Before beginning arm exercises after a mastectomy, you should also speak with a qualified medical professional to ensure that they are both secure and appropriate for your state of health.
When performing arm exercises following a mastectomy, some of the advice below may be helpful:
- Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing.
- To help the muscles relax before working out, take a warm shower.
- Do the exercises slowly and comfortably.
- Rest by walking 5-10 minutes between each two exercises.
- Set aside time for exercise, and keep doing it every day.