Exercises after Breast Surgery

What are the Exercises after Breast Surgery

The following exercises are recommended and safe to do after you have surgery on your breast or your lymph nodes near your armpit (axillary nodes).

These exercises may improve your ability to move your chest, shoulders, and back (mobility). This can help to relieve pain, swelling, and stiffness that you may experience after surgery.

Exercises

Ask your health care provider which exercises are safe for you. Do exercises exactly as told by your health care provider and adjust them as directed. You should not feel pain when you do these exercises. Stop right away if you feel any pain. Do notbegin these exercises until told by your health care provider.

Exercise A: Deep breathing

1. Lie down on your back. You may bend your knees for comfort.
2. Slowly breathe in as much air as you can and expand your chest and abdomen.
   • Think about pushing your belly button away from your spine while you do this.
   • It may help to put your hands on your belly so you can feel it expand.
3. Slowly breathe out.

Repeat these steps 4–5 times or the number of times that is comfortable for you.

Exercise B: Wand exercise

1. Lie down on your back. You may bend your knees for comfort.
2. Position your hands so your thumbs are pointing to each other. With both hands, hold a wand-shaped object, such as a broom handle or a cane. Your hands should be about shoulder width apart on the object.
3. Start with the object resting across your hips.
4. Slowly lift the wand toward the ceiling. Use your unaffected arm to help lift the wand. If it is comfortable for you, lengthen the movement to go from your hips to over your head.

Repeat these steps 5–7 times.

Exercise C: Elbow winging

1. Lie down on your back. You may bend your knees for comfort.
2. Clasp your hands together behind your head so that your elbows point toward the ceiling.
3. Keep your hands together and move your elbows apart and down toward the floor as far as you comfortably can.

Repeat these steps 5–7 times.

Exercise D: Swelling reduction, lying down

1. Lie down on your back. You may bend your knees for comfort.
2. Raise (elevate) your affected arm above the level of your heart and keep it elevated during the exercise. You may rest your arm on top of pillows to make this easier.
3. Open and close your hand 15–25 times in a row.
4. Bend and straighten your elbow 15–25 times in a row.
5. You may keep your arm elevated for up to 45 minutes at a time. This helps to reduce swelling.

Do this exercise 2–4 times a day.

Exercise E: Swelling reduction, sitting

1. Hold a tennis ball, a rolled-up towel, or a similar object in your hand on your affected side.
2. Slowly squeeze the ball or towel. Try to do this using only your hand muscles.
3. Relax your hand.

Repeat these steps 15–25 times.

Exercise F: Shoulder blade stretch

1. Sit in a chair, facing a table. Your back should be against the back of the chair.
2. Place your unaffected arm on the table with your palm down and your elbow bent. This arm will support you and will not move during the exercise.
3. Place your affected arm on the table with your palm down and your elbow straight.
4. Slide your affected arm forward, toward the opposite side of the table, but avoid leaning forward.
   • While you do this, you should feel your shoulder blade on your affected side move away from the back of the chair.
   • You may put a towel under your hand to help it slide more easily.

Repeat these steps 5–7 times.

Exercise G: Shoulder blade squeeze

1. Sit in a stable chair with good posture. Avoid letting your back touch the back of the chair.
2. Your arms should be at your sides with your elbows bent. You may rest your forearms on a pillow.
3. Squeeze your shoulder blades together. Think about trying to bring them down and back.
   • Keep your shoulders level.
   • Do notlift your shoulders up toward your ears.
4. Relax your muscles completely before you repeat this exercise.

Repeat these steps 5–7 times.

Exercise H: Side bend

1. Sit in a stable chair with your feet flat on the floor. You may put your feet shoulder-width apart to help you feel more stable.
2. Clasp your hands together in your lap and lift your hands slowly over your head until your arms are straight. You may use your unaffected arm to help lift your other arm.
3. With your arms above your head, bend at your waist to your right so you feel a stretch in your left side.
4. Straighten your abdomen and move your arms back to the center, above your head.
5. Repeat step 3 on the other side of your body, by bending to the left until you feel a stretch in your right side.

Repeat these steps 5–7 times.

Exercise I: Chest wall stretch

1. Stand facing a corner. Put one foot near the corner and the other foot about 18 inches (45 cm) behind the forward foot. It does not matter which foot is forward.
2. Bend your elbows and place your forearms on the wall, one on each side of the corner. Your elbows should be as close to shoulder height as possible.
3. Keep your body straight as you move your hips toward the corner. Do notlet your shoulders move up toward your ears.

Repeat these steps 5–7 times.

Exercise J: Wall climb, flexion

1. Stand facing a wall with your toes about 8–10 inches (20–25 cm) from the wall.
2. Place your hands on the wall, about shoulder width apart.
3. Move your hands up the wall and toward the ceiling.
   • Do notlet your shoulders shrug.
   • Do notarch your back.

Repeat these steps 5–7 times.

Exercise K: Wall climb, abduction

1. Stand about 18 inches (45.7 cm) from a wall, with your affected side facing the wall.
2. Bend the elbow of your arm on your affected side, and place your hand on the wall.
3. Move your hand up the wall and toward the ceiling. Do notlet your shoulders shrug.

Repeat these steps 5–7 times.

Contact a health care provider if:

• You feel like you are getting weaker.
• You have trouble doing any of the exercises.
• You often fall or lose your balance.
• You have pain or swelling that gets worse.
• You develop:
  • New pain or swelling.
  • A feeling of heaviness in your arm.
  • Headaches that are different than usual.
  • Numbness or tingling in your arms or chest.
• You become dizzy.
• You have blurry vision.