Breast cancer can be treated and recovered in its early stages, but care is also required after surgery. So what are the functional exercises after breast cancer surgery? How to perform functional exercises after breast cancer surgery? Rehabilitation exercise after breast cancer surgery is very important and can be of great help to the body’s recovery. Let’s learn more about the specific content below.
1. Exercise within 2 days after surgery
Breast cancer patients can take a semi-recumbent or semi-sitting position 6 hours after surgery, keep the shoulder joint in the adducted position for 3 days, and avoid abducting the upper arm. . Generally, on the 1st or 2nd day after surgery, you can start to do forearm and elbow joint flexion and extension exercises and mastery movements, such as stretching and flexing fingers, turning palms, making fists, flexing wrists and elbows, about 5-6 times a day.
2. Exercise 3-6 days after surgery
On the 3rd and 4th day after breast cancer surgery, the forearm of the affected upper limb should be swung back and forth, left and right, and up and down, but it should not be drooped for a long time. About 3-5 times a day. On the 5th day after surgery, after removing the chest bandage, you can use the unaffected hand to support the affected elbow and slowly lift it forward and upward to exceed the head and straighten it as much as possible, 2-4 times a day. On the 6th day after surgery, you can use the fingers of the affected limb to slowly slide upward along the wall, gradually raising the level, commonly known as climbing the wall or climbing the pole, 3-4 times a day.
3. Exercise 7-14 days after surgery
On the 7th-10th day after surgery, place the palm of the affected side over the head and do combing movements, starting with the same side and then gradually to the opposite side. Side, until the opposite auricle is touched, 3-4 times a day. The sutures are removed around the 10th day of the operation. Based on physical strength and wound healing, the affected limb can be gradually used to perform various exercises such as lifting, rotation, and abduction of the upper limb with the shoulder joint as the axis. Be careful not to make it too large and do it step by step. 3 to 4 times a day. On the 13th to 14th day after surgery, practice placing the palm of the affected side to the back of the neck, starting with the lowered head position, and gradually reaching the point of raising the head and raising the chest, that is, adducting, abducting, internally rotating, externally rotating, raising and extending the affected limb forward, and gradually lifting it up. and other activities.
4. Upper limb rotation method
Put the healthy side of the upper limb on the back of the chair, let the affected side of the upper limb droop naturally, swing forward, backward, left and right, or draw a circle radius, Until the upper limbs relax.
5. Shoulder rotation method
When sitting, place your hands relaxedly on your thighs, hunch your shoulders, close to your ears, and then rotate your shoulders back and down while Take deep breaths. Repeat forward and backward for the same number of times.
6. Rope practice method
Tie a rope to the closed doorknob. Grasp one end of the rope with the hand on the side where the surgery was performed, and rotate the entire upper limb from the shoulder down, changing the radius of rotation, making sure to do the same number of exercises under each radius. You can change the radius of rotation by moving closer to or farther from the door. Repeat the exercise and gradually increase the radius and number of rotations.
7. Upper limb movement method
Lie flat on the bed or the floor, use a mat or pillow on your head and shoulders, hold your hands together, straighten your elbows, and lift your upper limbs closer Lower your head slowly and repeat.
8. Shoulder movement
It is centered on the shoulder, and the upper limbs move forward, backward, left, and right. The degree of activity is an appropriate amount that does not cause local pain. It can also be Gradually increase the patient's amount of exercise.
9. Local massage
Use the palm of the healthy side to gently press the upper, lower and left sides of the surgical scar. Massage the skin locally to promote the patient's blood circulation.
10. Abduction movement
The patient makes fists with both hands, and lifts the two upper limbs outwards and performs abduction movement. Repeat this many times, and then interlace the fingers of the patient's hands and place them on the Behind the head, vibrate the elbows backwards hard to stretch the skin of the patient's chest wall, and then relax the skin of the patient's upper limbs one by one.
11. Psychological nursing-assisted exercise
Some breast cancer patients often show negative emotions such as depression, anxiety, and fear because their image is damaged, so some patients simply They are not in the mood to do upper limb functional recovery exercises, so psychological care has become a necessary means of functional exercise.
For breast cancer patients, we should pay attention to communicating with them more to help the patients build up the courage and confidence in life, and try to encourage the patients to participate in more meaningful social activities to let the patients relax. burden so that patients can return to life and work as soon as possible.
12. Early symptoms of breast cancer
1. In the early stage of breast cancer, there are usually lumps in the breast area, but some breast cancer patients do not have lumps, but often have local discomfort. Sensation, especially postmenopausal women, sometimes feel mild pain and discomfort in one breast, or heaviness, soreness and discomfort in one shoulder and back, and even the upper arm on that side.
2. In early-stage breast cancer, you will feel a broad bean-sized lump in the breast, which is generally hard and movable. Generally, there will be no pain, but some people may experience symptoms such as dull pain and tingling.
3. The appearance of the breasts will change. Skin bulges can be seen where the lumps are located, and some areas may appear orange peel-like. Symptoms such as edema, eczema, and discoloration may even occur.
4. Nipple retraction, invagination, etc., breast skin appears sunken, nipple erosion occurs, nipple asymmetry, etc.
5. Nipple discharge. Bloody discharge or pus-like discharge may occur from the nipple.
6. Regional lymph nodes are swollen, usually in the ipsilateral axilla.