Post-mastectomy syndrome, or post-mastectomy pain syndrome, occurs in women who have recently undergone a mastectomy or lumpectomy breast surgery. Months after surgery, women experiencing this syndrome report feeling pain, itching, loss of feeling, sensitivity, tingling, and pain in their arm, shoulder, armpit, chest, or at the site of the incision. While the exact cause is unknown, researchers believe that these sensations are caused by nerve endings that were damaged during surgery, leading to jumbled pain signals between the breast and the brain.
While symptoms usually improve over time, a pain specialist may offer treatment for the pain associated with post-mastectomy syndrome with some combination of physical therapy, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication, pain relieving creams or patches, prescription painkillers, specific antidepressants, and nerve-blocking injections.
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MedStar Washington Hospital Center
110 Irving St. NW Washington, DC 20010
MedStar Health: Medical Center at Lafayette Centre
1133 21st St., NW Building 2 Washington, DC, 20036
MedStar Health: Medical Center at Brandywine
13950 Brandywine Rd. Brandywine, MD 20613