Question regarding tightness in chest while healing.

[Rav86]

Hi there,

I'm on my third week of recovery at the moment, having had surgery on July 27th, and everything's going very well. So far I've had virtually no pain and my chest looks great aside from a few minor depressions.

The problem: When I try to raise my arm above my head or spread my arms out to the side/do anything that uses my arms in a wide range of movement that stretches my pectorals, there's a great deal of tightness in my chest. It feels like it would if the muscles had stiffened or as if the the scar tissue above the muscles isn't soft enough yet and it's being pulled more than it should by the motions.

Question: What causes this? Is it a simple matter of stretching and massaging the area each day to soften the tissue, or will it soften and stretch on its own over time?

Thank you.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

This is a normal and typical reaction to surgery -- nothing to be alarmed about.

I usually recommend gradual stretching and exercises of the arms at 3-4 weeks post op or later.  If you do this gradually, it should feel much better and looser within about one week.

Dr Jacobs

[Rav86]

Thank you very much