Mets in shoulder

[Shafight]

My nurse practitioner doesn’t know the answer to this. My PET scan showed that the pain in my shoulder is bone Mets. I thought I’d torn something. I’ve been seeing a PT who’s specialty is athletic injury. He uses some deep massage and strengthening exercises. It helps for a while. Should I keep seeing him with bone mets

[awesome4ever]

Hi Shafight. I'm sorry for this news. I have extensive bone metastases through out most of my skeletal system including both shoulders, clavicles and upper arm bones. I had a pathological fracture in my shoulder from doing nothing but pushing myself up from a chair that required a total shoulder replacement 8 months ago. I would definitely not recommend you continue with your current PT . Athletic rehab is so aggressive but when you have bone metastases you have to be careful. I was advised to see an oncology physiotherapist who is familiar with the delicacy of bone metastases. Deep tissue massage I think would be dangerous. However it of course is always your decision. Risk versus benefit I guess. Good luck and take care.

[NPmary in reply to awesome4ever]

I am a retired NP and completely agree with awesome. 🙌

[Shafight in reply to awesome4ever]

Thank you. This is good advice!

[Shafight in reply to awesome4ever]

Thanks. I really appreciate this advice and I’m going to follow it

[PJBinMI]

Ask your onc about this. Before any more PT asppts. I've had lots of PT over the 19 years I've had MBC with "extensive" bone mets but have never had deep tissue massage. Your physical therapist needs to see that PET image, too.

[chemohawk in reply to PJBinMI]

You've had bone mets for 19 years?!! WOW, I am so impressed. May I ask what regimens you've been on... if you can remember! Thanks for giving us all hope of longevity!

[Shafight in reply to PJBinMI]

19 years survival. Wow. I just find that everyone is so specialized that they can’t answer other issues. I have one pt for lymphodemia. Then I got one for my shoulder pain. He looked at my last PET from jan and said there were Mets in my clavicle. He could only work on the back of my shoulder. My recent Pet showed cancer had spread to my whole shoulder. My nurse practitioner first said to stop PT. Then she later said I could continue if it made it feel better. As advised by some here, I’m stopping. My lymphodemia pt knows more about cancer and can help. Thanks to all of you for your advice

[Eliactida1955]

it depends on what treatment you are doing as to whether you continue. Ask your onc and if it makes you feel good then do it . I’ve heard about massage and maybe not a good idea but I have stage 4 spread to bones and no treatment for 5 years except oral chemo. That massage I have is not often maybe 2-3 times a year. I enjoy it.. I wish you the best.

[Aquadog]

I have bone mets in my shoulder also (among other places). Before I was diagnosed it was really painful. My oncologist ordered radiation and it worked wonders for me - no pain in that location for over six years. I've been very careful about massages and PT in the area of my mets, but I just tell my physical therapist and they adjust the session accordingly.

Good luck.

Hugs, Susan

[Shafight in reply to Aquadog]

Can I have radiation to my shoulder if I’ve already had it 2 times for breast cancer

[Aquadog in reply to Shafight]

Absolutely. I've had radiation 4 different times (in different spots) over the course of my BC journey. Typically, once is all they can do on a tumor/met but there have been instances where the same spot can be radiated twice. I haven't had to do that - the first and only zap took away the pain.

[13plus]

You really need to discuss this with your oncologist, as they can see how extensive and the exact location of the lesion, which may guide their answer to you. If your doc says it's ok to continue I personally would seek a PT who has worked before with people with mets. Really, with your cancer dx history, they should have asked for a scan first anyway, before they started doing any deep massage on you, so I don't know that that PT is the right choice for you. At the very least they should know the exact location of the lesion before they do more work on you.

It is important to keep the muscles around the joint strong so hopefully you can continue with some PT but your oncologist may suggest a small amount of radiation first. Many have success reducing pain this way.

Massage itself is not necessarily a dangerous thing for you but again, it depends on lesion location , and the person applying it knowing about that! I have extensive lesions in my pelvis now and I have to be much more gentle and careful these days if I want to self apply the foam roller/tennis ball massage that I have done for years for tight muscles