Why does neck pain happen during breast cancer treatment?
When you’re going through any kind of treatment for HR-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer, it’s possible you might experience neck pain. For many women with breast cancer, side effects like muscle pain, joint pain, and stiffness make it more difficult to get by on a daily basis. Managing the pain starts with talking to your care team to understand the cause and then learning about what can be done to make you feel better during treatment and beyond.
So, why are you experiencing neck pain and what can you do to feel better?
Your treatment can directly cause neck pain
Women who have been diagnosed with HR-positive (hormone-receptor positive) breast cancer might be treated with hormone therapy drugs called aromatase inhibitors. This class of drugs – including letrozole (Femara®), anastrozole (Arimidex®), and exemestane (Aromasin®) – is prescribed to lower your body’s estrogen levels. With HR-positive breast cancer, the cancer cell receptors attach to hormones, like estrogen, and use them to grow. By having less estrogen in your body, you can deprive the cancer cells of their source of fuel. Aromatase inhibitors are often prescribed for metastatic HR-positive breast cancer, but they can also be included in the treatment plan for women after breast cancer surgery to prevent recurrence.
Joint, muscle, and/or bone pain can occur with this medication, and up to half of women who take aromatase inhibitors experience this side effect. Your hips, knees, wrists, and hands are commonly affected, but some members in the Outcomes4Me community have also reported neck pain.
If you’re on an aromatase inhibitor and experiencing pain, notify your care team so they can provide you with strategies to help.
What can I do to alleviate the pain?
Although it may seem counterintuitive to move while you’re in discomfort, aerobic exercise and strength training can help relieve pain. To start, even 10 minutes of daily movement, like walking, can be beneficial as you build your endurance. Exercise not only can help with pain management, but it can also improve quality of life and reduce fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Be sure to check in with your care team before starting any exercise regimen.
Acupuncture can be another therapeutic option for managing pain. Research suggests that acupuncture helps lessen pain and enhance treatment adherence for women on aromatase inhibitors. Integrative Oncologist and Hematologist Dr. Krisstina Gowin recommends acupuncture at least once a week for four weeks to help manage pain and other treatment-related side effects.
Are there other reasons for my neck pain?
If breast cancer spreads to the lymph nodes around your neck, it can add uncomfortable pressure to the nerves in your neck and cause additional pain. You might have trouble moving your neck or experience pain in both the shoulders and upper back. A condition called lymphedema can result in swelling around the neck, sometimes requiring manual lymphatic drainage (through massage), compression bandaging, and exercise to free you from pain.
Neck pain can be linked directly to the tension and stress you’re feeling every day as you’re going through treatment. In this case, your care team might also recommend additional techniques like gentle stretching, meditation, or massage to alleviate the pain and promote relaxation.
What else can I do to feel better?
If the recommended suggestions aren’t helping you feel better, talk to your care team about physical therapy to improve your neck’s mobility and strengthen the muscles around your neck. They might also recommend supportive measures like using a pillow or a neck brace at night, or deep breathing exercises designed to help you manage the pain on your own. If you’re still not finding any relief, your care team might suggest palliative care to help you understand and better manage your physical and emotional pain.
If you would like to connect with an Outcomes4Me oncology nurse practitioner at no charge through the Outcomes4Me app, just use the “Ask Outcomes4Me” button.
