arm and other pain

[oksandra]

I had Cyberknife last August and have since had some tumor swelling which has caused a variety of issues which I can attribute to the swelling.  However, I have also had some upper arm pain (feels like my muscles have been working too hard) and pain on both sides of my back and I am wondering if it could be due to my brainstem compression, but I couldn't find anything on line.

I don't think this is a question for the radiation oncologist.  Has anyone had anything like this related to the tumor?  I'm trying to figure out which doctor I should start with (primary care, neurologist, etc.) as I don't have much time in my life for doctor's appointments.  I'd rather start in the right place if I can.

[mk]

I have never heard of brainstem compression causing such symptoms. Of course it is hard to assess what is the cause behind your problems - only a qualified medical professional would be able to do this. I just want to relate my personal experience. I have also experienced upper arm and shoulder pain. It was quite bad last winter, during the time that I was going through my consultations for surgery. I saw a physiotherapist recently and she explained that it was probably a combination of being very overworked and spending a lot of time on the computer, in addition to the stress. Specifically the neck muscles are very prone to tighten up when stressed out, causing all sorts of cascade symptoms. So my issues were what I would call "indirectly" related to the AN, and more specifically attributed to all the stress.
My guess is that you should explain in detail your problems to your primary care practitioner, and he/she should be able to direct you to the most appropriate specialist.

Marianna