Grinding pain against my chest wall 4 years after breast implants. Could it be nerve damage?

I'm sorry to hear of the pain you are experiencing. It's not possible to make a diagnosis just from your description. There may be a nerve that is irritated when the implants move when you move. Visit with your surgeon for an evaluation. Further testing may be needed to help discover the cause

I would go see a board-certified plastic surgeon (with 6 year integrated plastic surgery training and 1 year The Aesthetic Society accredited fellowship). We have the capability to perform ultrasound in the office to evaluate the integrity of the breast implant. In addition, a physical exam would be beneficial. There are many reasons why this may be a sensation you are having including costochondritis, a loose pocket with too small of an implant, a loose implant pocket with too large of an implant, implant shell rupture and many more. Without an evaluation in person, it is difficult to make any recommendations or provide a plan.

Dear Tasteful78904,
I understand your concern. However, without a proper assessment, it would be difficult to determine what went wrong. It is best that you visit your plastic surgeon for further assessment or ask for a second opinion. Only after a thorough examination, you can get proper recommendations and advice.
Daniel Barrett, MDCertified, American Board of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Plastic SurgeryMember, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Thank you so much for reaching out. I am sorry to hear you are experiencing pain with your implants. There could be several reasons why you are having pain. Typically nerve damage feels more like tingling/burning/itching, or an electric shock kind of sensation that can occur at random times. The fact that you are having pain when the implant moves may be more of a musculoskeletal issue or inflammation with scar tissue or your capsule. If your plastic surgeon is unable to investigate this further, I recommend getting a second opinion with a board certified plastic surgeon. Good luck and thanks again for reaching out.

You may have developed a capsule. also, breasts do fall to the sides naturally when laying down, but some augmented women do not like this. Your lateral pockets can be tightened so that there is less movement.

Sorry to hear of this, but you give too little detail about where the pain is. Which side, what it feels like, what relieves it and whether you can reproduce it by pushing on 1 point. I have had interventional radiology inject alcohol directly into a nerve to stop pain, but can't give you a recommendation without knowing a ton more.