Lymphedema treatment: Lymphatic drainage massage, Compression therapy, and Exercises. Lymphedema is a condition whereby an area of the body becomes chronically swollen. Usually, it is an arm or a leg that increases in size, but lymphedema can also occur in the trunk, neck or face.
Many doctors are not fully aware of lymphedema, the causes, and the side-effects so most diagnosed cases are diagnosed six months after the onset of the chronic swelling. There are about people in Canada who suffer from lymphedema according to recent statistics, but researchers believe that there are much more people who suffer from this conditions due to the fact that it is severely under-diagnosed.
Stage 1: At this stage, there will be chronic swelling that is gel-like, referred to as pitting edema. Stage 2: During this stage, some of the swellings begins to harden which is called fibrosis. The hardened areas will impede the flow if the lymph even more, possibly further increasing the amount of lymphedema in the area.
Stage 3: At this stage, the condition is very advanced and the skin starts to change, becoming dry, cracked, red and splotchy. Lymphedema can be treated, controlled, but not cured. While doctors and researchers have tried medications and surgical procedures, none have been successful. The only successful treatment is the combination of lymphatic drainage massage , compression therapy, and exercise.
Lymphatic drainage massage is performed with repetitive movements towards areas with healthy lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes in order to create new lymphatic pathways. Right after the treatment, the therapist will wrap the area with compressive bandages in order to prevent an increase in the size of the area between treatments. Once fluid levels have substantially decreased a plateau in the change of arm circumference the person will have to be measured and fitted for a custom compressive garment.
