How To Effectively Treat Lymphedema

Manual Lymph Drainage Massage

For some patients, a manual lymph drainage massage might be an ideal option. This is a special technique that encourages lymph fluid to flow out of the affected leg or arm. If a patient has active cancer, there are varying massage treatments that may provide potential benefits. It's important to contact a massage therapist with specific training in drainage techniques. However, there are some situations where patients shouldn't seek a massage. If there's any active disease in the limb with the lymph drainage, massage may exacerbate it. Massage should also be avoided if a patient has blood clots or any skin infection, as these conditions can be worsened or complicated by a massage.

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Complete Decongestive Therapy

There's a treatment option for lymphedema called complete decongestive therapy that combines different treatment therapies with lifestyle changes. Some of the treatments involved in complete decongestive therapy are compression socks, exercise, manual drainage, and bandaging. Everything previously discussed is actually a key component of this treatment. These treatment techniques originally began being used in Australia and Europe, but they've recently become more prevalent across the United States. There have been many studies done showing complete decongestive therapy has an important effect on lymphedema symptoms. However, this treatment therapy isn't recommended for certain individuals. If a patient has any acute infections, blood clots, paralysis, heart failure, or conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes, this may be a dangerous course of action.

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