Patients experiencing upper or lower limb lymphoedema can book an initial appointment to complete a comprehensive consultation; first you will be asked the history of your lymphoedema including any previous management strategies, then your affected limb or limbs will be examined and measurements taken to review progress between sessions, this will be followed by the first manual lymphatic drainage treatment. This treatment is appropriate for any stage of both primary lymphoedema (abnormality of the lymphatic system) and secondary lymphoedema (damage or dysfunction of the lymphatic system e.g, post cancer treatment or post traumatic injury).
During this appointment you will also be given documentation and a demonstration on how to perform simplified self lymphatic drainage massage between appointments. For the best treatment outcome you must attend all appointments with custom fitting compression garments, advice can be provided on how to acquire the best suited compression garments for your lymphoedema.
Benefits of lymphatic drainage massage include a reduction in limb volume, reduction of fibrosis, increased range of movement, increased skin healing rates and improved mental wellbeing. The number of treatments you have varies from person to person, depending on the amount of fluid within the limb, stage of lymphoedema and self management strategies between appointments.
You might not be able to have treatment for your lymphoedema if you have any of the following:
- an infection or inflammation in the swollen area
- a blood clot
- heart problems
- cancer in the area
If you are uncertain about having treatment, talk to your doctor or lymphoedema specialist.
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