Are you living with lymphedema? This condition, which causes significant swelling in the affected limb, can profoundly affect your overall mobility–making it harder for you to do chores or play with the grandkids. Fortunately, First State Rehab at Home offers lymphatic therapy for mobility so you can do the activities you love!
Lymphedema is a chronic condition that causes a buildup of lymphatic fluid in the body, leading to swelling in the arms or legs. The swelling is often so intense that it severely limits your mobility and range of motion.
Lymphatic therapy is a specialized technique that helps guide excess lymphatic fluid out of the affected limb and back into the overall lymphatic system, helping to reduce swelling–which, in turn, improves mobility.
At First State Rehab at Home, we offer lymphatic therapy as part of our at-home geriatric physical therapy services. While we primarily use it to treat lymphedema, lymphatic therapy is also effective in managing rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia–two conditions that can also limit your mobility.
Our Greater Wilmington, Newark, Bear, and Middletown areas of New Castle County Delaware services ensure that you can reap the benefits of lymphatic therapy for mobility without having to find a ride to a clinic. Call us today to learn more!
Understanding the Lymphatic System and Lymphedema
Your body is a complex biological machine. To run efficiently, it uses eleven different organ systems that work in tandem. We’re more familiar with some of these systems than others. For example, everyone knows about their immune system. Fewer people have given much thought to their lymphatic system–but that doesn’t make it any less important.
The lymphatic system is your body’s sewage system. Your body’s tissue creates a waste fluid, called lymph, that your lymphatic system clears away and processes, helping to keep your body’s fluid levels healthy. It’s closely connected to your immune system, producing a type of white blood cell that can combat foreign bodies.
Lymphedema results when your lymphatic system can’t work properly. If it can’t carry lymph to your lymph nodes for processing, the lymph collects in the lymphatic vessels, leading to the intense swelling that is a hallmark symptom of lymphedema.
There are two types of lymphedema. Primary lymphedema is a congenital condition, usually developing in the teen years. Most people have secondary lymphedema, which develops due to another underlying condition.
Breast cancer treatments are one of the most common causes of secondary lymphedema, so people who’ve had breast cancer are at a high risk of developing lymphedema. However, older people are at higher risk of developing lymphedema in general, as the aging process can cause damage to the lymphatic system.
How Lymphatic Therapy Helps Improve Mobility
One of the most difficult aspects of living with lymphedema is the limitations it places on your mobility. The swelling can deeply restrict your range of motion and often only impacts one side of the body, making you feel imbalanced.
Lymphatic therapy corrects these mobility limitations by moving the lymphatic fluid out of the affected limb. This gentle, hands-on manual therapy technique can help reduce the swelling, freeing up your range of motion so you can more easily complete gentle stretches and strengthening exercises to further promote movement.
But what if your mobility impairments are caused by fibromyalgia or rheumatoid arthritis? While these conditions don’t occur due to a buildup of lymphatic fluid, lymphatic therapy can still help!
Over time, rheumatoid arthritis can cause damage to your lymphatic vessels, reducing drainage and ultimately worsening your condition. Lymphatic therapy helps slow that process, relieving pain so you can move the affected joint more easily.
As for why it helps with fibromyalgia, that answer might not be so clear-cut. Fibromyalgia is a complex chronic condition without an obvious cause; however, lymphatic therapy is significantly more gentle than a traditional massage–which means someone with fibromyalgia will be more able to tolerate it.
What To Expect During Lymphatic Therapy for Mobility
At First State Rehab at Home, we only offer at-home physical therapy services, which means you’ll experience the benefits of lymphatic therapy in the comfort of your own home! Not only does at-home physical therapy ensure you receive the care you need, even if you have limited mobility, many of our patients find it much more relaxing to be in their own space.
You’ll begin your session lying down–our therapists will help identify a suitable location in your home. We’ll then guide you through diaphragmatic (deep) breathing exercises to further help you relax.
With a gentle touch, we’ll massage the lymphatic vessels over your skin, encouraging the lymphatic fluid to move toward your lymph nodes. This is not an intense deep-tissue massage, and the process should not be painful.
Once we’ve finished with your lymphatic therapy, we may suggest additional treatments, such as gentle exercise, to further help improve mobility and reduce pain.
Request An Appointment Today!
Lymphatic therapy for mobility is a gentle, relaxing process with a wealth of benefits. Your First State Rehab at Home therapist will work with you to develop a comprehensive treatment plan to ensure you get the most out of your lymphatic therapy session.
Ready to see if lymphatic therapy is the right choice for you? Schedule an at-home consultation today!
Sources:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6475908/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33326048/
- https://www.physio-pedia.com/Lymphoedema
Tags: Mobility, lymphatic therapy, Lymphedema, pain management
