Lymphedema is a condition that affects thousands of individuals around the world. My name is Kelly and I am a physical therapist that specializes in oncology, rehab and lymphedema. And in this video, I'm going to explain what lymphedema is.
Before we begin, make sure that you subscribe down below for weekly new videos. You can also follow along with us on Instagram for more related content or check out our website for more resources. Lymphedema is a condition in which fluid builds up and swelling occurs in the tissues of the body.
It can affect any part of the body, but it most commonly affects the arms, the legs, and the area around the head and neck. How does this occur? Your heart pumps blood throughout the body. This blood moves away from the heart through the arteries and then back to the heart through the veins.
However, During this process some of the fluid leaves the blood. This is a protein fluid called lymphatic fluid and It stays separate from the blood that returns the heart through the veins So the lymphatic vessels are the ones that bring the lymphatic fluid to the lymph nodes Which are primarily in the head neck area armpit area and the groin although you have a lot throughout the body but it's there where the fluid is filtered for any harmful substances and bacteria before it moves then back to the heart. If lymph nodes are removed during surgery for cancer treatment, the system can get potentially backed up and congested because there are less nodes and pathways for that fluid to move through causing a backup which is that swelling and lymphedema that someone sees.
There's also a situation that someone may be born with this, a congenital situation or a genetic thing that someone did not have the lymph nodes at birth, or they didn't have the same lymphatic vessels, or there's a dysfunction of it, and that can also cause long-term lymphedema. Lymphedema can be a chronic condition, meaning it can last for a long time or even be permanent, which is primarily the case. There is not currently a cure for lymphedema, but there is conservative treatment. and also gaining opportunities for surgery to manage the condition. The main treatment that has been the gold standard for decades is called complete decongestive therapy, or CDT.
This is performed by certified lymphedema therapists, who then help individualize treatment for each person that someone can continue to independently do to self-manage their condition long-term. There are two main types of lymphedema. Primary lymphedema. which is caused by congenital or genetic factors, what we talked about before, that result in abnormal development of the lymphatic system.
This can show up at birth or it may not show up until a child is older or even into adulthood. Secondary lymphedema is caused by damage due to the lymphatic system due to surgery, radiation, infection, trauma, or other issues. For example, it can occur after cancer treatment that involves the removal of lymph nodes or damaged lymphatic vessels like I spoke about before. I have also seen lymphedema occur due to someone having a fracture or breaking a bone or having a severe car accident injury that can also damage the system causing lymphedema as well which would be considered secondary lymphedema.
Common symptoms of lymphedema that someone may see include swelling of the affected limb or body part, a feeling of heaviness or tightness in the affected area, stiffness or less range of motion at a joint due to that swelling or fullness, skin changes such as thickening or hardening, which we call fibrosis, or someone may have recurrent infections in that affected area as lymphedema places someone at a higher risk of getting infections. Lymphedema is a chronic condition, which means that it does not have a cure. but it can be managed and controlled with proper care and treatment. So complete decongestive therapy or CDT, like we talked about, is the current gold standard treatment to manage lymphedema outside of surgery.
So CDT consists of two phases of treatment. Phase one is the reduction phase, and that is used to help decrease fluid and that congestion in an area of the body and consists of compression bandaging, manual lymphatic drainage, exercises, and skin cares. Phase two is considered a maintenance phase and it's used to help keep the lymphatic fluid and swelling under control after phase one is complete.
This will help us manage the swelling long term and keep it at bay. And this phase consists of compression garments, bandaging, or a combination of the two, manual lymphatic drainage, exercises, and skin cares. There are also a lot of other treatment options for phase two. like using pneumatic compression pumps, kinesiology tape, and more. It's really important that someone goes through phase one for a short period of time before they move on to phase two to optimize treatment and the health of the lymphatic system.
Now, if you're watching this and looking for more detailed treatment options, you can learn in-depth treatment about the best ways to treat leg lymphedema in my Lower Body Lymphedema Rehab Program. This program goes highly in-depth on the best ways to treat and reduce lower body and leg lymphedema. It includes visual demonstrations of each component of treatment, including bonus options and detailed videos with easy-to-follow handouts and more resources, all organized and combined into one program.
It's everything that I use to treat my patients in the clinic, but packaged for someone to move through at their own pace. You can learn more about this program or other programs on my website which I will link in the description box down below. It's really important for individuals with lymphedema to work closely with healthcare professionals such as lymphedema therapists or doctors. This will allow them to develop a personalized treatment plan and learn self-care techniques to manage their condition effectively.
Early diagnosis and intervention are key to preventing complications. and improving the quality of life for those with lymphedema. I hope you all found this video helpful, and we'll see you all in the next video.
Thanks, everyone.