Treatment

What does typical lymphedema therapy session look like?

John massaging a patient's leg in one of the treatment rooms.

We allot 90 minutes for each lymphedema treatment session. This is enough time to provide comprehensive, individualized treatment for each patient. Sessions may be shorter or longer depending on the severity of the lymphedema, the number of body areas involved, and related health issues, such as the presence of skin ulcers. Sessions may be shorter than an hour if the lymphedema is in a very early stage or the treatment is almost complete and in the transition to self-care.

A typical session includes:

  • Removal of bandages with appreciation for changes in the bandage or the limb
  • Skin care including cleansing the limb, inspecting the skin closely for integrity and changes in the edema and texture, and application of moisturizing lotion
  • A sequence of Manual Lymph Drainage (or MLD, a gentle and relaxing but surprisingly effective massage to stimulate lymph drainage) done by the therapist and customized to your case
  • Skilled application of a new lymphedema compression bandage with all components and modified as clinically indicated in order to optimize progress

The MLD portion of the session typically takes 30-45 minutes. Most treatment sessions have an ongoing educational component, so the Certified Lymphedema Therapist (CLT) is constantly helping the patient to better understand their disease process and management. While progressive treatment sessions may appear the same each visit, the therapist is continually looking at the whole person as well as assessing for changes in the tissue in order to determine appropriate modifications that should be made. The general expectation is that appreciable progress can be made each visit and each week of treatment.

Contact us today to begin treatment, or click here to read more about the expectations you should have for lymphedema treatment.