Drinking alcohol may be part of a social experience, on special occasions or celebrations with friends, as part of your meal or it may even help you relax after a tough day, but even a few drinks can affect your lymphedema. What alcohol does to your body Alcohol is a diuretic, so when you’re drinking, you’re losing more liquid than you consume. Your kidneys also excrete more fluid as a… Read More »How Alcohol Affects Your Lymphedema
If you have lymphedema or are at risk for lymphedema, here are some tips for you to help avoid triggering lymphedema flare-ups or skin infections while you garden. When gardening, it’s best to prevent the following: Bug bites Insects may have venom that will close down the local lymphatic routes so not to spread the venom. This may result in a swelling that might affect the entire limb. Other insect… Read More »Gardening Tips to Prevent Lymphedema
Breast cancer affects one in eight women in North America. If you have had treatment for breast cancer you might be wondering what is the best type of bra to wear. Based on our field experience, we came up with some features that your bra should possess. Specifically, having a proper fit will encourage lymph flow and avoid the strangulation or tourniquet effects of elastics. Below are our five tips… Read More »How to Choose a Bra for Lymphatic Flow
Rebounding is a type of low-impact aerobic exercise that is performed while bouncing or jumping on a mini trampoline. Rebounding is a low-stress movement that is gentle on the joints. The intensity of the exercise can vary but for lymphatic health we recommend a low to moderate heart rate. Why rebounding? Floors and hard surfaces like sidewalks or pavement are not very giving. Frequent walking or running on hard surfaces… Read More »Rebounding
Cording is the hardening of lymphatic vessels or veins. It begins with an inflammatory process that can arise from a bacterial infection, surgery, excessive or prolonged exertion or repetitive strain during exercise. The vessels alone can be the source of inflammation. After the inflammation subsides the vessels can harden, shorten or adhere to surrounding tissues. Cording can be connected to scar tissue. This hardened fibrotic vessel can be located anywhere… Read More »Cording
Listen to your belly. Is your body communicating with you? Are you constipated, bloated, have diarrhea, cramps or food sensitivities? This is our body telling us that something is wrong. You could be hindering your lymphatic system from doing its job properly. Managing these four areas of your diet and nutrition will help improve your lymphedema. Recognizing inflammation One important job of the lymphatic system is to remove products of… Read More »Managing Your Nutrition to Improve Lymphedema
A brief history Dr. Emil Vodder and his wife Estrid, a naturopath, developed manual lymph drainage (MLD) in France in the 1930s. They treated patients at a physical therapy institute. For years Dr. Vodder had an interest in the lymphatic system and studied this living environment which he felt was the most important organ system in the body. While treating patients with conditions such as acne, migraines and sinusitis, he… Read More »History and Techniques of Manual Lymph Drainage
The key to exercise for lymphedema is lots of movement while keeping a low to moderate heart rate. Movement through alternating muscle contractions and relaxation allows lymph flow to its maximum. The pumping action of our muscles causes lymph to pump through its vessels. This is one reason why exercise is good for us. But which kind of exercises are best for the lymphatic system? Walking A great exercise for… Read More »Exercising Tips for Lymphedema