It was once widely believed that patients with lymphedema should avoid resistance exercise for fear of aggravating the symptoms of their chronic swelling condition. This misconception has been widely debunked. In fact, specially designed exercise therapy programs are actually beneficial for managing lymphedema as well as other side effects of…
New research adds genetic differences to the list of demographic and clinical factors that predict your risk of lymphedema following breast cancer treatment. The chance of developing chronic lymphatic swelling following treatment for breast cancer is commonly reported as 30-40%. While predisposing factors have been identified, it is still not…
UPDATE: The below article is interesting, and still mostly valid, but for the most up to date information on laser and lymphedema please see our 2018 review: Lymphedema Laser Therapy Inches Closer to Clinical Utility. Low level laser therapy is sometimes marketed as a miracle cure. It’s currently used by…
Osteoarthritis of the knee is a very common and chronic condition, in particular among people over the age of 55. Caused by a degeneration of knee cartilage, this condition results in pain and stiffness in the joint, leading to decreased knee function and an associated drop in quality of life….
Recent headlines in the health media this week suggest that physiotherapy provides no benefit for tennis elbow: “Tennis elbow: Cortisone shots and physical therapy provide no long-term relief, study finds”, and “Corticosteroid injection, physiotherapy do not provide significant improvement for ‘tennis elbow’”. These articles refer to findings from a newly…
There are two major factors that determine how well a patient will respond to lymphedema treatment: the type and frequency of treatment, and patient compliance. But let’s assume that you are receiving an appropriate course of therapy, and that you’re also compliant with your therapist’s instructions regarding bandaging, self-massage, and…
Obesity is a known risk factor for lymphedema, a chronic swelling condition caused by insufficient lymphatic fluid clearance from tissues (see post: Lymphedema is a Common but Little-Known Health Hazard of Obesity). In our experience it can be particularly difficult for obese patients to be correctly diagnosed with lymphedema. This…
Unbeknownst to many in the medical community and public alike, obesity can increase the risk of developing a chronic swelling condition known as lymphedema. The minority of patients suffering from lymphedema have what’s called “Primary Lymphedema”. Classically caused by an inherited or congenital malformation of lymphatic channels and/or nodes, Primary…
When it comes to the various side-effects of cancer therapy, Axillary Web Syndrome is probably less well known, and less understood than even lymphedema. Occasionally called “cording lymphedema”, “syndrome of the axillary cords”, “syndrome of axillary adhesion”, or a variant of “Mondor’s disease”, Axillary Web Syndrome is a surprisingly common…
Lymphedema is a chronic swelling condition that can arise from the damage or removal of lymph vessels and lymph nodes during cancer therapy. Being one of the most common and significant side-effects of breast cancer treatment, awareness of breast cancer related lymphedema is growing amongst health care practitioners and cancer…
