Exercise therapy is considered one of the pillars of Combined (or Complex) Decongestive Therapy, the gold-standard therapy for treating the chronic swelling condition known as lymphedema. The working assumption among therapists has been that exercise therapy can act to decrease limb volume in combination with a decongestive therapy program. Therapists…
Supervised exercise therapy is a commonly prescribed treatment for peripheral artery disease, improving both quality of life and functional capacity. But after exercise therapy ends, do these gains disappear? Peripheral artery disease is a common condition that is often associated with considerable pain, reduced physical function, and diminished quality of…
There is no consensus on a single best therapy for treating the chronic swelling condition known as lymphedema. As a result, the gold standard treatment is in fact a combination of techniques known as Combined (or “Complex” or “Comprehensive”) Decongestive Therapy (CDT). The components of CDT: manual lymphatic drainage, compression,…
The chronic swelling condition known as Secondary Lymphedema arises due to damage of the lymphatic system (typically as a side-effect of cancer treatment) which decreases the ability of the system to drain excess tissue fluid back into the blood stream. There is currently no cure for lymphedema, which must instead…
The September issue of the journal “Physiotherapy” includes 8 peer-reviewed research publications investigating the use of the Nintendo Wii gaming system in rehabilitation. A quick search reveals that there are currently over 100 such published studies, on topics ranging from rehabilitation of lower body injuries, to functional retraining for neurological…
The damage and/or removal of lymph nodes is a common side-effect of cancer diagnosis and treatment. This can result in the insufficient clearance of lymphatic fluid, and manifestation of a chronic swelling condition known as lymphedema. So what can be done about this? “Direct” surgical reconstruction methods are being explored…
Lymphedema is a chronic condition that afflicts up to 30% of women treated for breast cancer. Damage to a patient’s lymphatic system via lymph node removal and/or irradiation during cancer treatment can cause inadequate lymphatic fluid clearance, and the chronic swelling characteristic of lymphedema. Given that breast reconstructive surgery post-mastectomy…
It is well appreciated that environmental and behavioral factors such as diet, stress, sleep, and fitness can significantly alter our susceptibility to infection. Typically, when we think of these factors either enhancing or suppressing immune system function, we think of them altering the behavior of our infection-fighting white blood cells:…
Dragon boat racing for breast cancer has become an international phenomenon. Since the first boat of breast cancer survivors began paddling at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 1996, breast cancer teams have taken up paddles in countries all over the world. With international meets happening regularly (the next…
Chronic lymphedema is a type of swelling that typically manifests in an arm or leg, due to the accumulation of lymph fluid. This accumulation is a result of damage to a patient’s lymphatic system, typically through lymph node removal or irradiation during cancer therapy, or as a congenital dysfunction. Chronic…
