Lymphedema & Lipedema Treatment

Lymphedema Treatment

We Can Help

We can help you get your swelling under control, answer your questions, and give you the tools to manage your lymphedema or lipedema more effectively – and enjoy life more fully.

COVID-19 Update

In addition to in-clinic care at our clinics, we also offer TeleRehab video calls. Please email info@torontophysiotherapy.ca if you have a question or would like to set up an appointment. TeleRehab sessions are billed as Physiotherapy or Massage Therapy for income tax and extended health insurance purposes, and are offered at reduced rate.

In your TeleRehab session your therapist can advise and educate you on:

  • Self-massage and self-management practices
  • Exercise therapy
  • Compression garments and wrapping

We are a team of experienced physiotherapists and massage therapists trained to provide manual lymphatic drainage massage as part of an integrated approach to lymphedema and swelling management known as Combined Decongestive Therapy (CDT).

With some modifications, the principles of CDT can also be applied to lipedema (learn more), and can be particularly helpful for treating an advanced form of lipedema known as lipolymphedema. Lymphatic drainage may also be applied to help minimize some forms of surgical swelling, and is frequently recommended by plastic surgeons as part of the recovery phase following cosmetic liposuction (learn more).

Combined Decongestive Therapy (CDT) includes:

  1. Manual lymphatic drainage massage (“lymphatic massage”)
  2. Compression wrapping and/or garments
  3. Exercise prescription
  4. Education on self-management, skin care, and flare-up prevention

Our Clinic Director Lindsay Davey is a well known lecturer on lymphedema and cancer rehabilitation, and contributor to clinical research. She gives regular presentations at the Sunnybrook Hospital’s Odette Cancer Center, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute’s Breast HEALTH program, St. Michael’s Hospital, and the Toronto Wellspring Cancer Centre, Canadian Cancer Society and Gilda’s Club, among others.

At Toronto Physiotherapy we are passionate about treating, educating and supporting individuals with primary and secondary lymphedema, lipedema and other swelling conditions.

We offer lymphedema and lipedema therapy at our Danforth & Chester and Yonge & St. Clair clinics.

Lymphedema and lipedema treatment at our clinics is provided by Registered Physiotherapists and Registered Massage Therapists with special certification. Our services are therefore covered as ‘physiotherapy’ or ‘massage therapy’ under extended health insurance plans, and our receipts also qualify as a tax deductible medical expense on your tax return. For a list of our service fees please click here.

Want more information? Please check out our resources below, or follow our blog for the latest in lymphedema, lipedema, and cancer rehabilitation research. Have you had breast cancer treatment and think you might be showing early signs of chronic swelling? Click here to learn the best four tests for self-diagnosing lymphedema after breast cancer.

Questions? Email a physiotherapist at info@torontophysiotherapy.ca.

Related Services

We also offer a variety of related services:

  1. Yoga for lymphedema management and prevention.  Taught by Registered Physiotherapists who are also Certified Yoga Instructors, this specialized form of yoga is designed to help increase lymphatic flow while preventing exacerbation of symptoms. We offer private sessions, as well as a six-week progressive series of one-hour group classes. Instruction, education and all equipment provided. Learn more here.
  2. Compression garment authorization for the Ontario Assistive Devices Program (ADP). We provide ADP authorization for our patients within their regular treatment sessions at no added cost. If you are NOT a patient at one of our clinics, you can still book in for a 30 minute lymphedema evaluation and ADP authorization session ($75 and tax-free).
  3. Fitting services for pre-manufactured compression garments, with a wide selection of garment options.
  4. Manual lymphatic drainage home care. CDT offered in the comfort of your home. Contact our Danforth & Chester location by phone or email for more information.
  5. Cancer rehabilitation services including orthopedic rehabilitation; pelvic floor physiotherapy to treat the vaginal and urinary symptoms of estrogen loss; pain; fatigue; and scar management; re-conditioning, and exercise therapy.
  6. Cancer consultation: we offer a one hour consultation (pre- or post- cancer treatment) that can include teaching lymphedema prevention techniques and self-massage (if applicable), and taking baseline measurements. Education on managing fatigue, pain, functional limitations, exercise principles and cancer rehabilitation options are also discussed.
  7. Brazilian Lymphatic Drainage Massage is also offered by one of our therapists at our Danforth location.

Why Place Your Trust In Us?

  1. We are certified in Combined (or Complex) Decongestive Therapy (CDT), which includes manual lymphatic drainage massage, compression wrapping and/or garments, exercise prescription, and education.
  2. Patients can be treated by either a Registered Physiotherapist or Registered Massage Therapist, depending on the patient’s needs and health insurance coverage.
  3. We have experienced and knowledgeable CDT therapists:
    Lindsay Davey PT, CDT
    Cynthia Chung PT, CDT
    Jane Mical RMT, CDT
    Elizabeth Stewart RMT, CDT
    Veronica Lelchuk RMT, CDT
  4. We can provide manual lymphatic drainage in the comfort of your home.
  5. We can provide one-on-one lymphedema TeleRehab video calls.
  6. We are a certified Compression Garment Authorizer for the Ontario Assistive Devices subsidy program.
  7. Manual lymphatic drainage massage and cancer rehabilitation is provided in private treatment rooms, and are one-on-one with a registered therapist.
  8. We provide therapy covered by most extended health care plans.
  9. We do not require a doctor referral (but can work closely with your physician).
  10. We work in two modern and inviting clinics, conveniently located at Danforth and Chester in East Toronto, and at Yonge and St.Clair in Midtown.

Lymphedema and Lipedema Self-Help Resources

Visit the lymphedema section of our Rehab Science Blog to read our summaries of the latest news and research, including self-help articles. Some of our more popular and unique articles include:

  1. Patient Guide to Lymphedema – General information on causes, symptoms, treatment and management, including manual lymphatic drainage massage.
  2. How to Self-Diagnose Lymphedema after Breast Cancer: 4 Tests
  3. Patient Guide to Head and Neck Lymphedema
  4. Comprehensive Guide to Lymphedema in Children
  5. Patient Guide to Self-Diagnosis Lipedema and Lipolymphedema and Patient Guide: Treatment of Lipedema and Lipolymphedema – For information specific to lipedema.
  6. Patient Guide to Liposuction for Lymphedema – For information on liposuction as a surgical treatment option for advanced cases of lymphedema.
  7. Patient Guide to Manual Lymphatic Drainage After Liposuction – For information on the use of manual lymphatic drainage to help speed recovery and improve the result of cosmetic liposuction procedures.
  8. A do-it-yourself genetic test for lymphedema risk after breast cancer – no, seriously Check out our early efforts to design one. Throw caution to the wind, grab your grain of salt, and help push diagnostics forward!

Popular articles on breast cancer include:

  1. Top 4 Nerve Disorder Side Effects of Breast Cancer Treatment
  2. Top 3 Musculoskeletal Side Effects of Breast Cancer Treatment

To learn about lymphatic drainage self-massage techniques that you can do at home, please watch our video: