To wear or not to wear? There is no question. Patients with lymphedema should wear compression garments every day.
Facts:
- Lymphoedema cannot be cured
- Lymphoedema can be well managed
- Lymphoedema untreated becomes chronic and tends to progress
The treatment focuses on minimizing the swelling, controlling the pain which leads to improved quality of life.
Your winning treatment combination:
- Regular MLD
- Exercise
Regular exercise – practicing Qigong / Tai Chi is one of the best to do daily - Wearing compression garments daily
- Periodic compression bandaging
- Skin care daily
To wear compression garments you benefit by :
- limiting the amount of fluid building up in your affected area
- maintaining healthy circulation of blood
- improve your lymphatic function
- providing your muscles with firm resistance to work
- enabling the fluid in your limb to move towards where it will drain
- providing support to your inelastic tissues
- helping to soften your hard tissues
- reducing the risk of developing cellulitis
- reducing the heavy feeling and tightness you might experience
Not to wear compression garments you may experience:
- puffiness that will not reduce
- skin that’s cracked and splits
- infection
- reduced mobility
Tips for maintenance:
- dry skin brush everyday
- moisturize daily (best at night, before you go to bed, as soon as you take the garment off)
- use rough washing up gloves to glide garments on and smooth out wrinkles
- use a fresh garment every day to maintain best compression
- take care not to sunburn
- have a regular Manual Lymphatic Drainage Treatment (MLD)
- Wear “skins ” as well as your compression garment when flying
Factors to consider when choosing the right garment:
- shape and size of limb
- function and mobility
- ability to don and doff the garment
- severity of swelling
- skin condition
- overall build
- age and lifestyle
Other pages of interest:
lymphedema management with mobiderm
dietary recommendations for lymphoedema
What some of patients say :
“Look at my skinny arm, it feels great”
“It felt strange at first but very soon I felt more comfortable”
“My legs feel better when I wear them so I wear them everyday, never thought I would”
For more information on lymhoedema and easy management tools click this link to purchase LymphoMation your electronic guide to lymphedema management