October is breast cancer awareness month, and according to Cancer.Net, it’s estimated that more than 300,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with some form of breast cancer this year. Treatments include surgery (mastectomy), chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, and while many are familiar with the common side-effects of these procedures, many do not know about another side-effect, lymphedema.
What is lymphedema?
Lymphedema refers to the swelling of arms and legs that occurs when the lymph nodes become damaged or blocked. It can occur in breast cancer patients after they have undergone a mastectomy and/or radiation therapy because some of the lymph nodes are located under the arm. If left untreated, lymphedema can severely limit mobility and is potentially very painful. Because lymph nodes protect us by draining our systems of germs and toxins, untreated lymphedema also increases the chance of infections.
How do we treat lymphedema?
There is no cure for lymphedema, but there are strategies for managing its effects such as elevating the swollen arm or leg and avoiding tight-fitted clothing, extreme heat or cold, and injury. Many patients, however, need stronger interventions. This is how physical therapy can help. PT treatments rely on a combination of manual lymphatic drainage, compression, and light exercise to reduce swelling and prevent possible secondary symptoms such as infection, cracked and itchy skin, or pain. This practice of managing lymphedema is called complete decongestive therapy.
What can FYZICAL Corpus Christi do to help?
At FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Center in Corpus Christi, our DPT, Gene Lopez, has treated many breast cancer patients in his former position as a radiation therapist. This experience has given him a special interest in working with lymphedema patients and prompted him to receive certification in complete decongestive therapy by attending the Norton School of Lymphatic Therapy, an intense training program, which offered firsthand experience under the supervision of experts in the field.
At FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Center in Corpus Christi, our Complete Decongestive Therapy can help our patients get back to their everyday activities with improved mobility and comfort. If you or someone you love is coping with lymphedema, please let us help.
“Breast Cancer: Statistics,” Cancer.Net: Doctor-Approved Patient Information from ASCO, https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/breast-cancer/statistics
“Lymphedema,” The Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lymphedema/symptoms-causes/syc-20374682