Treatment of lymphedema

The first thing you have to know is that there is no cure for this chronic disorder. The swelling in the extremity is not seen overnight but can take months and even years to develop. All the treatments available today only treat the symptoms from getting worse. Surgery has been hyped up to cure the disorder but this is misleading. Surgery is fraught with complications and should be avoided at all costs.

There are some cases of lymphedema that may be caused by an enlarged lymph node or a parasitic infection. These cases can be cured with appropriate therapy. However, the swelling in the affected limb usually does not always completely resolve. The reason for difficulty in resolution is that the fluid has already mixed with the tissues and does not easily come out. It is like getting the water back out from a frozen piece of jello

Treatment of Lymphedema

In general, conservative care is the best treatment plan for lymphedema. Conservative care is not only safe, cheap but will save your arm and leg.

The conservative care approaches should include elevating the extremity to allow for the fluids to drain. The elevation of the extremity should be done regularly and frequently.

Pain: Lymphedema can cause a constant ache. The increasing fluid in tissues compress on the delicate nerves. Thus, pain control is an important part of management. Most individuals will have pain relief with over the counter pain medications.

Hygiene: Keep the skin on the affected extremity clean and dry. Because the skin does get dry in lymphedema, apply a moisturizer.

Avoid trauma. Lymphedema can cause the skin to become thin and fragile. Thus one should take great precaution and avoid trauma; even shaving should be avoided. If the skin gets broken down in the affected extremity, it is almost impossible to heal.

All individuals who have lymphedema should wear protective garments and shoes. This is vital to preserve the limb.

Water pills: There are many health care practitioners who routinely prescribe water pills for lymphedema. Lymphedema is not due to excess fluid in the blood vessel but in the tissues. Water pills are a waste of time and money. The majority of individuals have no response to water pills.

Antibiotics: Because individuals with lymphedema are very prone to infections, antibiotics are frequently prescribed for the treatment of infection.

Exercising the extremity is important because as the muscles contract, the motion squeezes the fluid out of the tissues and reduces the swelling. Exercises can vary from walking, swimming, cycling or even use of exercise machines. The exercises should be of mild to moderate intensity. At all times the extremity must be protected from external trauma.

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