Massage Away Lymphedema

TAMPA, Fla. (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Lymphedema is the extreme swelling of an arm or leg or a person’s upper body. It often occurs in breast cancer patients after surgery and can show up for no reason in other patients. With lymphedema, the patient’s limb can swell two to three times their normal size. Here's how a simple touch can provide relief.

A month ago, Alyce Masters could not thread a needle. She thought to herself: “Gee, my fingers are getting stiff. Why are they getting stiff?" Then she noticed the palm of her hands were getting stiff.

Masters is a breast cancer survivor. She had a mastectomy but didn’t know about the swelling called lymphedema that can happen after surgery. “It was the support group that made me aware of it. The doctors said nothing,” she says.

“The biggest thing is to educate people, educate physicians that there is a non-invasive treatment that works," says Kristal Hollingsworth. She is an occupational therapist at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, Florida, and treats lymphedema patients like Masters with a light massage.

Hollingsworth tells Ivanhoe, “Basically, I’m trying to move the fluid from the unhealthy area to the healthier area, so I’m rerouting the fluid.”

Pauline Villega has lymphedema that first appeared 30 years ago. “My leg started swelling, and I went to the doctor, and all they gave me was water pills," she says.

Four months ago Villega got her first massage. Her thigh has reduced by nearly 11 inches, and her knee is down more than 14 inches. She says, “The leg is lighter, and it’s easier to walk around in the house and outside.”

Ten massage sessions and a compression bandage brought Masters' hand and arm back to normal. She’s now back to her crafts. She says, “I’m very thankful I can do it, because I couldn’t do it before.” Now she wears a blue ribbon to educate others about lymphedema.

Not all massage therapists are trained for treating lymphedema. Hollingsworth took a course specializing in the proper way to handle patients with the condition. Also, there are steps a patient can take to avoid the swelling after surgery.

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.

If you would like more information, please contact:

Kristin Howells, News Bureau Chief
St. Joseph’s Baptist Healthcare
(813) 554-8216
Kristin.Howells@baycare.org