Total Lymphedema Care

09/03/2023

Best compliment in the world when your study outcome is confirmed by a second group of investigators! 💪
Skin cooling for lymphedema really works! A now double proven adjunct to lymphedema management!!!
No one needs to suffer, if you have a refrigerator, you can have almost instant relief from the discomfort of swelling wherever it presents on your body!

Investigation of how local cryotherapy in combination with standard therapy affects patient outcomes indicates that cryotherapy is an effective adjunct modality for the treatment of secondary lymphedema and should be added to physical therapy protocols for lyMPhedema rehabilitation. Worldwide, lymph...

09/03/2023

Copy of my cooling study for easy access!!

Because softer tissue becomes more pliable, myofascial lengthening, scar tissue releasing, and other aspects of treatment are easier to perform thereby reducing treatment time and effort while achieving improved functional mobility. Based on preliminary observations that topical cooling appeared to....

08/27/2023

Summer heat activates lymphedema!
My study showed that cooling the affected area with a wet towel chilled in the refrigerator (not the freezer!!!) cools the skin AND decreases the pressure under the skin, reducing sub-dermal lymphedema. It's the quickest way to reduce discomfort and swelling from lymphedema short term. Especially on a hot day!!!

No it's not a cure! But neither are lymphatic drainage massage, compression garments or pumps. However skin cooling uniquely reduces inflammation in the tissue and over time CAN reduce the frequency and intensity of lymphedema.

Want to know more, send me a message or buy my book!

06/05/2022

HealNOW. How do you see healing? Is it going to take 'a long' time? Can healing be instantaneous? And what is your point of view on consciousness that supports whichever you choose? Do you appreciate different levels of healing? Do you appreciate timing, cycles?
DM if you’re interested in a free Nows Calibrator, an evolutionary calendar system for greater personal awareness of your growth and movement through the seasons.

06/03/2022

Healing and cycles.
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11/19/2021

To give to your MD

09/11/2021

Lymphedema, the name word itself is intimidating! It simply means swelling. Have you ever had a sprained ankle or a swollen knee? That is also lymphedema. Lymph is the fluid in your body that causes swelling in cases of inflammation, injury, or irritation of tissue. In cases of temporary injury, the swelling recedes and the body resumes it's normal size and function. In other words the swelling just goes away. In the case of a major surgery where lymphatic tissue, the vessels and lymph nodes that regulate the flow of lymph fluid in the body are removed, the body cannot return to a normal state. if you are on this page, this likely describes the lymphedema you are experiencing. For you lymphedema has to be managed on a daily basis. Perhaps you apply compression for management of tissue swelling.

As a certified lymphedema therapist, who works in tropical and subtropical climates, I have been particularly interested in the management of lymphedema in increasing temperatures. Such as, in hotter and longer summers in many parts of the world. My pilot study published in 2017 demonstrated that cooling of skin temperature has an immediate positive impact on reducing lymphedema, and reducing the inflammatory process. Though further study would be helpful, logic supports the cooling of tissue prone to swelling when temperatures rise on hot summer days. Could it be that simple? The best proof lies in the pudding!

The only method for cooling the breast I teach is using cold towels, dunked in a bath of water and ice and adjusted to your tolerance. Wrap the impacted area in a cold cloth, repeat as needed and notice the change. I must admit that there is a better method than using messy ice water! I prefer the use of high quality, water absorbing, sports towels, cooled in the refrigerator. These towels have the ability to absorb water molecules and create an icy cold temperature, safe for use on human skin that will not result in ice burns. Never place an ice pack or ice cubes directly on tender skin as this will result in skin burns. I will post a video of skin cooling.

The South Florida Breast Cancer rehab center, the educational arm of TLC, is committed to providing information about the management of lymphedema but also healing in general. What is the role of consciousness in healing?

09/03/2019

Lymphedema specialist must be aware that Starlings law is no longer the standard model for explaining the resolve of interstitial fluid back into the circulatory system. Current accepted scientific knowledge informs that all fluid and proteins exiting the arterial blood capillaries must be removed from the interstitium by the lymphatic capillaries and not by venous capillaries. Since all edemas are now considered on the same continuum we can consider that not only MLD but treatments traditionally used in the resolve of swelling, may apply in the management of secondary lymphedema.
My study published in 2017 titled Topical skin cooling in the management of breast cancer-related lymphedema, gave evidence that modified skin cooling improves tissue pressure and reduced pain. Our patients deserve to know about simple and cost-effective treatments to help them heal!

10/23/2018

The first pharmacological trial study for Lymphedema called Ultra is now complete. Though the media reported that the sponsors have withdrawn support, Dr Rockson believes the clinical data is promising and a new class of drugs will change the way primary and secondary lymphedema are treated.

Interestingly, Dr. Rockson believes that lymphedema is partially caused by a progressive inflammatory process. He very clearly states that lymphedema is not just the plumbing issue we previously thought it to be. As a lymphedema therapist, I agree completely.

Lymphedema is part an inflammatory process run amok. Cooling for lymphedema, the reason for this page, is a very simple method that resolves inflammation in the superficial layers of the skin, where lymphedema and fibrosis develop.

Towards the end of the Q&A Dr Rockson answers the question: What strategies for preventing breast cancer-related lymphedema exist? Dr. Rockson discusses axillary mapping, which is a process that avoids removing the Sentinel node for the arm. Yes, there is a sentinel node for the breast and there is one for the arm. Avoiding the surgical removal is associated with better outcomes.

He also mentions LYMPHA which is a state-of-the-art microsurgery where lymphatic venous shunting is created during the breast surgery to prevent stasis of lymphatic fluid.

I will add one more simple and effective treatment to prevent breast cancer-related lymphedema: Moderate topical skin cooling. Look back here for upcoming videos about this treatment.

Watch Lymphatic Education & Research Network's The Changing Field of Lymphatics on Livestream.com. Dr. Stanley G. Rockson will present "The Changing Field of Lymphatics" in a free Livestream Symposium on Monday, October 22, at 1pm EDT (12 noon CDT, 11am MDT, 10AM PDT). DR ROCKSON is the Allan and Ti...

06/06/2018

All aboard! Launching in the coolest city in the world! Rotterdam, Holland!

06/06/2018

Sometimes I forget to bragg......presented at Chicago Breast and Lymphedema conference April 26-28, 2018. Spreading the word so more can experience the relief this treatment provides.