Lymphadema and Nutrition

Another great post

There is no special diet that will prevent or control lymphedema; however, good nutrition promotes good health and this helps the body manage with the stresses related to lymphedema. The main recommendations are eat a low sodium diet and keep hydrated.

Eating a Balanced Diet

Eating a well-balanced diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables is recommended for maintaining good general health. It also aids the body in coping with the added stress caused by lymphedema.

High salt foods, which encourage the body to retain fluids, are not part of a recommended healthy diet. High sodium foods cause the body to retain fluid in general, and will make the lymphedema swelling worse.

Staying Hydrated

The term hydrated describes the state of having adequate fluids in the body. Maintaining this state helps the body remove impurities from the blood and this is important to good health.

Drinking plenty of fluids, particularly water, is essential to maintaining this balance within the body. Cutting back on fluid intake in an effort to reduce the swelling of lymphedema doesn’t work! Instead of the desired effect, the protein-rich lymph of lymphedema attracts more fluid from the other parts of the body. This can cause increased swelling in the affected area.

Drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day is recommended to maintain good health; however this need increases in hot weather, or in very dry conditions, when the body looses fluids more rapidly.

Being well hydrated, by drinking plenty of water, is particularly important after an MLD or pump treatment because it is necessary to flush out the impurities that were moved during treatment.

Caffeine, which is a mild diuretic, reduces the level of body fluids by encouraging the kidneys to excrete more urine. For this reason caffeine containing substances (coffee, tea, chocolate and many soft drinks) should be consumed only in moderation.

Alcohol also has a diuretic effect that stimulates the kidneys to excrete more water and thereby increasing dehydration.

Sonja M. Maul PT, CLT-LANA

National Board Certified Lymphedema Therapist

Basic Lymphadema Care Tips

Here's a great article about a couple basic things you can do to help with your lymphadema.

The first time I see a patient is for the evaluation. At the end of the evaluation I give my patients a packet of information to take home and read, instruct them in the Anatomy and Physiology of the Lymph System, and give them two things to get a head start on before we initiate our treatments. These two things are:

1. Any time you wash, dry, or lotion the swollen arm/leg, always rub up towards the body/heart. What we generally do is rub up and down. The lymph system is very close to the surface and the normal pressure we use to do these every day activities of washing, drying and putting on lotion is enough to stimulate that lymph system, so move the direction we want the fluid to go.

2. Deep Abdominal Breathing: The last tube of the Lymphatic system goes up through the chest passing through the Diaphragm. As we breathe the Diaphragm moves up and down massaging the lymph fluid up and into the Blood Circulatory System. Thus, by doing Deep Abdominal Breathing it creates a “wicking” effect, drawing the lymph fluid from the limbs and body.

• Deep Abdominal Breathing: Place one hand on your chest, the other hand on your stomach just below the ribs. Breath in slowly through your nose – your chest should stay still while your stomach expands out. Then blow the air out through your mouth as if blowing out 50 birthday candles – your stomach should pull in. Your exhale should be twice as long as your inhale. Do 10 of these breaths as often as you can recall throughout the day. (If you start to feel light headed stop and breath normal. To not get light headed, pause for 2 seconds at the end of each inhale and each exhale.)

With these two activities I often see patients return to start treatment with some decrease in their swelling.

Sonja M. Maul PT, CLT-LANA

National Board Certified Lymphedema Therapist

2008 Horizon of Hope

Longaberger Horizon of Hope to Raise Money for American Cancer Society Breast Cancer Initiatives

Horizon of Hope Products Available at 20 Percent Off for Limited Time

NEWARK, Ohio--The Longaberger Company is kicking off its 2008 Horizon of Hope campaign with a special offer that will enable customers to buy Horizon of Hope products at a 20 percent discount while also supporting American Cancer Society breast cancer research and education initiatives.

The campaign features a Horizon of Hope Basket and other products that Longaberger designs exclusively for the fundraising effort. Proceeds ($2 from each Horizon of Hope Basket, accessory set or set of travel mugs) go to the American Cancer Society.

The campaign is from July 1 through August 31, with the discount on Horizon of Hope products available from July 1 through July 16.

“It is our hope that we not only spur more awareness of this program that is bringing results in the fight against breast cancer, but that this promotional offer also acts as a catalyst to raise more money for the American Cancer Society,” said Julie Moorehead, Longaberger’s national executive director of sales.

Longaberger products can be purchased through independent Home Consultants nationwide or at www.longaberger.com. Since Horizon of Hope’s inception in 1995, Longaberger, its Home Consultants and the American Cancer Society have raised approximately $13 million and reached an estimated 19 million women with potentially life-saving information.

“Our company and our Home Consultants are passionate about Horizon of Hope because we’ve seen first-hand how we are together making a difference,” Moorehead said. “We’re proud to support the American Cancer Society.”

Horizon of Hope supports American Cancer Society programs aimed at improving the quality of and access to mammography services, breast imaging quality standards, the quality of clinical breast examinations, and the quality of life for young survivors and women with breast cancer recurrence. It also supports research into lymphedema, a debilitating swelling of the arms that can be a side effect of breast cancer treatment. To learn more, visit www.HorizonOfHope.com.

Founded in 1973, The Longaberger Company is America’s premier maker of handcrafted baskets and offers a variety of home and lifestyle products, including pottery, wrought iron and fabric accessories. There are approximately 45,000 independent Home Consultants in all U.S. states who sell Longaberger products directly to customers.

Contacts

The Longaberger Company
Tom Matthews, 740-322-5157
tom.matthews@longaberger.com

The first time I see a patient is for the evaluation. At the end of the evaluation I give my patients a packet of information to take home and read, instruct them in the Anatomy and Physiology of the Lymph System, and give them two things to get a head start on before we initiate our treatments. These two things are:

1. Any time you wash, dry, or lotion the swollen arm/leg, always rub up towards the body/heart. What we generally do is rub up and down. The lymph system is very close to the surface and the normal pressure we use to do these every day activities of washing, drying and putting on lotion is enough to stimulate that lymph system, so move the direction we want the fluid to go.

2. Deep Abdominal Breathing: The last tube of the Lymphatic system goes up through the chest passing through the Diaphragm. As we breathe the Diaphragm moves up and down massaging the lymph fluid up and into the Blood Circulatory System. Thus, by doing Deep Abdominal Breathing it creates a “wicking” effect, drawing the lymph fluid from the limbs and body.
• Deep Abdominal Breathing: Place one hand on your chest, the other hand on your stomach just below the ribs. Breath in slowly through your nose – your chest should stay still while your stomach expands out. Then blow the air out through your mouth as if blowing out 50 birthday candles – your stomach should pull in. Your exhale should be twice as long as your inhale. Do 10 of these breaths as often as you can recall throughout the day. (If you start to feel light headed stop and breath normal. To not get light headed, pause for 2 seconds at the end of each inhale and each exhale.)

With these two activities I often see patients return to start treatment with some decrease in their swelling.

Sonja M. Maul PT, CLT-LANA

National Board Certified Lymphedema Therapist