Will having Manual Lymphatic Drainage after orthopedic surgery help swelling?

Manual Lymphatic Drainage after orthopedic injury and surgery in San Diego

MLD after Surgery in San Diego

by Kathleen Lisson, CMT, LMT

"Does MLD improve patient-oriented and disease-oriented outcomes for patients with orthopedic injuries?" This is the question posed by the study 'The Effectiveness of Manual Lymphatic Drainage in Patients with Orthopedic Injuries' authored by Tricia Majewski-Schrage and Kelli Snyder and published in the Journal of Sport Rehabilitation in 2016. The authors conducted a literature search for level 2 evidence or higher on the topic of MLD techniques effectively decreasing edema (swelling) and pain, increasing range of motion (ROM) and improving a patient's return to activities of daily living after orthopedic surgery.



Research has found that Manual Lymphatic Drainage after orthopedic surgery can:

• Decrease edema (swelling)

• Decrease pain

• Decrease limb volume

• Increase range of motion (ROM) 

• Improve a patient's return to activities of daily living 

Though every well-educated massage therapist receives a few hours of training in MLD, advanced training is preferred. Ask you massage therapist if they have a certification in Manual Lymphatic Drainage, or ideally, a full certification as a CLT, or Certified Lymphedema Therapist.

Here is a link to print out the study and show your physician. Read the entire study here: http://journals.humankinetics.com/doi/pdf/10.1123/jsr.2014-0222

Does Dry Brushing Work?

Dry Brushing for Lymphatic System

by Kathleen Lisson, CMT, CLT

Dry brushing is the ritual of brushing the skin on the body with a specific type of brush in order to improve the skin and lymphatic system. Does it work and what are some tips to have the best results?

I first encountered dry brushing in massage school. We were told to buy dry brushes and practice dry brushing daily for a week. I saw improvement in the softness of my skin. Now that I have advanced training in manual lymphatic drainage, I am interested in the benefits of dry brushing for both the skin and lymph drainage. 

What is the science behind dry brushing? 

The Cleveland Clinic recommends dry brushing to promote lymph flow and drainage

Read more here: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2015/01/the-truth-about-dry-brushing-and-what-it-does-for-you/

The New York Times reports Dr. Tina S. Alster, a clinical professor of dermatology at Georgetown University Medical Center finds that dry brushing helps the lymphatic system "work better."

Read more here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/fashion/16Skin.html 

 The University of Maryland Medical Center includes dry brushing on it's extensive list of ways to reduce fluid retention. Read more here: http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/edema

Top 5 Tips on how to dry brush:

• Make sure your dry brush has never been used (gotten wet) in the shower or bath. Keep a separate one just for brushing. 

• Brush in strokes that follow the pathway of the lymphatic syetem. A good chart is here: http://blog.thetyc.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Dry-brush.png

• Dry brush before shower or bed, when skin is dry.

• Don't brush too much! Stop when skin becomes sensitive or turns red. 

• Moisturize after you dry brush (after you shower).

Do you dry brush? Tell me about your experience in the comments below. 

My experience with Manual Lymphatic Drainage after surgery in San Diego

Where to get post-surgery MLD Manual Lymphatic Drainage lymph massage in San Diego

by Kathleen Lisson, CMT, CLT

In this video I share my experience with receiving manual lymphatic drainage after surgery on my face and after an ankle sprain a few years ago. I saw the benefits of this type of lymph massage that reduces swelling after surgery that I took advanced massage training to be able to give it to other men and women in San Diego after orthopedic or plastic surgery!

Watch the video here: