Take notes …
The content of this article is not intended to be medical advice. Always consult and follow your treating practitioner’s recommendations.
We all work within our scope of practice, and the way treatments are delivered may differ, just as the progression of your recovery will be unique to you.
For the best results, stick with the plan your chosen therapist has outlined, and trust the process.
Overnight stay at the hospital
If you are staying in hospital overnight, you won’t receive hands-on therapy treatment, because you will have the drains in and you will have to keep the compression garments on until the day of drain removal. Having the drains is unpleasant, but they play a vital role in fluid removal and give your body an excellent start to recovery.
Make the most of the drains attached
Take our advice and start mobilising as soon as you can. It will be easier to walk once the catheter is removed. Pain medication makes you feel drowsy, and you feel like your body doesn’t have the strength to move, but the stiffness gets more intense the longer you stay in bed. This is because lactic acid builds up when your muscles are not used. So get out of bed “once in a while” as often as possible. Movement will encourage more fluid to flow into the drain bottles, therefore, less fluid for your body to process.
Suggested exercise to reduce muscle stiffness
✍🏻The most effective way to relieve pain is to move. The tight skin will ease with time, and you will feel more flexible thanks to movement.
Get up on your toes to engage your calf muscles and bend your knees to engage your quad muscles. It improves blood circulation in the legs, it reduces lactic acid build-up in the body and takes weight off your legs as well. Any muscle you move helps the circulation (blood and lymph) throughout your body.
For your arms. Elevate your arms on pillows on the side of your body where your wrists are at shoulder level, this way gravity will be towards the armpit which will help drive fluid in the direction of lymph flow. Keep your arms straight, don’t bend at the elbow. Move your fingers, play virtual piano, close your fingers in a fist and open again in the shape of a fan, do this a few times. Wrists – rotate your wrist.
Wear Your Garments
The BOD® foam corset helps prevent skin creases and folds, while the compression garment provides essential pressure. These must be worn together at all times, except when showering or during treatments. Extended periods without compression can cause increased swelling, making it more uncomfortable to get back into your garments.
✍🏻 Note: You can take two short breaks daily—one in the morning and one in the evening. For instance, remove the garments to shower in the morning, and again for a treatment (ultrasound or massage) later in the day. Whether you choose to shower or do treatments in the morning or evening, ensure you’re not out of compression for more than 1 hour (+/- 15 minutes) at a time.
Week 2 – ultrasound, massage, skin rolling
By now, you should be familiar with the benefits of massage and movement, so continue with the routine from week 1, and start implementing a little bit of skin rolling as well to work on the sides of the ribcage so it is clear of congestion and not causing obstruction. Why is this important? If you look at the image below, it illustrates the directions in which lymph flows around the body. The lymph from the upper abdomen and upper back flows in the direction towards the armpits.
✍🏻Note: Reduced congestion in that area means better lymph flow from the upper abdomen into the axilla.
Week 3 – Ultrasound, massage, skin rolling, cupping, and lets up the exercise
📌 I recommend having at least one treatment with us first. This allows us to assess your current recovery and provide personalized advice tailored to your progress.
📌 Compression Update: Transition to a smaller compression garment to ensure proper support and help reduce swelling.
Week 4
You’re nearly there. At times, it may have felt like this day would never come, but for those who’ve been attending regular treatments with us, you will be coming out of your compression garment and so the countdown to normality begins. 😀
For patients from out of London I would advise the following:
1. I would advise you to invest in a handheld ultrasound device (1MHz). Our pick from devices used and recommended by clients here.
*When choosing your device – The maximum depth of penetration with 3MHz is approx. 2.5cm. 1MHz is used for deeper-seated injuries, 1MHz has a maximum depth of penetration of 7.5cm.
2. Continue with MLD. Please, book yourself in for MLD*(* MLD therapists cannot aspirate fluid.). If you know of somebody who comes recommended that’ll be great, but if not – you can use this website to search by postcode. http://www.mlduk.org.uk/therapists/
3. Massage and stretches – start these as soon as possible so you don’t feel stiff, and it will also help you get back to full range of motion quickly, especially for arms and upper abdomen. Do these daily after shower before you put the garments back on.
4. At the end of week 2 – you must switch to a smaller compression garment.
BOD® Garments: https://bodgarments.com – currently supplying only women’s compression garments.
✍🏻 Don’t estimate the size, but please do measure yourself – key points bust, waist, and hips.
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