1. Manual Lymph Drainage After
Breast Cancer Treatment

2. Some treatments for breast cancer can be damaging to the
lymph nodes under the armpit. Whether nodes are removed
during surgery or receive radiation, lymph node reduction
is a typical result of breast cancer treatment. Some people
may develop lymphedema because of this and experience
swelling in the arm, hand, or on the chest. It's not clear
what will definitely trigger Lymphedema, and some people
can have many lymph nodes removed without having
lymphedema, some can have just a few removed and have
problems. Lymphedema can develop shortly after treatment
or many years later.

3. Treatment for lymphedema includes manual lymph
drainage (lymph drainage massage or MLD), compression
bandaging, skin care and gentle exercise. MLD by a certified
therapist can work to reroute the fluid away from the
missing or damaged lymph nodes to the nearest site with
healthy nodes.
Traditional massage increases the process of fluid moving
out of the blood vessels and into the tissue. For someone
whose lymph system is already having a difficult time
processing the fluid in the tissue, traditional deep massage
of that area may not be appropriate.

4. The manual lymph drainage sequence to help reduce arm
swelling starts with getting the healthy lymph nodes ready
to take the extra fluid. Depending on the situation, fluid
may be moved from one armpit across the chest and the
back to the other armpit, from one armpit down the chest
and stomach to the groin on the same side, or from one side
of the neck to the other.

5. When you go to receive lymph drainage massage, you
should be prepared to remove your clothing in the
treatment room the same as you would for a traditional
massage. Most of the work will be on your upper body, but
fluid may be directed to your groin as well. It will be
helpful, if you are comfortable, for you to remove your shirt
and pants before getting onto the massage table underneath
the top sheet. If you would be comfortable taking off your
bra that is also helpful, some people prefer to leave it on
which is OK too. Once you are undressed and on the
massage table under the top sheet, your therapist will knock
on the door to come back into the room.

6. The session takes about an hour. You will be laying on your
back under the top sheet, and for the last 10 or 15 minutes
you will likely be laying on the unaffected side. That way
fluid can be directed across your back to your unaffected
armpit.
If you are experiencing significant swelling, bandaging may
be included at the end of your session. Your arm would be
wrapped tightly to keep the swelling from increasing after
the treatment. Even if you are not receiving bandaging, if
you have a compression sleeve you may want to bring it to
wear after your session.

7. People choose to receive manual lymph drainage in a
variety of frequencies. For the most effective work to bring
down swelling, sessions should happen very close together,
several times a week. Someone who is experiencing very
mild swelling that is mostly maintained at home, or
someone who just wants to include lymph drainage
massage as preventative maintenance, a once a month
session is not unusual.
Manual lymph drainage can also be performed after
traditional massage techniques. A session could be
scheduled where 30 minutes are spent with relaxation
massage to the head, neck and shoulders, and then an hour
of the MLD sequence.

8. Thank you for reading!
My sources:
http://www.acols.com
http://ezinearticles.com/?Manual-Lymph-Drainage-After-
Breast-Cancer-Treatment&id=6900869