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LymphedemaIn Louisville, Evansville & Southern Indiana

Lymphedema is a painful condition resulting in persistent swelling of an arm or leg due to a blockage in your lymphatic system, an important part of your immune and circulatory systems.

Physical therapy for lymphedema is one of the best strategies to help control its symptoms. It is helpful to manage the swelling, pain, and stiffness associated with lymphedema to help people lead a normal life. Symptoms of lymphedema are pain, swelling, irritation, and heaviness typically in one limb. Lymphedema physical therapy offers a strategy to manage these symptoms with the help of a trained lymphedema physical therapist.

What Is Lymphedema?

Lymphedema results when there is a poor connection from blood circulation to lymphatic circulation. Normally lymph fluid travels from circulation to lymph nodes and back to circulation through lymphatic vessels. Instead of lymph fluid, which has a role in the immune system, returning to the bloodstream, it collects in whichever body part is affected to create lymphedema. This collection of fluid causes the symptoms of pain, irritation, stiffness, heaviness, skin tightness, and difficulty using the limb.

What Causes Lymphedema?

Lymphedema can be caused by congenital dysfunction in lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes or it can be caused by a disruption or damage to the lymph nodes. This is typical in cases of cancer, infection, or surgery. Lymphedema in an arm is quite common in women who have gone through a mastectomy because of the damage to the lymph network in that area. Lymph fluid is not allowed to be reabsorbed back into the bloodstream so it collects in the arm and causes symptoms.

How A Physical Therapist Can Help With Lymphedema

When searching for lymphedema physical therapy near me it is important to find a certified lymphedema specialist. This trained professional can help with compression, exercises, and skin irritation that occurs due to lymphedema. A common technique is called complete decongestive therapy. Your lymphedema physical therapist will instruct you on which activities to avoid and which activities to continue with respect to your condition. They truly want you to live life on your terms and will help achieve that by working all of your goals into your physical therapy treatment plan.

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Lymphedema Treatment Locations

Effingham, IL Physical Therapy

1302 Avenue of Mid-America
Suite 4
Effingham, IL 62401
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Evansville, IN – East Physical Therapy

415 Crosslake Drive
Suite B
Evansville, IN 47715
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Newton, IL Physical Therapy

507 W Washington St
Newton, IL 62448
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Vincennes, IN Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy

2121 Willow Street
Vincennes, IN 47591
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Frequently Asked Questions

  • A physical therapy visit lasts about 40-60 minutes. The actual contents of the visit vary based on your diagnosis/need, but typically what happens is:

    1. You check in with the receptionist, make any appointments necessary, and we discuss your health insurance benefits with you.
    2. You go into the gym. You can change clothes if you need to, then begin therapy.
    3. You perform 6-8 various exercises and stretches. These can include therapeutic band exercises, light body weight exercises, or minimal weights. The stretches will promote strength, stability, improved range of motion, and pain relief.
    4. We can initiate other techniques to include manual work, taping, cupping, and dry needling as needed.
    5. The therapist makes recommendations based on your progress. These can include altering the frequency of visits, making additions/alterations to your home exercise plan, or things to do before your next visit.
  • We recommend budgeting 40-60 minutes for a typical therapy session. The only exception to this will be your first visit, which can take about 20 minutes longer due to the physical therapy evaluation your therapist will provide. We also recommend showing up about 10-15 minutes early to your first visit. This way, you can complete the paperwork before your visit time and streamline the process.

  • If we are asking you to do something that is hurting too much, let us know! Physical therapy should not be severely painful. It is not common to be so sore that patients are in pain or it affects their daily life. If this ever happens during or after an appointment, let us know and we will adapt your program.

  • During your initial evaluation, your therapist may ask you a number of questions to determine what the cause of your pain is. This can include questions about your sleep habits, activity level, and work environment. They will also ask for a medical history, and then typically ask direct questions about where and when you experience pain.

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