OK To Have a Massage?

crabbie (I love your name) - I have had several massages since having lymphedema. I can tell you this: most mainstream massage therapists know diddly squat about lymphedema. You must tell them EXACTLY what they can and cannot do as far as that arm is concerned. I have found that I usually tell them they can do it but that they have to go very light on it... then they don't so I just interupt them and tell them not to do it at all. Also - be careful - I actually had one massage therapist start to use hot stones on my back without asking me! Yikes - because my sensation is altered on my LE side it immediately felt like it was on fire! I immediately had to tell her to STOP. Not to diss on massage therapists too much - because there are good ones out there - but their education consists of a year of technical school. Great for your run of the mill population, but not so great when you have a population that consists of cancer survivors and LE. I say that wherever you decide to go for your massage, you can do one of two things. Either be prepared to assert yourself (which some people don't have a problem with, but some people are hesitant to say anything) and let the MT know if there is something you are not comfortable with (especially make sure they don't have your arm hanging down when you are face down on the table) OR make sure that wherever you go for MT, you ask for a MT that has taken continuing education in treating either cancer patients or LE. Having said all that - I still go to MT - about once a month... I never know who I am going to get and I have to educate them on LE every time... but I don't mind doing that and have the education behind me to help me out - where not everyone does. SO... that was my long winded answer to your question!

Pattie, sometimes a little training is worse than none -- we've had MTs mentioned here who are working at cancer centers and still haven't got a clue about LE, so as Nordy says, it's a teach-as-you-go problem.

It's not just the arm that needs to be treated gently, it's the entire affected quadrant (think chicken quarter) -- hand, arm, shoulder, back, side, chest/breast on that side all need to be treated very gently. Avoid any extremes of temperature to that area, as both cold and hot draw lymph fluid. (Cool and warm are fine.) Helps to be well-hydrated going into it too.

Great "teaching moment!" Speak up and make the world safer for all our bc Sisters who come after you!

Be well,
Binney

"Pattie, sometimes a little training is worse than none" ... Binney - now isn't that the truth!!! I agree with that statement so much that I wish I could press a "like" button about a billion times.

And of course, I agree with everything else you stated - regarding the whole upper quadrant on that side. Even when my husband massages my shoulders (he is no where near any kind of therapist) - he now knows to take it easy on my LE side (I like DEEP tissue massage) because it is so sensitive and I can't take it... and that is without even considering the lymphatic aspect of it - which he has unfortunately had to be educated on.

Great thread Pattie... even if I am now also envisioning you as a plucked chicken...