MLD - for swelling in lymph nodes neck/shoulders?

Chemotherapy finished on 2 Jan but neck still very swollen and lumpy. Currently on Femara and hoping for stability or better of course. Shoulders and back are all puffed up with lymphodema and tumours. I am now completely lopsided and ache after a short time of walking or doing anything much. I seem to have gone from nothing much in the way of symptoms, apart from the swelling in the neck which sent me to my oncologist at the end of August, to feeling like I am falling apart quite rapidly. I feel like the chemotherapy has just p****d off the tumours… Have just started having some MLD – has anyone else experienced this problem and had any success with MLD?

Yes my neck is swollen and chest wall. I also get deferred nerve pain in back.I take mild dose of oramorph and amitryptiline. My lymphoedema in arm is also quite bad. I saw a hopeless physio at hospice but am now thinking of seeing a lymphoedema specialist privately and want to talk to him about MLD. Lets compare notes.

Jane

Yes - lets. Through the forum or by PM? I felt quite encouraged by the MLD last week and am due to go again twice this week. BUPA will pay for me for 6 mths (no idea why 6 mths) so have decided nothing to lose. My physio has asked for a letter from my oncologist to confirm that it is OK to do the massage as she has not done this on someone with active cancer before, and I know that there are concerns, but no evidence, that massage moves the cancer around more.What are your thoughts on this? Just something else for us to worry about I suppose, but I know that the lymphoedema won’t go away by itself and will probably get worse. It’s difficult to tell at the moment what is tumour and what is lymphoedema in some places. I know this really built up when I was ill after new year and can’t help but feel that the lymph system got clogged up then trying to fight the infection and was not able to drain away afterwards. Finding it difficult to turn my neck fully or reach behind me on one side but not taking painkillers at the moment as it eases when I rest my arm. I also saw someone at the hospice who claimed to do some MLD on me but it was nothing like the massage I had at the hospice last week - so might be worth you trying a private specialist.
Best wishes Jane

Pat

Alot of massage therapists are trained at a level 3, and have to ask the clients doctor for the permission to treat a patient with cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and other illnesses. however a therapist who is trained at a higher level (Fd level 5/6) who are more practitioners than therapists are trained more medically and are able to treat clients with the illnesses named ablove.
MLD is a technique that mimics the lymphatic syatem and is widely used in hospices and hospitals today.

MLD massage is a series of light, rhythmic movements that improve the flow of lymph. Lymph is a colourless substance that helps the body to fight against infection and disease (Cancer Research UK, 2011). Manual lymphatic drainage massage main emphasis is to drain excess lymph (Manual Lymphatic Drainage, 2011). This treatment is generally used after cancer surgery to reduce the swelling. Some of the benefits of manual lymphatic drainage include helping sinus and cold symptoms (Manual Lymphatic Drainage, 2011a), reduces oedema (Feel Good Factor, 2011), helps scar tissue (Massage Therapy Benefits, 2011), burns (Real Bodywork, 2011), stretch marks (Go To See, 2011) and reduces cellulite (De Godoy & Godoy, 2009) MLD massage all so boosts the immune system which protects the body from infections. MLD all so flushes out toxins and excess fluids from the body and Colgate (2011) reports that Danni Minogue used this therapy to shed her excess baby weight. However there are reasons that a treatment should not be performed and these are referred to as contraindications. Some of the contraindications to MLD include acute infections, fever, thrombosis and other serious circulatory conditions, major cardiac conditions, haemorrhage, and any undiagnosed lumps (Foldi &. Strobenreuther, 2003).

Hope this helps

Karen

Hi all!

Re:Pat’s post from 09. Anyone else here had MLD paid for through private insurance?

Sarahx

I Know BUPA will sometimes pay as they did for me once, but AXA PPP won’t pay for private treatment.

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