My Lymphoedema Training - Part 2

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#1

This is in 3 parts.

i have been told that doing the exercies and folowing the rules in part 1 can reduce the risk from 25% to 1%. Good enough for me.

this is what is on the sheet - with photos - I’ll do my best -if you have a go I suggest you get a gym trainer to help you … here goes …

you do each exercise 15 times … and start by doing 2 sets … should tak ehalf an hour - I take 20 minutes but figure something is better than nothing!

  1. lie on back on floor with feet flat on floor and knees up to support back. Hold your hands together and keeping your arms straight move them from your tummy/crotch (!!) up in the air over head to the floor behind your head - wihtout overdoing it!. Bring back again.
    do 15 times

  2. same position on floor. cross arms over chest and open up and put back of hands on floor - without overdoing it
    do 15 times

  3. same position on floor - put one arm straigt up in the air - towards ceiling - bend hand backwards and wave like a pantomine - repeat 15 times. do other arm. NB This has changed from the exercise I sent to sukes - update.

  4. sit on end of bench with broom handle (take the broom off the end). put hands shoulder width apart. hold broom out in form of you and then keeping arms straight move up and round until over head - hold for 2-3 secs. This is quite hard.
    arms are always straight. repeat 15 times.

  5. sit on end of bench with broom handle as before but with arms bent. push right up to ceiling and then bring down bending arms.
    repeat 15 times

  6. sit on bench with brrom handle as before - hold up to shoulder height - arms straight. keeping hips forward rotate to right and left.
    repeat 15 times

  7. stand up straight. one arm at a time . make a fist and then draw a huge wheel in the air from front to back. 15 times - do other arm.

  8. hand at side - pretend eating an apple and then throwing away the core i.e. throw arm up and out. NB sukes - this one has changed too.

NB YOU HAVE TO DO THESE SLOWLY - to allow time for the arm to drain.
E.g. To demostrate - take a half-full bottle of water and swing it round - the water stays where it is. If you do it slowly the water sloshes about.

repeat the whole lot again

good luck with it if you have a go - make sure you get someone to help you who knows about exercise (professionally)

Remember : I ws told that following the rules and doing the exercises can redue the risk from 25% to 1%.

I did ask - if you injure your arm or get lmphoedema then what ? He said that you continue with exercises unless you hve an infection - straight to doctor/hospital.

If you think this is useful then bump it up.

NB Exercises do more good than the massage.

#2

Thank again, FB. I’ve printed it out and will give it a go.

I’ll have to do mine on the bed though as I can’t get down to the floor and if I did then I wouldn’t be able to get up again :frowning:

Good luck to us all.
Maureen xx

#3

Hi FB
just caught up with all your info - thanks it all brilliant…
Thanks for all your effort - I had some scant info…
Rads I am told increase risk of L loads and am waiting for them to happen in Aug.

will print it all out - thanks
Jan

#4

Hi FizBix, thanks for all this info, really helpful.
Two questions - in 3, what is waving like a pantomime??? I obviously had a deprived childhood as I’ve never been to one!

In 7, is the big wheel down to the ground and up to the ceiling or as if you’re drawing a circle on the ceiling (if you follow me?)

You can tell I’ve been having a go - I must be doing it much too slowly as I’m not sure I could get through that lot twice in 30 minutes.

Lyn

#5

Hi Lyn

waving like a pantomine - hold your arm up and let your hand fall back as far as it will go -the top of your hand towards the inside of your elbow - and then wave from side to side as far as it will go - like a sort of windscreen wiper action …the fingers stay straight …the movement is in the wrist … anyhelp ?

in seven your body stays straight at all times - only the arm moves - like a windmill - start with your hand by your side and make a fist - then keeping your arm straight bring it up in front of you and rotate it right round towards the celing and then down the back to where you started - the arm stays stright all the time … any help ?

let me know if you need more words …
good luck …
love FB xx

#6

… and when you’ve finished you put your right toe up your left nostril, stand on one hand (the good one of course) and do 3 pirouettes before the sun goes down! …

#7

Gotcha! yes, thank you, lots of help - I’m going to look as if I’m practicing to be Queen! Off to do my exercises while listening to Melvyn Bragg on the radio!

#8

Hi, all

Got back on Monday from my 10 days “Being kind to myself” holiday. Took your exercise and massage sheets, FB, and did them every day. Boy, some of those exercises were difficult!! I didn’t have a broom handle but I did have my compression sleeve which I used instead. I don’t honestly know if they helped though as I feel my arm’s even bigger - and it’s definitely sorer! Is sorer a word, or should I have said more sore? Who cares?

Any road up, good luck to us all.
xx

#9

Bump for Flygirl

#10

Fizbiz

Thanks for posting all of this.

How often are you supposed to do these exercises? The first two are very similar to the post surgery exercises I was given but I take it you don’t have to ‘hold the stretch’ otherwise you could be there all day!

Pauline

#11

Looking to hear from someone who does these exercises, how often do you do them?

Pauline

#12

Bump for Neelie

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S

#13

Bump for AndieT

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S

#14

Thanks.

Will have to print this out. Tried doing them while looking at computer on desk - It didn’t work

Andie

#15

Bump for Irene

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#16

Another bump for neelie!

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#17

bump

#18

bumping for littlemrs

#19

Another thing.
If you have a compression sleeve DO WEAR IT, while you are exercising, as the muscle pump action is enhanced by having nowhere to expand outside the body.

If your arm starts to feel tired and achy before you have done the prescribed number of repetitions, then stop and rest before continuing. Ache in muscles signifies a build up of lactic acid in the tissues which puts an increased load on the drainage mechanism.

The advice about weight lifting, is that done correctly it can actually help prevent LE or at least help control it, as “fit”, toned muscles are able to perform more efficiently and so produce less of that lactic acid byproduct that we want to avoid.

The key is “Start low, and progress slow!”, so start with a half or one pound weight, and gradually increase, while avoiding that achyburny feeling of fatigue on the muscles. Increase the repetitions before you increase the weight. When you increase the weight, decrease the reps and build up each time …