Lymphatic Drainage

by Liz Hoffmaster

I have been doing lymphatic drainage for a number of years on people with different needs:

  1. Orthopedic surgeries, postoperatively, on hips, knees and any joint that can be operated on.
  2. Cancer patients who have had chemo, radiation and tumor removal.
  3. Elective surgeries, postoperatively.

It is this last category that I’m going to talk about. For 14 years I have had many referrals, for lymphatic drainage, from a plastic surgeon. He does amazing work and is very conscientious as a surgeon. I say he is the best seamstress in Austin. His stitching is immaculate. I know, because over the years I have seen some terrible stitching up of body parts. What he cannot control however is postoperative swelling. So he sends his
patients to me and other therapists who do lymphatic drainage. It is a real privilege to work on those patients because the benefits of the work are immediately evident.

Afterwards the patients feel less pain, bruising dissipates rapidly, there is improved sensation, decreased swelling and an increase in sense of well-being. There is a lot of judgment in the world about people who choose plastic surgery. In fact the people that have the surgery are often their own worst judges. The truth is they may have spent years wishing they could have something different in their body and now they’ve finally done it. Some are excited, some are terrified and wondering what on earth they have done, but in the end, the majority of them are very happy with their
results.

I spend a lot of time encouraging them to be kind to themselves. I believe that is one of our main jobs as helpers of human beings. Below are two photographs, before and after, of one of my patients. He gave these to me along with permission to share them with everyone. I don’t think I need to attach any words to say what this must have meant to him in his life……

 


Learn more at the Manual Lymphatic Drainage workshop with Liz Hoffmaster on February 8, 2015. CLICK HERE to register today!