Massage Therapy Journal Winter 2024

46 • Massage Therapy Journal

AMTA Continuing Education

• Venous obstruction (deep vein thrombosis, chronic venous insufficiency) • Certain medications that alter blood capillary pressure • Hypoproteinemia • Inflammation and infections • Pregnancy • Tissue trauma • Immobility of a body part When working with a client who has a compromised lymphatic system—for example, a client who has had lymph nodes removed, lymph node radiation, or damaged or malformed lymphatic vessels—understanding that increasing the lymphatic load could potentially create a series of problems within the body area involved is vital. A healthy, functioning lymphatic system can remove the increased volume of fluid within the interstitium, meaning any edema will eventually resolve. An increase in fluid volume on an individual that has a compromised lymphatic system, however, can lead to a condition known as lymphedema, which is an accumulation of edema rich in proteins.

Lymphedema is a chronic progressive disease that if left untreated will cause chronic inflammation and reactive fibrosis because of the lymph stagnation within the interstitium. Lymphedema can be primary (malformation or absence of lymphatic vessels resulting from either hereditary or genetic abnormalities) or secondary (occurring as a result of damage or trauma to the lymphatic system). This condition most commonly affects the extremities, but can also occur in the head, face, abdomen and genitals. Lymphedema can severely impact an individual’s quality of life, from performing daily living activities to the quality of relationships with friends and family. Signs and symptoms of lymphedema include heaviness/achiness to the arm, (some patients report their arm feeling like a piece of wood), swelling in the extremities and recurrent infections to the affected area. Cancer patients who have had treatments to lymph nodes—either from surgery or radiation— are at significant risk of developing secondary

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