What is the lymphatic system?

We all have a lymphatic system. It’s a circulatory system that exists throughout our entire body and it exists at different levels of the body. Think of this system as a recycling system. The fluid inside of it is called lymph. Lymph fluid has a very large composition of products some of which includes plasma proteins, lipids, dead cells, bacteria, toxins, perfumes and tattoo ink.

The lymphatic system recycles products back into our blood stream, as well as carries byproducts (such as toxins and bacteria) to our lymph nodes to be analyzed. It is extremely pertinent to our immune system.

The lymphatic system begins at the level of our skin, then travels deeper until it dumps back into the venous system (veins) at the level of the neck.

A large portion of the lymphatic system exists just under the skin, approximately 70%. The remaining 30% belongs to the deep system (tendons, ligaments, muscles, organs).

What is lymphedema?

When there’s an abnormal accumulation of lymphatic fluid this is called lymphedema. There are different reasons why lymphatic fluid begins to accumulate. Some individuals are born with lymphedema (primary lymphedema). Other acquire it (secondary lymphedema); this can be due to damage or obstruction to the lymphatic system (such as through an injury or blood clot) or due to the system having a difficult time keeping up (such as due to venous insufficiency or kidney disease).

When the lymphatic fluid accumulates and does not drain effectively for long durations a few things begin to occur. This includes hardening of the skin (fibrosis) due to chronic inflammation, skin discoloration and limited joint mobility. Due to the lymph fluid not being cleared of it’s debris this can increase an individual’s risk for infection, poorly healing wounds, hospitalization and overall quality of life.

gold standard treatment for lymphedema

At Empower Health we provide you a personalized care plan to fit your lymphatic needs. This always encompasses complete decongestive therapy, which is considered the gold standard for management of lymphedema. This includes:

  • appropriate compression (ready-to-wear and custom) for the acute phase of treatment

  • appropriate compression (ready-to-wear and custom) for the maintenance phase of treatment

  • manual lymphatic drainage (MLD)

  • skin and nail care

  • home program (includes self lymphatic drainage and appropriate-level exercise)