Introduction to lymph edema

Intro to Lymph. - Answer- My CLT journey (cert. lymphedema therapist) - Certified vs. specially trained? - LANA - Lymphology Association of North America - certification test (however do not need to be LANA certified to practice) - Medicare requirements - met with and of these ^ - Training o ACOLS - academy of lymphatic studies o Norton - school - OT doing lymphedema, NOT OT doing OT o Ultimate goal is to have patient be able to independently take care and manage their lymphedema o Strictly performing lymphedema, not focusing on occupational deficits What isn't Lymphedema - Answer- - edema - which is water (controlled through evaluation) collected in interstitial spaces - usually confused by doctors, very different treatment - rare - often times people just do not seek treatment because it isn't causing any problems - very common, 5 mil in US - curable - progressive, except the rate depends - Diuretics - contraindication for lymphedema Diagnosing - Answer- - diagnostic testing - to determine which lymphatic region is not functioning appropriately o MRI o Lymphoscintigraphy - nuclear medical procedure - often used to identify if cancer has spread to the lymph nodes - looking for where the system is malfunctioning o Genetics testing - a few forms are genetically transported - Diagnosis of last resort - most common o May be misdiagnosed as edema Reimbursement - Answer- - Compression supplies NOT covered ** COMPRESSION IS GOLD STANDARD FOR TX) - lymphedema manual treatment is covered but not the supplies o O