Cancer Facts
(Source: National Cancer Institute)

• After Cancer Surgery or Radiation
• Tight or Painful Scars
• Radiation Fibrosis
• Joint Restrictions
• Lymphedema
• Lymphatic System

Treatment after Cancer Surgery or Radiation

After cancer surgery or radiation, there can be tightness, swelling, or joint restrictions.

For example, after breast cancer surgery (lumpectomy, mastectomy, or breast reconstruction), people may have

• tight surgical scars in the chest or armpit
• firmness in the radiated area
• swelling and firmness in the breast, trunk, armpit, or arm
• limited motion in the shoulder

Effective treatment is available to improve all of these conditions.

Treatment for Tight or Painful Scars

Surgical scars can become raised, tight, or bound down to the area underneath. There can also be pain. Myofascial release can improve the texture and appearance of scars. The scars become flatter, softer, and more comfortable.

Treatment for Radiation Fibrosis

Sometimes radiation can cause the radiated tissues to become firm and inflexible. This is called radiation fibrosis.

Marian Lord has developed a gentle comfortable treatment that improves radiation fibrosis. The treatment is a modified form of myofascial release. Gentle pressure and a light stretching technique cause the radiated area to become softer, more comfortable, and able to move better.

Treatment for Joint Restrictions

Some people are not able to move their joints freely after cancer surgery. Joint motion can be improved and the area can become more comfortable through the use of gentle joint mobilization, myofascial release, and exercises.

Treatment for Lymphedema

When a person has had surgery or radiation, there can be a disruption of the flow of fluid in tissues. This can cause fluid to accumulate, and the area becomes swollen. The swelling is called lymphedema, and it can occur in any part of the body.

Manual lymph drainage moves fluid out of an area that has swelling. Fluid is moved into other areas of the body, where the extra fluid can be handled more easily. Excess fluid then flows into lymphatic vessels, goes into blood vessels, travels to the kidneys, and is removed from the body. Manual lymph drainage is gentle and comfortable.

Marian Lord has extensive training and fourteen years of experience in lymphedema therapy, and she has developed new methods to treat the tissue firmness (fibrosis) that is often present in lymphedema. Therapy softens tissues, decreases swelling, and makes the area more comfortable.

Treatment is customized for each person. Because Marian has received training in different treatment methods and has also developed new techniques, she is able to use whatever combination of methods will be the most effective for each person.

Some people need compression wrapping and compression garments in addition to manual lymph drainage, in order to reduce and maintain the size of the arm or leg. Marian specializes in working with people whose swelling is mild enough that the problems can be resolved without garments, or with people who have been through another lymphedema program (and already have garments) who would like to further improve the softness, size, and comfort of the trunk, breast, arm, or leg.

The Lymphatic System

When blood leaves the heart it goes through the arteries into tiny vessels called capillaries. Some of the fluid in the blood goes out through the walls of the capillaries, taking food and oxygen to the different cells in the area. Most of the fluid from around the cells goes back in through the walls of the capillaries, and the blood then goes into the veins and back to the heart. About 10% of the fluid that goes out around the cells gets back to the heart through the lymphatic system.

Lymphatic vessels start out as little pockets that have spaces between the cells, like little trapdoors. The lymphatic pockets lead to larger lymphatic vessels, and the lymph fluid eventually drains into large veins near the collarbones.

As the lymph flows through the lymphatic system it passes through structures called lymph nodes. These filter out things such as dead cells and bacteria. The lymph nodes are like a water treatment plant, cleaning up the "water" before dumping it back into the "main stream." When lymph nodes are removed during surgery, the flow of lymph is disrupted and swelling may develop.