Complete Decongestive Therapy for Lymphedema
Complete decongestive therapy (CDT), also called complex decongestive therapy, consists of two phases and combines various lymphedema treatments to reduce swelling, improve the skin’s condition, increase your mobility, and reduce your risk of infection.
Specialists tend to use some combination of the following treatments:
Manual lymphatic drainage: A massage technique that uses gentle pressure to encourage lymph fluid to flow out of affected areas.
Compression wraps and bandages: A technique that uses layers of low-stretch wraps and bandages to put pressure on the affected area and reduce swelling.
Exercise: Flexibility, strength, breathing, aerobic, and other specific exercises help to improve lymph flow and keep lymphedema symptoms in check.
Skin and nail care: Keeping your skin and nails clean and moisturized helps to reduce the risk of infection.
Self-care management: Making adjustments to your lifestyle, including eating healthy foods, maintaining a weight that is right for you, protecting yourself from injuries, and not smoking can help you keep lymphedema symptoms and flare-ups in check.
Complete decongestive therapy’s combination of approaches to help manage swelling is considered the gold standard of lymphedema treatment. Experts combine various treatments in the first phase to reduce swelling and recommend treatments in the second phase to help keep swelling at bay.
Phase I: Active phase
Phase I of complete decongestive therapy is called the active phase, but it’s also referred to as the reductive phase, the decongestion phase, and the intensive phase. This first phase focuses on improving the shape of the affected area and the skin’s condition and reducing visible swelling.
During phase I, you typically see your lymphedema specialist four or five days a week for one-hour sessions that may include manual lymphatic drainage, compression wraps and bandages, exercise, and skin care. Follow your lymphedema specialist’s instructions to get the most out of your treatment. For example, you need to wear compression bandages around the clock, removing them only for showering or bathing and during manual lymphatic drainage.
Phase I can last between two and eight weeks, depending on how long it takes to reduce swelling and improve any other symptoms.
When phase I has done everything it can to reduce your lymphedema symptoms, you can move on to phase II.
Phase II: Maintenance phase
Phase II of complete decongestive therapy is called the maintenance phase. This second phase focuses on maintaining the results from phase I on your own. Although individual treatment plans vary, you can expect to stick with phase II for many years or even for the rest of your life. The second phase may include self-manual lymphatic drainage, compression sleeves or garments, exercise, and skin care.
Every person is a little different. You may need to wear compression garments during the day, and compression bandages with foam pads at night. You may also need to exercise while wearing compression garments and give yourself a lymphatic drainage massage for about 20 minutes a day.
It gets easier to recognize how your body responds in certain situations so you can take action accordingly. But before you make any changes to your phase II treatment plan, speak with your lymphedema specialist.
— Last updated on June 5, 2023 at 1:47 PM