Monday, 14 March 2016

MLD (Manual Lymphatic Drainage) and SLD (Self Lymphatic Drainage)

You'll need to find a therapist to give you manual lymphatic drainage massages (MLD) for around a month after surgery.  I'm going twice a week as recommended by Professor Schmeller and wish he'd recommended three times as it feels so good!

I went to see an MLD practitioner before surgery and had a couple of massages, to ensure I liked her and would want to have post surgery treatment with her.  I also figured having a well drained lymph system pre-surgery sounded a good idea, so I had one close to my trip to Hanse.

There are official qualifications in MLD.  Vodder training is most common in the UK I think (and the one that Professor Schmeller was happy my lady has).  Lymphatic specialists are DLT (decongestive lymphatic therapy) Members of the MLD UK body.  The MLD UK website has a page where you can find a local therapist and filter to Member DLT only.  

Professor Schmeller recommended I waited a week to settle before starting massages so I would book at least that date in with your therapist/check the notice they need to organise your appointments. 

My massages cost £55 each and last around 1 hour.  The therapist is paying particular attention to my bruises and I was amazed that in the first session she gave some effort to my big cannula bruise in my hand and it vanished very soon afterwards!  I think the MLD is really helping speed up my healing and it feels great :)

I also asked if she would teach me some SLD techniques as I was given a handout by St George's at my first NHS appointment with them and told that it is a good thing to do to yourself, but I feel it is hard to learn a self massage technique from a sheet of paper.  My therapist is happy to work through it with me so I become competent.  It might have been good to do that before going for surgery.  

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