Therapeutic Rehabilitation and Oncology Conference

Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012

7:30 a.m.—2 p.m.

Target Audience

Inpatient and outpatient physical

therapists, physical therapist assistants,

occupational therapists, occupational

therapy assistants, and speech language pathologists.

Agenda

7:30-8 a.m. Registration and breakfast

8-8:15 a.m. Welcome, introduction and

overview

8:15-9:15 a.m. Exercise Guidelines for the

Oncology Population

G. Stephen Morris

9:15-9:30 a.m. Break

9:30-10:30 a.m. Therapies and End of Life:

Person-centered Care

Linda Royal

10:30-11:30 a.m. Lymphedema

Carmen Thompson

11:30 a.m.-noon Lunch

Noon-1 p.m. The Oncology

Rehabilitation Program

Kerry Ann Conrad

1-2 p.m. Radiosurgery and Other

Advances in Radiation

Oncology

David Buck

2 p.m. Wrap-up

Objectives

Upon completion of this conference,

participants will be able to:

 Recognize the impact of various

cancers on the physical capacity of the

body.

 Appreciate the psychosocial impacts of

cancer as it relates to an individual's

motivation and participation in

rehabilitation.

 Develop a basic understanding of the

condition of lymphedema and its

treatment options.

 Recognize the benefits and drawbacks

of radiological intervention and its

impact on the course of rehabilitation

Location

Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital

Sixth Floor Auditorium

1906 Belleview Ave.

Roanoke, VA 24014

Parking available at no charge in the

Belleview Avenue garage

Registration

Pre-registration is required. The deadline

to register is Friday, Sept. 14, 2012.

 Non-Carilion employees: $90, students

$10. Call Carilion Direct at

800-422-8482 or 540-266-6000.

Carilion employees: Register using

Cornerstone OnDemand with course

number CE978C. Tuition is paid by

Carilion Clinic. A signed payroll

deduction form is required to confirm

registration. Employees who register

and do not attend or send an

appropriate replacement will be

charged a conference fee of $90.

Questions

Stella M. Snead

540-983-4015

smsnead@carilionclinic.org

Understanding Lymphedema and Compression Therapy Course

Understanding Lymphedema & Compression Therapy Course August 23rd, 2012, 9:00 am-4:30 p.m.

This course will provide new and experienced medical compression fitters with a comprehensive foundation in anatomy and physiology of the lymphatic system. Fitters will also participate in a measuring and fitting workshop. Participants will have a greater understanding of the lymphatic system, lymphedema ma

nagement, and compression therapy, and measuring techniques.

Participants who complete this Juzo Academy will learn:

• Basic lymphatic system anatomy
• Lymphedema symptoms, causes, treatments and challenges
• Proper garment selection
• Juzo's lymphedema product lines
• Garment options
• Measuring/fitting techniques
• Patient compliance strategies

7.5 BOC & 7.5 ABC

Fee: $30

Course Location:

Charlotte Marriott Southpark
2200 Rexford Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28211

Email juzoacademy@juzousa.com for more information.

Free medi USA Phlebology Conference

To my valued vendors, therapists, and clinicians;

As most of you know I hold training classes at the medi USA plant in Whitsett, NC once a quarter.  It is normally done over two days being Phlebology on the firsty and Lymphology on the second.  However, many of you may not know that Medi has acquired Circaid therefore I will be providing a 3rd day this time and will also include training on CEP Sportswear and Orthopeadic Bracing.  The dates of the class are Tuesday, September 25 thru Thursday, September 27th from 9-3 each day.  Each day there will also be a plant tour since I know that many of you will be unable to attend all three days.  For those that would just like to go on the tour of the plant it will be at 10 a.m. each day. 

The cost of the class is free and meals will be provided.  If you are traveling the only expense would be hotel.  They just recently opened a very nice Comfort Suites next to the plant that I would recommend, the address is listed below.  I have also been successful in writing a letter for CEU's in the past for 7 hours each day and them getting approved.  If you would like to attend please let me know the names of those attending and which dates you will attend.  I look forward to the class and it is always exciting to have both fitters and therapists converse and compare notes from all over the state.  It is especially exciting to have the addition of Circaid to help provide the highest compliance and efficacy for patient outcomes with such a full arsenal of compression garments. Please feel free to contact me on my cell phone at 843-607-1308 if you have any further questions. I hope you will be able to attend.

Tuesday, September 25th (Phlebology)

9:00-9:15 Introductions

9:15-9:45 Anatomy and Physiology of the Venous System and the Role of Compression

9:45-10:00 Medi History

10:00-11:00 Plant Tours

11:00-11:30 Medi Differentiation vs. Competitors

11:30-12:00 Medi Fabrics and Medical Applications

12:00-1:00 Lunch

1:00-1:30 Medi Fabrics and Medical Application (Continued)

1:30-2:00 Donning and Doffing Practices and Aids

2:00-2:30 Measuring for Ready to Wear Stockings

2:30-3:00 Measuring for Custom Circle Knits

3:00-3:30 Phlebology Certification Exam

Wednesday, September 26th, Lymphology

9:00-9:15 Introductions

9:15-10:00 Anatomy and Physiology of the Lymphatic System and the Role of Compression

10:00-11:00 Plant Tours

11:00-11:30 Medi Ready to Wear Fabrics and Medical Applications (Upper and Lower Exterminaties)

11:30-12:00 Medi Custom Flat Knit Fabrics and Medical Applications (Upper and Lower Extremities)

12:00-1:00 Working Lunch and Medi Custom Options

1:00-1:45 Patient Fitting

1:45-2:30 Measuring for Custom Flat Knit Upper Extremity

2:30-3:15 Measuring for Custom Flat Knit Lower Extremity

3:15-3:30 Measuring for Flat Knit Toe Caps

Thursday, September 27th, Orthopeadic Bracing, CEP Sportswear, and Circaid

9:00-9:15 Introductions

9:15-10:00 Orthopeadic Bracing

10:00-11:00 Plant Tour

11:00-12:00 CEP Sportswear

12:00-3:00 Working Lunch and Circaid Product Lines

Comfort Suites

1102 Creek Crossing Trail

Whitsett, NC 27377

336-449-5161

Lymphayoga! October 30th, 7pm. Blacksburg VA. A gentle yoga class designed for those needing support of the lymphatic/immune system. Focus on strengthening and supporting the full body lymphatic and immune system as well as individualized techniques for specific areas of lymphedema. Target clients of interest would be any patients with chronic lymphatic issues such as lymphatic congestion, lymphedema, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, CFS, RA and Lyme's disease. Session will include gentle yoga in a specific pattern to facilitate lymphatic health as well as breathing exercises and self massage techniques. Please let me know if you are interested in this program, or know people that may be and we can get you more details. 

Living with Lymphedema

by Mary Bloomer on JULY 23, 2012 in HEALTH CHALLENGES, HEALTH NEWS

(Photo credit: Jacob & Kiki Hantla)

We learn a lot from our customers. In this case, we learned from our Facebook fans.

We were approached by Lymphoedema – Let’s Talk a growing Facebook page used to share some holistic options on managing lymphedema. I have three family members who are breast cancer survivors, so I’ve had a vague knowledge of lymphedema, but confess I’ve never taken this challenging and often debilitating condition as seriously as I should. Not anymore! After doing some research, I’ve discovered the vein surgery I had in my leg last summer, could put me at risk for lymphedema. More than a million people suffer from lymphedema, but the numbers of those suffering from it are expected to increase greatly, probably due to rising cancer rates.

What is lymphedema?

According to Mayo Clinic:

“Lymphedema occurs when your lymph vessels are unable to adequately drain lymph fluid, usually from an arm or leg. Lymphedema can be either primary or secondary. This means it can occur on its own (primary lymphedema) or it can be caused by another disease or condition (secondary lymphedema). Secondary lymphedema is far more common than primary lymphedema.”

Causes of secondary lymphedema
Any condition or procedure that damages your lymph nodes or lymph vessels can cause lymphedema. Causes include:

• Surgery. Lymphedema can develop if your lymph nodes and lymph vessels are removed or cut. For instance, surgery for breast cancer may include the removal of one or more lymph nodes in your armpit to look for evidence that cancer has spread. If your remaining lymph nodes and lymph vessels can’t compensate for those that have been removed, lymphedema may result in your arm.
• Radiation treatment for cancer. Radiation can cause scarring and inflammation of your lymph nodes or lymph vessels, restricting flow of lymph fluid.
• Cancer. If cancer cells block lymphatic vessels, lymphedema may result. For instance, a tumor growing near a lymph node or lymph vessel could become large enough to block the flow of the lymph fluid.
• Infection. An infection of the lymph nodes can restrict the flow of lymph fluid and cause lymphedema. Parasites also can block lymph vessels. Infection-related lymphedema is most common in tropical and subtropical regions of the globe and is more likely to occur in developing countries.

Treatments for lymphedema

There is no cure for lymphedema, but there are options to help manage the symptoms.  Traditional treatments for lymphedema include the following:

• compression bandages or garments
• pneumatic pump therapy – this is a sleeve that’s worn on the affected limb that intermittently inflates and puts pressure on the limb, thus moving the lymphatic fluid.
• therapeutic exercises and exercise in general is very helpful
• weight-loss where applicable
• manual lymph drainage (this is a special massage technique)

In addition to the treatments above, there are some dietary and supplemental therapies that may be helpful. Before making any changes in your healthcare routine, always consult with your doctor first.

Dietary changes

Paying attention to your diet is important. Avoid inflammatory foods like trans-fats, added sugars and processed foods. Even though lymph fluid contains a large amount of protein, maintaining a diet high in healthy protein is very important. Meats and eggs from pasture raised animals and wild fish are good place to start.

Rebounding - this is simply jumping on a mini-trampoline. Because your lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump, rebounding does the important job of moving your lymphatic fluid through your body.  There are  other  exercises for lymphedema, but you should consult your doctor first.

Flavonoids -Simply put, flavonoids are compounds from plants that have antioxidant properties. This means they are great for fighting cancer, reducing inflammation and supporting vein health. You’ll get flavonoids from eating fruits and veggies (refer to the Dirty Dozen guide for which produce is best) or you can take them in a supplement form.

Selenium has been reported to decrease the severity of chronic lymphedema resulting from radiation therapy and from acute lymphedema following surgery. Most people’s diets are deficient in selenium.

B-Vitamins are another that most of us lack (especially B-6 and B-12) and they can be helpful in managing lymphedema.  I checked a Q & A session from Terry Talks Nutrition and in addition to recommending an excercise physiologist and chiropractic care,  here’s what he recommended for a cancer survivor with lymphedema:  ”The first supplement that comes to mind is pyridoxal-5-phosphate, orP-5-P (the bioactive form of vitamin B6) in a formula with magnesium glycinate. This combination is very good for edema. I’d start with 30 mg of P-5-P in a formula with 100 mg magnesium glycinate chelate, three times a day. I like the two together because the magnesium actually plays a synergistic role in activation of the bioactive form of vitamin B6. They work better together than separately. My next recommendation is to try a standardized horse chestnut extract. Many natural medicine companies sell horse chestnut extract to support leg edema and to help prevent varicose veins, or to reduce their appearance once they occur.”

Several other supplements that support the lymphatic system and may prove beneficial in managing lymphedema are Lymphotox and Lymph Terrain from Apex Energetics.

Sadly, there is no magic bullet for lymphedema. Having a place to share information and encourage each other like Lymphoedema – Let’s Talk is so important. I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn and to shed some light on the ever growing problem of lymphedema.