The Library

Self-care

Step-by-step routines you can do at home between visits, with the cautions the sources insist on.

15 pages

A daily skin-care routine for lymphedemaMorning: wash warm, dry between folds and toes, check the skin. Evening: garment off, non-perfumed emollient, downward strokes, a look for redness or heat.
Cuts, insect bites and first aid when you have lymphedemaWash, dry, antiseptic cream, cover; no scratching bites; gloves, 50% DEET, an electric razor; a pocket kit; the cellulitis signs that mean antibiotics now.
Desk set-up for neck and shoulder pain: a ten-minute fixKnees at or below the hips, lumbar support in the low back, elbows at 90 degrees by your sides, screen an arm away and below eye level, up every 50 minutes.
Diaphragmatic breathing for lymphatic flow: a five-minute routineDiaphragmatic breathing for lymphatic flow: knees bent, hand below the ribs, in through the nose, out through pursed lips, 5 to 10 minutes, 3 times a day.
Foot and nail care with leg lymphedemaDry between the toes, treat athlete's foot early, clip nails straight across, leave cuticles alone, closed low shoes, never barefoot, a weekly mirror check.
Moisturising when you wear a compression garment: timing and productsEmollient at night after the garment comes off, absorbed before it goes back on, downward strokes, no fragrance, and a check of the lotions the maker allows.
Remedial exercises for leg lymphedema: a seated and standing sequenceSeated and standing remedial exercises for leg lymphedema: ankle pumps, circles, toe curls, marching, knee bends, at least twice a day, stocking on.
Self-lymphatic drainage after liposuction: what you can do between sessionsBetween post-op sessions: belly breaths, clear the groin or armpit nodes, then light skin strokes from the treated zone toward them. Never over incisions.
Silicone, sunscreen and new scars: protecting a scar in its first yearKeep the healing wound moist and covered, consider silicone gel or sheets once it is closed, and put SPF 30 on the healed scar every day for its first year.
Sleeping after a tummy tuck or liposuction: set-up, garments and getting out of bedGarment on, knees bent, drains laid flat on smooth bedding, roll out of bed sideways and breathe before sleep. The angle you sleep at is your surgeon's call.
Strength training with lymphedema: the slowly progressive methodStrength training with lymphedema is safe when loads rise slowly: what the PAL trial found, a sample progression, rest between sets, sleeve and gauntlet on.
Sun protection for skin at risk of lymphedemaWhy sunburn is an infection risk on a limb at risk of lymphedema, and the routine: SPF 30 or higher, reapplied every two hours, cover-ups, shade, no sunbeds.
Swimming and water exercise with lymphedemaSwimming with lymphedema: why water pressure helps, what the slow aqua-lymphatic trials showed, a 30-minute pool routine, water temperature, skin care.
What to do in a TMJ flare: soft food, heat and jaw rest for a weekSeven days of soft food, cold first then moist heat, paracetamol or ibuprofen, gentle jaw-muscle massage, no gum or wide yawns, and a log for your dentist.
Yoga with lymphedema: adaptations and what the evidence showsYoga with lymphedema: what the Loudon pilot trial found at eight weeks and after stopping, and how to adapt a class: breathing first, props, garment on.

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