How to Breakdown Fibrotic Tissue with Lymphedema
When it comes to Lymphedema, one of the challenges we can have is tissue hardening over time.
When you live with lymphedema, one of the biggest challenges as time progresses is that the layers of the skin can harden and stiffen. Skin becomes thick and fibrotic. You can’t pick it up with your fingers, a tell tale sign. With thickened skin cane mean we lose mobility and the full range of motion in our joints, which can result in muscle loss, more swelling, more stagnation, and more risk of infections. It’s a vicious cycle and it’s worth breaking it.
If it feels like lymphedema is a train barreling forward and you want to send it backward instead, this one’s for you. And if you’re a therapist, I hope this gives you something new to share with your clients.
Why softening tissue matters
When tissue softens, it opens up channels for lymph to flow. Compressing fibrotic, firm tissue is like trying to squeeze juice out of a hard, dried-up lemon. Softer tissue means everything else you’re doing, like compression, exercise, and massage, works better.
Dr. Terry Ryan puts it this way:
“I think you can do all the manual compression (and of course it helps), but if you ignore the care of the skin, then you’re not going to really get a good result.”
What I do
As a person who has lived with this too, for 45 years in fact. I have to keep at it. Actively breaking down the fibrosis on an ongoing basis.
I do this in a few different ways:
MLD massage, either on myself or with a certified lymphedema massage therapist,
Moisturizing my skin with lotions and/or oils to keep my skin pliable and preventing splitting,
Herbal Teas such as my Dandelion Mocha blend - to help break up stagnation, cleanse my liver, and break down fats in my body.
Layering compression to create a steeper pressure gradient from my toes to my hips, AND
Textured Foam - with bumps, ridges, and hills/valleys under my bandages, night garments, and sometimes under my stockings in targeted spots.
Yoga - Yoga can stimulate our muscles to pump our lymphatic fluid back towards the heart, stretch our fascia, and help us feel better in our bodies and minds. Avoid hot yoga though. NOTE: Look for more on this in my other blog posts.
Why I’m sharing this
So much of managing lymphedema falls on us as patients.
We’re often the ones buying foam and bandages again and again, and some products are hard to find because they’re only sold to providers.
I carry Mobiderm rolls in my shop so you can get them without the runaround, and I only offer what has earned its place in my own routine.
Introducing Mobiderm Foam Rolls!!
Just Roll with It!
Our limbs are cylindrical. You will LOVE that you can roll this around your limb, easy peasy. No more cutting rectangular sheets of foam into weird shapes and taping them together to fit your leg or arm! GAME CHANGER.
I’ve tried a lot of foams over the years, and these are the ones I keep coming back to.
They roll on. Our limbs are cylinders, so a roll just makes sense. No more cutting rectangles of foam into odd shapes and taping them together to fit your leg or arm. If you can roll on a bandage, you can use these. They also work around the chest or abdomen. Total game changer.
They’re comfortable. The foam pieces are sewn between two layers of fabric. That’s gentler on sensitive skin, and I find it keeps the foam cooler. Unlike other foam wraps, I don’t take these off in the middle of the night.
They’re washable. I wash mine in the machine on perma-press and cold, or in the bath tub. Dry on low or hang indoors. Skip the outdoor clothesline, because sunlight breaks the foam down and turns it yellow. Washing keeps the product and your skin clean, and it extends the life of the foam, since the natural oils on our skin break foam down over time.
They’re versatile. Use them under bandages or velcro wraps, inside your pump, or cut into small pieces to tuck under your stockings around stubborn spots like knees, thighs, elbows, and upper arms. (Check with your CLT first.)
Mobiderm is sold in Canada through a distributor that supplies healthcare providers, so people living with lymphedema can’t usually buy it directly. As a lymphatic herbalist, I’m able to carry it in my shop, and I earn a small commission on each sale. I only offer products I’ve tried on my own body first.
A note for therapists
Many therapists I talk to haven’t come across Mobiderm foam rolls yet. If you have clients struggling with fibrosis, these rolls may be worth recommending, especially for people who get frustrated cutting and taping sheet foam. Because Mobiderm is sold to healthcare providers, you can set up an account with the distributor, just like I did. Send me an email and I’ll point you in the right direction. I’m happy to answer any questions about how the rolls work in daily use.
If you have any questions about using mobiderm foam in your self-care, or would like to know how you can order it for your clinic, send me an email.
