Pump, pump, pump it up!

One of the possible after effects of bilateral mastectomy and lymph node removal is a condition called Lymphedema. It is considered chronic and incurable. When lymph nodes are removed, the normal course of the lymphatic fluid's flow is disrupted. This causes a painful swelling in one or both arms which can be quite debilitating. Other symptoms can include a change in skin color and texture, a feeling of heaviness, and difficulty using your fingers for daily tasks.

After I had my surgery, I was instructed not to have any needles, blood pressures, or any type of restrictive clothing on my right arm (because I'd had 6 nodes removed in that arm) and I was told if I must receive medical treatment of this type, I'd have to instruct the medical personal they must perform their duties on the lowest point possible on my left arm, which usually meant my hand. 

The swelling I experience has been far worse than the breast surgery itself. Usually, the swelling starts in the early morning and builds constantly throughout the day. Even though the physical therapist showed me how to perform manual lymphatic drainage on myself, the swelling is quite bothersome and impedes my arm movement. 

I was reading an article a few days ago about weight lifting and Lymphedema. It was first thought that lifting any amount of weight would be detrimental to a patient suffering Lymphedema and would exacerbate the condition. I remember shortly after my surgery, being instructed not to lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk, but was interested in this new study. Here is what it said:

In 2005, guidelines published by the National Lymphedema Network stated that strength training "poses the greatest risk to individuals with Lymphedema." But now those guidelines are being challenged. Clinical trials and studies are now delivering a blow to the old idea that exercise, and strength training in particular, worsens arm Lymphedema. Current research suggests that you pump a little iron in order to reduce or prevent arm swelling.

A study done at Lund University in Sweden found that when breast cancer patients did a regular program of light free weights they experienced relief from their symptoms. Routine lifting of one-pound weights helped with muscle tone, arm strength, and bone density.

At Flinders University in Australia, 38 women learned to combine deep breathing with arm exercise for 10 minutes every morning and evening. They did this program for one month, and found that their arm swelling went down. In addition, their Lymphedema symptoms were much milder than before starting regular exercise. These women said that their arms felt better for 24 hours, one week, and even one month after the end of the study.

Finally, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine looked at 141 breast cancer patients with Lymphedema who had taken part in an exercise program. While half of the patients were careful not to overuse their arms, the other half was doing progressive weight lifting. All of the women in the study had lost one breast, had relatively healthy body weight, and had been out of breast cancer treatment for at least one year. Certified Lymphedema therapists monitored the women's arms, and fitness professionals working at the YMCA taught 90-minute classes that met twice a week. During classes, the women followed a routine of warm-ups, abdominal and back exercises, and weight-lifting exercises. They did weight lifting with all the major muscle groups, very slowly increasing the weights that were used. No upper limit was set for the weight to be lifted, and instructors worked to monitor safety and comfort of the participants, as well as keep an eye out for Lymphedema flare-ups.

Researchers were surprised to find that the group that lifted weights had significantly less Lymphedema symptoms than the women who protected their arms.

Researchers think that arm muscle contractions may help move lymph fluid back to veins in your armpit and neck, so it can rejoin your blood circulation. When the lymph fluid goes back into circulation, your arm Lymphedema should improve. 

After reading the study, I decided to try daily weight lifting using light 3 pound weights. I was hesitant to exercise for long periods of time until I tested out the effects of weight lifting on my own swollen arms and therefore, decided to begin a daily trial of 30 minutes or less.  

I searched the internet for a beginner's weight training program and found one with the "Beach body mom." I noted before beginning, my arms were pretty swollen but wanted to conduct this experiment on myself, so I began slowly. The weights didn't seem very heavy at all but as I progressed past the 10 minute mark, it became more and more difficult to raise my arms with the tiny weights. I don't know how much of that struggle was from Lymphedema and how much was just from being out of shape, but I kept going. I really pushed myself. My arms were really burning but I got to the 20 minute mark before calling it quits. 

After waiting 15 minutes (my cool down period), I rechecked my arms. It seemed they were actually a little less swollen and a little less tight. So far so good! I went about my daily household duties and checked again about 3 hours later. My arms were feeling pretty good and the swelling had stayed down. 

Around 5:00 p.m. I checked my arms again. There is still some swelling there but it is not as prevelant as it has been. I think the weights may have actually helped move some of the lymphatic fluid. 

Hans and Franz

I'm going to continue my experiment for at least a week and report my findings to the breast surgeon when I go in for my check up next week. Hopefully I'll continue to note a daily improvement. If I see an increase in swelling, I'll have to stop but until then, I'm going to pump, pump, pump it up! And, every time I say that, I can't help thinking about the Saturday Night Live skit by Hans and Frans (they're two guys making fun of Arnold Schwarzenegger). They just crack me up! Here's a short video (there's a commercial ad first, sorry about that, but if you have a few minutes, take time to watch it.)

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