Lymphatic drainage should wait if you have new unexplained swelling that has not been assessed, signs of infection, signs of a blood clot, or a surgical complication. Some medical conditions also mean treatment needs to be modified or discussed with your doctor first. This article covers what to watch for and what to do instead.
Get urgent medical care, not a massage
Contact a doctor the same day, or call 911 if you are severely unwell, for any of these:
blood clot.
that has travelled to the lungs.
skin infection that people with lymphedema are more prone to and which usually needs antibiotics.
- Sudden swelling in one limb. Particularly with pain, warmth or redness. This can indicate a
- Chest pain or shortness of breath. With or without leg swelling. This can indicate a clot
- Coughing up blood.
- Fever, chills, or feeling generally unwell alongside a change in a limb.
- A limb becoming red, hot, tender or rapidly more swollen. This can indicate cellulitis, a
- Severe new pain.
- A surgical wound that is opening, draining, or looking infected.
Call Health Link at 811 if you are unsure. Massage does not treat any of these, and in the case of a suspected clot or active infection it is not appropriate.
New swelling that has never been investigated
This is the most common situation we see, and the most commonly ignored.
If a limb has started swelling and nobody has examined it, the priority is finding out why. Swelling can come from the heart, the kidneys, the liver, the veins, a medication, an injury, an infection or a clot. Several of those need medical treatment, and one of them is an emergency.
New, unexplained swelling in a limb needs to be assessed before it is massaged.
Conditions that need discussion first
These do not automatically rule treatment out. They mean the conversation happens before the treatment, not during it.
is common in cancer-related lymphedema care, but it should be coordinated with your medical team.
- Active cancer, or cancer currently under treatment. Treatment may still be appropriate and
- Heart failure that is not well controlled. Moving significant fluid can add load.
- Kidney failure.
- Active infection anywhere, not only in the limb.
- Deep vein thrombosis, current or recent.
- Acute inflammation of unknown cause.
Tell the clinic about these when you book rather than when you arrive. It saves you a wasted appointment.
After surgery, follow the surgeon
Start only after your surgeon has cleared treatment and given you their instructions. Timing depends on the procedure and on how your recovery is going.
Bring your post-operative instructions with you. If your surgeon has specified when to begin, what to avoid or how to manage a compression garment, a good clinic works inside that rather than around it.
If your recovery is not going as expected, that is a reason to contact your surgeon, not a reason to book a massage.
What a responsible clinic will do
Ask you about your medical history before touching you. Ask what you have already been told about the swelling. Decline or postpone treatment when something needs medical attention first. Tell you when lymphatic drainage is not the most useful thing available to you.
A clinic that books you in without asking any of that is not being careful with you.
Common questions
I have swelling and my doctor said it was nothing. Can I book? Yes, provided it has genuinely been assessed. Bring what you were told.
I have lymphedema and a bit of redness. Should I come in? Contact a doctor first. Redness with warmth or fever can be cellulitis, which needs antibiotics, and the limb should not be massaged while an infection is active.
Can I have treatment during cancer treatment? [CLIENT VERIFICATION REQUIRED: B11 cancer-related scope]
Is it safe in pregnancy? It is commonly used, but discuss it with your maternity care provider first, particularly with any pregnancy complication.
Sources
International Society of Lymphology 2023 Consensus Document. Canadian Cancer Society, Lymphedema. MyHealth Alberta, Lymphedema.
CTA
If you are not sure whether it is safe for you right now, call us and ask before booking. We would rather tell you to see a doctor first.
It is not a diagnosis or a treatment plan. If something here sounds like what you are dealing with, book an assessment and we will look at it properly.