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Case report: treatment of the arm after intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy
Physiotherapist and scar specialist Hannah Poulton shares a client case: cording, hardened and tight tissue in both arms after a lumpectomy and intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
“This has been my best work in 22 years, as a physiotherapist and scar specialist!”
The client came to HLP Therapy Limited in August 2022. The previous year, she had undergone a lumpectomy (breast-conserving surgery) on her left breast. After the operation, she developed significant cording in her left arm, while her right arm showed hardening and vein shutdown as a result of intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She was unable to use her right side because of the pain, the tightness and how the arm looked. Significant muscle loss was also observed, and she was unable to return to work or drive her car. All of this had a huge detrimental impact on her physical and emotional wellbeing.
Hannah knew she could make changes to the cording and the lumpectomy scars, as she has extensive experience in these areas. The condition of the right arm, however, was new to her, and she was unsure how it would respond to treatment, especially as the doctors' prognosis described it as a permanent condition with no treatment options.
The physiotherapy and scar therapy treatment period lasted three months, with eight treatments in total. The physiotherapy sessions also included home exercises to strengthen the arm. After the first two 60-minute physiotherapy and scar therapy sessions, the tissues around the veins began to soften.
The arm was treated as follows:
- Scar massage, 10-15 minutes
- Class 3B laser treatment, 5 minutes
- LymphaTouch treatment, 10 mm cup, 350 mmHg, 15-20 minutes
LymphaTouch treatment made a significant change to the scar and the tight tissues during the second physiotherapy and scar therapy session, and it was a vital part of this client's treatment plan. The after photo was taken following the eighth treatment. At the time of writing, the client attends maintenance treatments twice a month, including scar massage, LymphaTouch treatment and conditioning exercises.
“I strongly believe that I would not have achieved these results without LymphaTouch.”
Client case shared by Hannah Poulton, Women's Health Physiotherapist and Scar Specialist, owner of HLP Therapy Limited.
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