Replied by Martha (Springfield, Mo) on 01/06/2010
I have had a bilateral mastectomy with complete removal of all the lymph nodes under my right arm. I developed secondary lymphedema, but luckily, have found an answer.
Red light therapy, with the frequency of the light at 660 nanometers, reduces the swelling and pain. The good news is that the red light therapy unit can be purchased at amazon.com for a meer $40.
To use red light therapy for lymphedema, pass the red light unit over the affected area about inch above the skin. It takes me about 1 hour to cover my arm, under my breast, and across my chest.
The red light not only kills pain, but stimulates the breakdown of protein, so the swelling goes down. It also stimulates the growth of new capillaries.
The idea is to create new lymph channels, which the body does fairly easily. Follow the same path as the manual lymph drainage does, using the red light.
It has helped me a great deal. Just google red light therapy lymphedema. There are actual clinical trials showing great promise for this therapy.
