I purchased myself a Vibration plate machine a few years back

Having purchased a vibration machine a few years back as being sold to me to help my Lymphoedema i was quite excited. I have since been informed that it can possibly be detramental if it has the wrong plates. I have now sold it on, not taking any chances.

I have been told by the chap that sells Lymph machines to the NHS, oscillating plates should only be used not vibrating plates on any patient with Lymphoedem who are using massage machines of any kind. Vibrating plates will lead to increasing lymph fluid as it acts as a deep massage, which we all need to stay clear off, unlike oscillating plates, he stated this help blood flow so should not increase lymph fluid. Also told never to sit on a massage chair as this is also very bad for a Lymph patient as it really does press deep. Here was me thinking i was doing good.

Does anyone know what is correct and what is bogus?

If i were to use an oscillation machine and it was good for me i would hunt one down in any gym and give it a go again. But a little aprehensive incase i am doing more damage than good. Must ask my Consultant on next visit. Will keep you posted.

Ninewells

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ninewells

in reply to Ronlin77

5 years ago

Hi Ronlin, I nearly bought this after seeing it on the TV, just shows you we think we are helping. If i hadn't met that rep i am sure i would be in a far worse state than i am. The only reason we actually approached him was he was using a machine to help horses with bad back problems and i got speaking to him about that, i sat down on a chair that was vibrating and you know that its like i said ohhh this is good, he actually just said, in a fly away comment as long as you have never had any blood clots or suffer from lymph. I stopped talking and said what did you just say. he then told me and immediately stopped the chair i was sat in. I suffer from blood clots and Lymph so two of the worse conditions to have and sit in a chair that vibrates. Always say at the airport i am going to have a go on one of them, glad i never did. Oh my goodness what is your GP like. I still think that all GP's need to be educated or have a staff member that has been on a full course. Glasgiow University does courses just for the Medical Teams, why don't they all do this.

Hope your care improves from your GP

norberte

kelmisty, if you've got lymphoedema on top of a fairly healthy body you've got more options for what you can get up to

but a lot of us have to take other conditions into account as well - for me, there's no point in helping the lymph but making something else worse at the same time, 'cos i end up in bed .. which of course doesn't help the lymph

i can't remember who was doing karate with stockings off without any ill-effects, sorry, but the point you make's really important kelmisty: if you know all the contraindications for something & they don't apply to you, then give it a go & your lymphoedema won't be shy about letting you know if it's helping or not

ninewells, glad you stopped before you became too much of a pain in the neck to you or your husband!

those last bits of disc might be a bit crumbly but you want to hang on to them as long as poss

it's great that you've got a good consultant, ninewells - you don't 'arf need someone who's on the ball

meanwhile i'll look forward to hearing 'what ninewells did next'! & hope you're as comfortable & safe as you can be, juggling your long list

in reply to norberte

Hey Norberte,

I loved that last bit what Ninewells did next hehe, Have decided to hit the pool with a spalsh i will let the life guard know to keep an eye out for the human washing machine that may go off at the deep end hehe. better to be safe than sorry i suppose. I think this would be a more gentle way of getting all the muscles moving and helping the lymph move better. Starting it on Thursday will let you know how it goes. Have a busy day day today and a full day Wednesday with my big lad so not making excuses i promise. But hey thanks to all the other guys for answering also. Its so true we are all at different stages with or condition and we all have other illness to deal with, my husband alsways says he feels i have borrowed some one elses and its time to give them all back LOL.

What ever you are all doing do it safe but enjoy it.

suzie_danger_girl

I have a similar experience to you kelmisty I have diabetes and a knackered hip and a disastrous back and a dead bone in my wrist which makes my wrist go like its broken if it gets a knock and I can't lean in it..... BUT whatever exercise you can gently and carefully do is best.

With lympheodema you need to develop a gentle sense of what is doing you good and what is not. The pokey thing about lympheodema is you get exhaustion, but doing no exercise at all gives you MORE exhaustion, and over time you will barely be able to go on. Conversely sometimes pushing through the exhaustion will give you energy as your system clears. When I come back from swimming I am buzzing and running around.

The trick is to work out when you need to legitimately sit down, and when you should push through the exhaustion to get better.

Clearly we all need to find different things we've able to do, but the only thing I know with utter certainty is inactivity is the enemy of lympheodema and WILL make you ill so gentle careful trial and error is the answer.

I personally used power plates at the gym also and they were great. But all our lymph is at different stages and states too. I have got rid of the soft stuff, and now I'm takling hardened 20 year old stuff which requires hard pressure and is excruciatingly painful. I use hard massage to break it up, then gentle mld type stuff to move it away. Were you to use such hard pressure on soft lymph you woukd cause damage and it would be detrimental.

So you see gentle super careful trial and error is key, because even on the SAME BODY what is right for one bit of lymph is wrong for another.

Its not a simple right or wrong answer, it it was I would just write a nice paragraph about how to cure it and we could all go to the pub. Instead you need to carefully try each thing and see what is right for you.

kelmisty, i've messaged you

i want to apologise openly that you felt knocked by something i posted

it wasn't my intention to leave you feeling bad - i experience this forum as open, informative, supportive, helpful, & i don't want to do anything that makes it difficult for other people

ninewells, swimming it is - much safer all round (as long as you can swim)

& i find that going in with old sleeves, gloves & corset on & leaving my sticks by the side of the pool automatically gets the lifeguards keeping an eye on me .... can't think why!

i'm just waiting for some scars to heal (excuses excuses, i know) then i'll join you in the pool & meanwhile i'll stretch, work my diaphragm & move as much as poss

& ronlin, when the physio gives me the ok i'll join you on the bike - i'll be back to square one which is 1 minute of slow pedalling to 'warm up', 2 minutes of proper aerobic exercise pedalling then another 2 minutes of slowly cooling down

i don't know how far that gets me, but it doesn't burn that many calories .... but when i get the go ahead i'll start building it up from there again

suzie, couldn't agree more - we're all here to help each other out with ideas but we're also all different, which is part of what makes being a lymphie such a challenge

& i can't wait till i can ditch the post-op tight compression & get in the water - for me, it's the best even if wrestling the garments on & off isn't something i look forward to, i love being in the water & having a good workout that's safe for me, even if my technique's not quite what it used to be

have a good afternoon everyone