A new client of mine is a woman who had throat cancer and had 6 lymph nodes removed from her neck. She was sent to a physical therapist after the surgery to teach her to do lymphatic drainage on herself and to receive this treatment. The physical therapist told her that her scars were creating a dam that blocked the fluid and changed the way lymphatic drainage could be performed on her.
She began to get protein deposits under her chin and panicked, but there was not much that the physical therapist knew to do. She came to me for the first time and I used the basic SMRT releases for the anterior neck to open up the scar tissue and allow movement in her anterior neck tissues.
All deep work is contraindicated in a client with lymphedema. But SMRT allows practitioners to work remotely and lightly. Plus we can work with all structures in the area. With this client part of my task was to unlock her scar for tissue mobility. Another part was to help increase the mobility of her cervical spine.
I saw her for the second time after about two weeks, and the work we did 2 weeks ago held for almost 12 days. She was so pleased and grateful to have 12 days where she felt like her lymphedema was controlled. With more frequent visits, we could help keep it under control.
We would love to teach you to do SMRT work for the head & neck. Please check out our home study courses or register or a training.
Tags: anatomy, head, massage therapy, massage therapy continuing education, neck, SMRT, spontaneous muscle release technique, throat cancer
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