Support your recovery and enhance your healing process with Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) following surgery. Valerie completed specialized training in MLD for Oncology including Post-Surgical Care through the Academy of Lymphatic Studies in July 2025. With proper training, MLD can typically begin as early as four days post-operation under the care of a qualified MLD practitioner or Certified Lymphedema Therapist (CLT).

Valerie is also trained in CranioSacral Therapy, which can also be included in your session four days post-operation.

Note. In some instances Valerie may opt to postpone your session until receiving clearance from your Post-Operative team.

Benefits of Post-Surgical MLD:

• Swelling and Inflammation Management
MLD helps reduce post-operative swelling by gently guiding lymphatic fluid away from the affected surgical area toward healthy, functioning lymphatic regions. This process supports pain relief and improved range of motion.

• Fibrosis Prevention and Treatment
Post-surgical MLD may aid in preventing or reducing fibrosis, a condition where fibrous connective tissue forms in response to injury or surgery. Left unchecked, fibrosis can lead to hardened tissue and long-term discomfort. Gentle MLD techniques help manage this tissue response to promote healing.

• Scar Tissue Support
Once the incision site is fully closed (about 6 weeks after surgery), MLD can be incorporated to address scar tissue, helping reduce hardening and maintain mobility in the surrounding tissues.

Learn More About MLD

Read more about the lymphatic system and the benefits of MLD here.

Resources

·      Claude Pichonnaz PT, MSc, Jean-Philippe Bassin PT, MSc, Estelle Lécureux PhD, Guillaume Christe PT, MS Damien Currat PT, Kamiar Aminian PhD, Brigitte M. Jolles MD, MSc. Effect of Manual Lymphatic Drainage After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabiliation. 2016 May. Volume 97, Issue 5, Pages 674-682

·       Jay R. Ebert PhD, Brendan Joss PhD, Beria Jardine BVSc, RMT, David J. Wood BSC, MBBS, MS, FRCS, FRACS. Randomized Trial Investigating the Efficacy of Manual Lymphatic Drainage to Improve Early Outcome After Total Knee Arthroplasty. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2013 November. Volume 94, Issue 11, Pages 2103-2111

·      Igor F. B Masson, Bruna D. A de Oliveira, Aline Fernanda Perez Machado, Thiago Saikali Farcic, Ivaldo Esteves Júnior, Cristiano Schiavinato Baldan. Manual lymphatic drainage and therapeutic ultrasound in liposuction and lipoabdominoplasty post-operative period. Association of Plastic Surgeons of India. 2014. 47(01): 70-76. DOI:10.4103/0940-0358.129627