Janet Wolfson, PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA

By Janet Wolfson PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA With increased awareness of the impact of the lymphatic system on all other systems of the body, there are now multitudes of research studies on lymphedema and thus new approaches and treatments by the medical profession. These include medications, prevention, detection, surgery, and regeneration. Despite cursory education on the lymphatics in medical school, research in the United States and elsewhere has managed to progress treatment.

By Janet Wolfson, PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA As I was commuting in to work a few Saturdays ago, I listened to The People’s Pharmacy on NPR. The topic was non-pharmacological treatment of infection, so being a wound care professional, I immediately started thinking of the ways I treat wound infections. In addition to oral, topical or IV antibiotics, as a PT there are modalities available to me to treat wound infections. The advantage of using these modalities is that treatments are effective across a broad spectrum of bacteria without the risk of resistance. Really! These treatments include ultrasound, electrical stimulation and laser or light-emitting diode (LED) therapy.

By Janet Wolfson, PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA My current job as wound coordinator has pulled me into the world of incontinence and the many disciplines that care for people challenged by this disorder. I was previously acquainted with the therapy side as I worked with therapists certified in pelvic floor therapy. My work with venous edema acquainted me with medications that caused continence-challenged people to resort to absorbent adult briefs. As I work more closely with physicians, I am more familiar with medications to support weakened or sensitive pelvic muscles and nerves. On the nursing side, I have researched support surfaces, incontinence pads, and barrier creams. I see patients and occupational therapists working together to regain continence independence through problem-solving mobility issues.

By Janet Wolfson, PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA If you read my last blog on therapeutic interventions to stimulate wound healing, then you may recall the asset that a lymphedema trained therapist can be to your wound care department. A recent patient at the inpatient rehab facility where I am currently the Wound Care Coordinator illustrates this wonderfully.

By Janet Wolfson PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA Acute care wound or edema professionals are bombarded with multiple kinds of edema that can be treated in many ways—and with many choices of compression garments. What to choose?

By Janet Wolfson, PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA Reflecting back on "In the Trenches With Lymphedema," WoundSource's June Practice Accelerator webinar, many people sent in questions. I have addressed some regarding compression use here.

By Janet Wolfson PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA Delayed wound healing: how did it start, what are we doing to prevent delay, and what could we be doing differently when delay is noted?

By Janet Wolfson, PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA It is hard to read a newspaper (my preferred news source) or an online news site without discovering false information. I recently read an NPR article about how to vet news yourself and how to recognize this.1 The vulnerability I felt made me think about protecting my decisions from this reporting and even more, how I can help my patients weed out fake reports.

By Janet Wolfson PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA The Inpatient Rehab Facility where I currently work as the Wound Coordinator is a discharge site for a major medical center with an excellent Head and Neck Cancer program, as well as a Trauma Center. This has resulted in a handful (or more) of patients with complex facial and neck reconstruction each year. These people present special needs beyond just healing incisions.

By Janet Wolfson, PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA Long ago, in a Physical Therapy Department far away, I met my first lymphedema patient, but did not know that was the cause of her recurring wounds. Into the next decade, I treated more patients with chronic swelling in their legs and we put something called Unna boots on them. But the boots did not work for everybody. By the end of the decade, there were layered compression wraps and I had started to see courses for therapists in manual lymphatic drainage. Hmmm, curious…