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.
Janet Wolfson, PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA
Educator in Wound Care and Lymphedema, Wound Care Coordinator at Encompass Health of Ocala
Janet Wolfson is a physical therapist and certified lymphedema therapist with over 30 years of field experience. She is certified in wound care and is currently an instructor in wound care and lymphedema treatment with ILWTI, and is Wound Care Coordinator at Encompass Health of Ocala.
Wolfson’s educational programs include focused training on wound management skills including debridement, dressing selection, differential diagnosis of lower extremity edema, and pressure ulcer prevention. Her career as a physical therapist lead her to specialize in wound care and manual lymphatic drainage, which was driven by her passion for these underserved populations.
Wolfson is an active national speaker and author on wound-related topics. She is a Diplomat of the American Academy of Wound Management, current member of the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care, current member of the Editorial Advisory Board for WoundSource and past board member of the Lighthouse Lymphedema Network.
Content from this Writer
March 25th, 2019
by Janet Wolfson, PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA
As the 116th Congress ruffles its feathers and dusts out the corners, it's another chance for the Lymphedema Treatment Act (LTA) to become law. The Senate bill was given bill number S 518, whereas the House bill is pending. In the...
December 6th, 2018
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...
September 6th, 2018
By Janet Wolfson, PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA
Last spring, I encountered that specific type of patient we sometimes meet, the one who has been through the chronic wound care revolving door so many times that he or she sets out on his or her own path and refuses any byways diverting...
August 22nd, 2018
By Janet Wolfson, PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA
June 28th, 2018
by Janet Wolfson, PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA
April 5th, 2018
By Janet Wolfson PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA
Introduction, History, and Practitioner Background
Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) was developed by Emil and Estrid Vodder in the 1930s. They dedicated their lives to the study of lymphatic anatomy and physiology. Since then,...
January 18th, 2018
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...
November 14th, 2017
By Janet Wolfson PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA
So, if you are following my series on the lymphatic system, then recall that last month the topic was causes of lymphedema. Today I will dive into how modern medical care and disease processes can affect the lymphatic system
October 17th, 2017
By Janet Wolfson PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA
If you had a chance to read last month's blog on thelymphedema and the lymphatic system, you're probably still amazed that such a wonderful system that provides immunity and handles fluid in our bodies exists in such secrecy. This blog...
August 30th, 2017
By Janet Wolfson PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA
When I talk to my patients with lymphedema, I often need to tell them about their lymphatic system. Beyond knowing of lymph nodes or glands in their neck, most don't recall having heard anything about it. Surprisingly, today's medical...
July 27th, 2017
By Janet Wolfson PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA
The intersection of wounds and lymphedema has been on my mind this week as challenging patients and a new reduction garment cross my dual specialty life. One patient with chronic swelling with weeping for more than a decade, another...
June 16th, 2017
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?
April 26th, 2017
By Janet Wolfson PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA
I was recently listening to one of my favorite news sources, NPR, enjoying an interview with James E. Ryan, the author of "Wait, What? - and Life's Other Essential Questions". The premise was that asking the right questions can lead to a...
April 4th, 2017
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?
March 1st, 2017
By Janet Wolfson PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA
As I read through wound care articles on pressure injuries and treatments, I keep going back to one thought: why are they still occurring? They are preventable! Staff are educated, have certifications and equipment, and have been oriented...
February 3rd, 2017
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...
January 6th, 2017
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...
November 9th, 2016
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...
October 4th, 2016
By Janet Wolfson, PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA
At the beginning of September, I attended the National Lymphedema Network International Conference in Dallas, TX. As with most conferences it was chock-full of new research, meet-ups with former colleagues, vendors with wonderful new and...
September 14th, 2016
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...
August 17th, 2016
By Janet Wolfson, PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA
I know we have all had those patients with diagnoses that impair their wounds forming granulation tissue to fill wound depth. Perhaps there are comorbidities such as diabetes, peripheral artery disease or malnutrition. Skin flaps,...
June 2nd, 2016
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...
April 28th, 2016
By Janet Wolfson, PT, CLWT, CWS, CLT-LANA
A story was related to me from someone living in a rural part of the US. A family member was in need of ongoing wound care. They were referred to a specialist who was of all things… a physical therapist! This is a response with which I am...