Understanding Lymphedema

Course overview

This is a 4 hour, self-paced online course designed for physical therapists, occupational therapists, and other rehabilitative, medical, and fi tness providers to enhance their knowledge and skills regarding the management of the client or patient with concurrent lymphedema. This course reviews pertinent anatomy and physiology of the lymphatic system, and pathophysiology and treatment of lymphedema, a common yet underrecognized condition. This course employs presentations, case studies, trivia, and practice questions to engage with didactic material and to allow for the application of management strategies to be used in various clinical practice settings such as acute care, outpatient care, long-term settings, and fi tness and sports settings. There is also an exam to assess competence. This course does not take the place of a full Certified Lymphedema Specialist course but rather seeks to educate the non-specialist provider to be able to safely apply interventions to individuals with comorbid lymphedema and complex edemas and to recognize the need for referral to a specialist.