Lymphedema Specialist_ Collaborative care in wound management

1. Lymphedema Specialist: Collaborative Care in Wound Management Are you a certified lymphedema therapist (CLT)? Like many practitioners, you probably encounter wounds that are slow to heal because of insufficient lymph drainage. Ulcers may also reoccur in some patients, making the condition more difficult to treat. A wound care strategy course can supplement your lymphedema certification as it provides the foundational skills you require to conduct clinical wound care based on accepted standards. Wound healing and lymphedema treatment Effective edema management can maximize wound healing, but the treatment must be carefully customized to the patient’s needs. The best wound care certification course teaches collaborative care in wound management to help you as a practitioner provide optimum care. Lymphedema occurs when the lymphatic system cannot drain protein-rich fluids, causing swelling and other symptoms. When impaired, the interdependent lymphatic and integumentary systems require concurrent lymphedema and wound management techniques. Collaborative care optimizes the lymphatic system for edema management and other benefits such as tissue remodeling and wound healing. What causes wounds? Lymphatic system disorders make cutaneous regions more prone to inflammation, carcinogenesis, and infection. Chronic inflammation caused by lymphedema decreases immune deficiency or localized failure on the skin barrier, resulting in cellulitis and other recurring infections. You’ll also notice diminished wound healing, prevalent skin malignancies, and various dermatological conditions. How CLTs can help Apart from having a lymphedema certification, it helps to be knowledgeable in wound care to provide collaborative therapies that can tackle more problems. Patients who work with a CLT have improved outcomes as their treatment is focused on lifelong management with an emphasis on skin and nail care, exercise, compression, and manual lymphatic drainage. Most CLTs are rehabilitation specialists, so a wound care certification course can also help them address functional impairments immediately. This way, the patient can have the best collaborative care for lymphedema and wound management.

2. The best wound care certification course can make you effective in addressing skin dysfunction, edema, and functional impairments. You can coordinate the care for the patient to save them time and money while ensuring an effective treatment plan. You can also provide a patient-centric approach that can reduce healthcare expenses and improve outcomes. What’s in a treatment plan? Lymphedema patients requiring wound care may undergo various treatments such as antibiotics, gentle irrigation and scrubbing, using non-adhesive and compressive bandages, exercises to encourage muscle contraction, and surgery to eliminate excess lymphatic fluid. CLTs may also provide massage therapy to help drain fluid and offer debridement to remove necrotic tissue. Some patients may require laser therapy or electrostimulation to speed up healing. The goal is to avoid possible infections and other complications, such as deep vein thrombosis and cellulitis. Become a lymphedema specialist Signing up for the best wound care certification course can make you more effective at providing collaborative care for wound management and lymphedema treatment. Norton School of Lymphatic Therapy has a course suitable for physicians or certified lymphedema therapists who have completed the 135-hour LANA-recognized lymphedema certification program. The course teaches wound care strategies that provide the skill and knowledge you need to customize treatments for every patient to ensure the best possible outcome.