Lymphedema is a chronic condition that causes swelling because of the lymph fluid that builds up in the body. While there’s no cure for lymphedema, there is effective lymphedema treatment that can help you manage the symptoms and improve your quality of life.

Lymphedema treatment happens in two phases: Complete Decongestive Therapy (the intensive phase with a specialist) and the maintenance phase (your ongoing self-care routine at home).

As a certified lymphedema therapist (CLT-LANA), a big part of my work is helping people living with lymphedema find the right combination of treatments to reduce discomfort, manage symptoms, and, in some early-stage cases, potentially reverse the swelling.

What Is Lymphedema?

Lymphedema develops when your lymphatic system can’t drain lymph fluid properly. This fluid then accumulates in your tissues, causing swelling that can range from mild to severe.

Lymphedema most commonly occurs in your arms or legs, but you can also have genital lymphedema, neck lymphedema, and swelling in other parts of your body.

There are two types of lymphedema:

• Primary lymphedema is rare and occurs when you’re born with an underdeveloped or damaged lymphatic system.
• Secondary lymphedema is much more common and develops after something damages your lymphatic system, such as cancer treatment (especially lymph node removal or radiation therapy), surgery, infection, or injury.

Lymphedema is very common. According to the Lymphatic Education and Research Network, it affects up to 250 million people worldwide. That’s more than HIV, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, and ALS combined.

Lymphedema Symptoms

The symptoms of lymphedema typically develop gradually. You might notice:

• Swelling in part or all of your arm or leg, including your fingers or toes
• A feeling of heaviness or tightness in the affected limb
• Restricted range of motion in your joints
• Aching or discomfort in the swollen area
• Skin changes like thickening, hardening, or a leathery texture

The swelling can be mild in the early lymphedema stages, but without proper management, it tends to progress over time.

Early intervention makes a big difference in how well you can control the condition long-term.

Diagnosing Lymphedema

To diagnose lymphedema, your medical provider will do a physical exam to look for swelling, skin changes, and other symptoms. They will also assess your medical history for previous surgeries, radiation treatments, infections, and injuries that may have caused you to develop lymphedema.

You may also have to do non-invasive imaging tests, such as an ultrasound to visualize your lymphatic system and detect blockages or abnormalities, or MRI and CT scans.

Learn more about lymphedema after breast cancer treatment.

What Is the Treatment for Lymphedema?

Lymphedema treatment has two phases: Complete Decongestive Therapy (CDT) and self-care maintenance. Both phases are necessary for managing the condition long-term.

The first phase focuses on reducing your swelling as much as possible with intensive, supervised treatment. The second phase helps you maintain those results and prevent the swelling from getting worse.

You’ll use many of the same treatments in both phases, such as compression, manual lymphatic drainage, exercise, and skin care. 

The main difference is whether you’re doing them with a lymphedema therapist or independently at home.

Let’s take a closer look at both phases to treat lymphedema:

Complete Decongestive Therapy (CDT)

Complete Decongestive Therapy is the gold standard for lymphedema treatment.

This is the intensive phase where you work with a certified lymphedema therapist, often several times per week, to reduce your swelling as much as possible.

During CDT, your therapist will use a combination of techniques:

• Manual lymphatic drainage
• Compression therapy
• Physical exercises
• Skin care

CDT usually lasts a few weeks to a couple of months, depending on the severity of your lymphedema. The goal is to reduce your limb volume and get your swelling under control before you transition to the maintenance phase.

Learn more about physical therapy for lymphedema.

Lymphedema Self-Care

Once you’ve completed CDT, you move into the maintenance phase.

This is where you take over managing your lymphedema at home with the techniques you learned from your therapist.

Lymphedema self-care is less structured than CDT, but it requires consistency. You’ll still use compression garments, exercises, skin care, and self-massage for lymphatic drainage, but you’ll adapt them to fit your daily life.

In my practice, I encourage patients to think of lymphedema self-care as building a toolbox. You’ll have different treatment options available, and you’ll learn which ones work best for your body.

During the maintenance phase, you can experiment and figure out what keeps your swelling controlled with the least disruption to your life.

10 Lymphedema Treatment Options

These are the main treatment options available for managing lymphedema.

Some of these are core components of Complete Decongestive Therapy, while others, like lymphedema surgery and GLP-1 medications, are newer or still being studied.

1. Compression Garments

Compression garments are special sleeves, stockings, or wraps that apply gentle and consistent pressure to your affected limb. This pressure helps prevent lymphatic fluid from accumulating in your tissues and supports your lymph vessels in moving fluid out of the swollen area.

You’ll typically wear compression garments during the day once you’ve transitioned from CDT to the maintenance phase.

They come in different compression levels and styles, and your lymphedema therapist will help you get fitted for the right garment. Most of my patients wear their compression daily, but some need to wear it at night as well, depending on the severity of their lymphedema.

Here are some of my favorite compression garments for lymphedema:

2. Compression Bandages

Compression bandaging is a technique used during the intensive CDT phase. Your therapist wraps your affected limb with multiple layers of special bandages that create a firm, consistent pressure.

The bandaging helps reduce swelling more aggressively.

Once your swelling has decreased, you’ll typically switch to compression garments for maintenance. Some people also use compression bandages at home if they experience a flare-up or need extra support.

Here are my favorite brands:

3. Manual Lymphatic Drainage

Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) is a massage technique that gently moves lymphatic fluid out of the swollen area and toward areas with healthy lymph nodes.

The movements are very light and much gentler than a regular massage.

During CDT, your therapist performs MLD on you. In the maintenance phase, you can learn to do it at home. Personally, I like to teach my patients self-massage techniques they can use between therapy sessions or whenever they notice increased swelling.

If you don’t know how to do manual lymphatic drainage massage yet, you can follow these guides:

4. Physical Exercise

Exercise is one of the most important tools for lymphedema treatment. When you move your muscles, they act like a pump that helps push lymph fluid through your system.

Almost any form of movement helps, such as walking, swimming, yoga, and strength training.

You can also try vibration plates and rebounder workouts.

Vibration plates create gentle vibrations that stimulate muscle contractions throughout your body, which can help your lymphatic vessels move excess fluid. Rebounders (mini trampolines) work similarly with the up-and-down motions.

Both of these forms of exercise are popular options for lymphatic health, but overall, all movement is helpful. If you don’t know where to start, try these guides:

5. Skin Care

Keeping your skin healthy is an important part of lymphedema management that many people overlook.

When you have lymphedema, your immune system doesn’t work as well in the affected area, which makes you more vulnerable to infections.

Even a small cut, bug bite, or dry crack in your skin can lead to cellulitis, which is a serious bacterial infection that requires antibiotics.

Good skin care when living with lymphedema means:

• Moisturizing daily to prevent dryness and cracking
• Cleaning any cuts or scrapes immediately
• Watching for signs of infection like redness, warmth, or fever

Overall, I tell my patients to treat their affected limb with extra care and avoid anything that could damage the skin, like extreme temperatures or harsh chemicals.

6. Pneumatic Compression Devices

Pneumatic compression devices are mechanical pumps that apply controlled pressure to the affected area.

These devices can help reduce swelling and promote lymph fluid movement by mimicking the natural pumping action of your muscles and lymphatic system.

The device inflates and deflates sleeves or wraps wrapped around your limb. It creates a massage-like pressure that encourages fluid to move out of the swollen area.

Some people use these devices at home as part of their maintenance routine, but your therapist may also use it as part of your decongestive lymphatic therapy.

7. Lymphedema Surgery

Surgery for lymphedema is not a first-line treatment option, but it can help some people, especially when conservative treatments don’t provide enough relief.

Surgical treatment for lymphedema falls into two main categories: reconstructive surgeries to restore lymphatic function and ablative procedures that remove excess tissue.

Reconstructive options include lymphovenous bypass (where surgeons create new pathways for lymph fluid by connecting lymphatic vessels to nearby veins) and vascularized lymph node transfer (where healthy lymph nodes are transplanted to the affected area).

Ablative procedures like specialized liposuction remove excess fat that has accumulated from chronic swelling.

Surgery doesn’t cure lymphedema, and you’ll still need compression therapy and consistent self-care afterward. It’s not a substitute for physical therapy.

In my practice, I typically only recommend my patients to think about surgical intervention when other treatments don’t work because it’s expensive and not a cure.

8. GLP-1 for Lymphedema

GLP-1 medications like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) are weight-loss medications that some research suggests might help with lymphedema swelling.

The connection makes sense because weight affects lymphedema—higher body weight increases swelling, and weight loss can reduce limb volume.

However, even with weight loss, the overall lymphatic damage remains. 

I’ve seen patients lose a lot of weight (both with and without medication) and be able to wear smaller compression garments, but they still need consistent lymphedema self-care to keep the swelling under control.

In other words, GLP-1 medications can be a helpful addition to your treatment plan, but they don’t replace compression therapy, lymphatic drainage, exercise, and skin care.

Learn more about GLP-1 for lymphedema.

9. Lymphedema Diet

There’s no one proven diet that helps improve chronic lymphedema, but there are a few ways to approach what you eat that can potentially be helpful.

The most important dietary factor is maintaining a healthy weight, since extra weight puts pressure on your lymphatic system.

In addition to that, an anti-inflammatory diet with fatty fish, leafy greens, berries, nuts, and olive oil may help reduce inflammation in your body, which benefits your lymphatic system.

Some research suggests intermittent fasting might help, but you should consult your healthcare provider before trying it.

Overall, there’s no one special lymphedema diet, but it’s important to eat healthy, whole foods that help with weight control and support your health.

At the same time, you can experiment with different foods to see if any of them help reduce swelling or, on the contrary, contribute to a lymphedema flare-up.

10. Healthy Habits

Staying active, eating well, getting enough sleep, and managing stress all support your immune system and help your body function at its best.

These habits aren’t specific to lymphedema, but taking care of your body overall creates a foundation that helps all your other lymphedema treatment methods work better.

Can Lymphedema Treatment Cure Lymphedema?

No, there’s unfortunately no cure for lymphedema. It’s a chronic condition. However, treatment can help you effectively reduce swelling and manage other symptoms to improve your quality of life.

In the early-stage lymphedema, treatment can sometimes reverse visible swelling, but the underlying damage to your lymphatic system will still be there.

With consistent treatment and self-care, most people can control their swelling and live active and comfortable lives.

What Is the Life Expectancy for Someone with Lymphedema?

Lymphedema doesn’t affect your life expectancy. The condition is chronic but not life-threatening, and most people with lymphedema have a normal lifespan.

That said, the quality of your life matters just as much as life expectancy.

Unmanaged swelling can create physical limitations that can make even simple daily activities challenging. Plus, not managing lymphedema increases your risk of serious infections like cellulitis, which can be life-threatening if not treated right away.

But with consistent treatment, lymphedema shouldn’t stop you from doing the things you love. Many of my patients live full and active lives with minimal restrictions.

FAQs

What causes lymphedema to flare up?

Common triggers for lymphedema flare-ups include standing or sitting without movement and weight gain. However, lymphedema flare-up triggers are different for everyone. What causes a flare-up for one person might not affect another at all. This is why it’s important to pay attention to what happens before your swelling increases and keep track of patterns you notice. Learning your personal triggers helps you manage your lymphedema better.

What should you not do with lymphedema?

If you have lymphedema, avoid activities that can cause cuts, scrapes, or injuries to your affected limb. Even minor skin damage can lead to infections and make swelling worse. You should also avoid standing or sitting for long periods without taking movement breaks because this slows down your lymphatic flow.

Also, don’t wear tight clothing or jewelry on your affected limb. This might seem confusing since compression garments are part of lymphedema treatment, but there’s a big difference. Compression garments are designed by medical professionals to support your lymphatic system. Regular tight clothing and accessories aren’t designed this way and can restrict lymphatic flow and make your swelling worse.

What is the most effective treatment for lymphedema?

Complete Decongestive Therapy (CDT) followed by consistent self-care is the gold standard for lymphedema treatment. CDT includes manual lymphatic drainage, compression therapy, exercise, and skin care to reduce swelling as much as possible with a physical therapist. After completing CDT, you maintain those results with ongoing self-care at home.

Newer approaches like lymphedema surgery and GLP-1 medications exist, but none of them are a cure, and CDT is still the most proven and effective treatment approach. Even if you get surgery, you’ll still have to continue with lymphedema self-care to keep swelling under control.

Get More Support with Lymphedema Management

As a certified lymphedema therapist (CLT-LANA), my goal is to make lymphedema treatment education accessible to everyone. Unfortunately, many people can’t get the care they need because there’s no lymphedema therapist in their area or the cost is too high.

This is why I created multiple accessible resources to help people living with lymphedema:

• Breast Cancer Rehab for lymphedema after breast cancer treatment or surgery
• Lower Body Lymphedema Rehab for leg lymphedema
• Digital guides with exercises for all types of lymphedema

Lymphedema is a condition you can manage. With the right education and consistent care, you can reduce swelling, prevent complications, and live an active, full life.