Exploring rehabilitation within lymphoedema management

A review of the literature reveals rehabilitation to be a complex concept. Rehabilitation is more than a global term used to encompass the different types of therapy employed to reduce the effects of disability or chronic illness; it is a philosophical approach which provides a framework for care. This framework promotes an environment in which the individual is enabled to attain his/her own ideal of health. The concept of rehabilitation is explored within the mainstream management of lymphoedema to identify implications for improving practice. Areas in which lymphoedema therapists could strive to achieve a more rehabilitative approach to care include: implementing an organized and standardized approach to lymphoedema management, improving interdisciplinary working, developing the holistic scope of care, and acknowledging the central importance of the patient and family in clinical practice. Adopting a rehabilitative approach to lymphoedema management will help to promote greater patient satisfaction with treatment.