easyTAI CHI BREATHER EXERCISE to move Lymph fluid out
Posted this in kick butt thread but thought it would be great for all. Super easy. Pictures at bottom of post
Ok girls, This could be done if you can't get exercise in. You probably could even do it in a public washroom,well, maybe not the small stall,but the big wheelchair stall! My MLD girl said TAI CHI exercises have been studied with lymphedema and are excellent to stimulate Lymphatics. This is the exercise she gave to me but I forgot about it. I think I will try to incorperate it into my busy schedule. On the bottom of the sheet is says PILLER, NB(2007) Lymphoedema Assemssment clinic- Flinders Medical Centre: Based on Clinical trial outcomes, Lymphology 2004 So the exercise given was studied in a trial. YEAH!
Starting here I will type word for word from the sheet she gave me:
This exercise will help improve lymph flow from your arms and help reduce the size of your arms.
Perform this exercise 5 times on each of 5 occasions per day (when you wake up, at lunch time, at aafternooon tea, after dinner and just before you go to bed).
It works best if you leave your sleeve on if you wear one.
The most important ones are when you wake up and when you go to bed as this will help clear accumlated fluids from your tummy and chest area and allow the lymph fluid to better drain from your arms.
How to perform the exercise
(it's a little like how you would welcome a friend-but slower)
1) Point your fingers towards your chest (breast bone)
2)Slowly open your arms out ( as you would welcome a friend)
3)While still breathing in open your arms out as much as possible and put your hands back as far as you can-ensuring that you stretch and tighten your muscle in your hands and forearms and upper arms.
4)Hold your arms like this (while still holding your breath) for 3-4 seconds
5) Relax your muscles of your hands and arms and while slowly breathing OUT as much as you can, return your arms to the postion as in point 1 where your fingers are again pointing towards your chest
6) The whole exercise shoud be done SLOWLY and each one should take about 10 seconds. REPEAT 5 times.
That was the instruction sheet she gave me. I might add that when you breathe out you could bend over and make your back like a letter "C." This would compress the air out and pump the lymphatic system deeper. Just like when Sherry Lebed hugs a beach ball and bends over and breathes out.
This exercise should be easy enough for those with limited abilities. Let me know if you are going to try it. Lets call it the TAI CHI BREATHER seeing that it had no formal name on the exercise sheet. Out of curiousity, I would like to know if it bothers anyones LE or improves flow.
I could see how this could be very relaxing and calm the nervous system if done slowly.
itComments
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Thanks for posting this. I will give it a try!
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hugz4u - I learned to do deep breathing techniques in my Pain Management program. If you are a chronic shallow breather, you are not getting enough oxygenated blood to the muscles and tissues, which causes them to hurt more.
This "Tai Chi Breathing Technique" sounds like a nice addition!!! Thanks for posting...I'm printing it up now!
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Blessings, That's me, shallow breather, got to practice more breathing. I have done tai chi breather 3 times today so far and two more sets to go but am extending too far back and am getting sore shoulders, Must remind myself that it is a gentle exercise and that my arm flexibility will come down the road. Off to do lebed opening now!
BREATHE! BREATHE! BREATHE!0 -
Reporting in on the tai chi breather. I feel more relaxed and have been able to extend my arms back farther. It is a great chest opener too. Since some of us have no breasts or have had reconstruction this exercise will help you from having caving shoulders as it stretches your tight chest area out. Also it wakes up the sluggish lymph system.
Bonus it is a exercise that was studied to help with lymph!
So easy to do, did a set while waiting for DH to get into car.0 -
Hi,
Here is a video from the Haven (UK) with a Tai Chi sequence specially designed for breast cancer patients/survivors. The whole sequence takes about 15mn, but one can choose only one or two moves at a time, always accompanied with deep, relaxed breathing. Towards the end of the video, there is a move that looks like the one you described in your thread, except, the position is not held. It is a slow, continuous flow which helps relax body and mind. Feels so good...
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Nitocris, Thanks for info, I can't seem to find the video to view.Where is it on the link?
I did a bit of qi gong a few years ago and loved how it made me feel so peaceful.This coming from a hyper person that I am is quite a thing to be said.
That website looks interesting, I'll poke around in it.0 -
Another shallow breather here! I am going to try this~! Thank you for posting!
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hugz4u and Nitocris Do you mind if I share this with the exercise thread? There are several of us there that are dealing with LE and it would be good to share this with them.
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Hugz4u, the link takes you directly on the page where the video is, then, just click on the arrow in the little window.
Joyh1109, of course you can post it in the exercise thread. Actually, I posted a thread last October about the Haven and their various vidoes. Here it is:
http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/64/topic/794321?page=1#post_3234299
Have a good day
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Nitocris, hello!! It's good to 'see' you in here, and thanks as always for sharing your amazing resources. You are the most talented lymphedema-resource Internet sleuth!
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Joyh1109,Of course you can post in our threads. :)Us Lymphers are more than happy to have breast cancers survivors learn how to cope with and prevent LE. The more we can learn and contribute about this condition the more the medical field will be forced to deal with it. ( Were tired of being put on ignore). So please do drop in and of course we are always recruiting!
May I suggest, The Kick Butt thread. It is great for learning how to watch out for LE signs or manage them if you are a new or a experienced exerciser. I just might pop over to your thread to! I figure the more support we have the healthier we will be. Which thread are you on? Hopefully not the Marathon thread! I'm not quite there yet, maybe in 20 years! Oh.....but by then I'll be ancient and will have to crawl all 26 miles!
Oh and do let us know how the Tai chi breather goes! Getting out of bed now to do some and then the Lebed exercise opening ( helps drain lymph fluid) for15 minutes later. Walkies today to so no more lounging for me!
Nitocris, I couldn't load the video from my iPad, will get out the big guns (mac desktop)and try there.0 -
hugz4u and Nitocris Thanks! I will let the exercise thread know of these LE exercises. The thread is "Let's Post Our Daily Exercise" - a positive group of us that stay motivated and encourage each other to get out there and do what we can. We would love to see you there!
I've so far managed my mild LE through MLD technique. I was super lucky to learn this from a physical therapist trained in this technique, right after I had my BMX. But I had to beg my BS for a prescription for PT, he said that I really didn't need it! Although he is a fantastic BS, his knowledge of LE was sorely lacking, at least it was a year ago.
Also couldn't access thehaven video, will keep trying!
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Joy, your BS has plenty of company, as most of his colleagues are sorely lacking in LE knowledge! That's a near-universal experience in this forum, sadly.
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Am progressing with the tai chi breather, more flexible, Can't tell if it is helping LE as I have about zero swelling and no pain in arms or hand although I am classified stage 2. My back stings behind armpit and swells so we will see if it eliminates it. Yah it's truncal.
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Carol, thank you. I am glad if these resources can help.
Hugz4u and Joy, I tried with my iphone too and I can't access the Tai Chi video either. Text and pictures are alright, but can't access any of the videos. No problem with my Mac.
Here is another breathing video: The Three-Part Breath - It is one among several Yoga breathing technics and works really well to stimulate movements in the trunk and thus promote lymphatic flow in that area.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg_93mxxCnQ&feature=BFa&list=UU_rqXhGuc0aLz7tHd8SsefQ
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Bumping this thread up for curveball, She is needing some tips as she is flying soon. She is not able to get sleeve and gloves due to time restrictions.
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This is glorious! Thank you!
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Bumping this for GMA and newcomers. This is simple and not time consuming.
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Thank you I found it.
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Bumping this up for our newbies and also for those that can't do strenuous exercise.
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thanks for posting & bumping - My tx was in 2008 but argghhhh - I think I'm just now developing LE as left upper arm now noticeably bigger than right, and sometimes painful. don't know whether to go to my own dr about it, or the oncologist - I'm even finished taking arimidex and MO said she'd see me one more time before I get kicked out of the cancer centre system. I will also go over to the Kicking Le's butt thread, which I've not once looked at, never thinking I had to , all these years.....where does one find a "certified lymphatic massage therapist?" -- ask your cancer centre?
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Hi flannette
So sorry you may have to join the "LE club"... a great support group, but honestly, nobody wants to be a member.
Finding a good certified LE therapist can be a challenge and sometimes takes awhile. Ask your onc. dr. for a referral.
Some fabulous ladies from our site / forum here created the BEST website all about LE. More info than you'll ever want to know! :>)
Check it out for accurate answers and great info re: things you can do even BEFORE your appt : http://www.stepup-speakout.org/Good Luck
Laurie
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Bumping this for our newbies.
Also we may not be exercising during the holidays but we can certainly sneak off to the bathroom during a party and do this without anyone even knowing we have exercised. Also we will be sitting more and hence breathing more shallow. This will help stimulate our LE sluggish lymph system.
Go for it. I did it today. Stepped out of the office, into the outside air,and worked out my lymphatic system. Me was HAPPY!
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thanks for bumping this. I had a sort of vague memory of learning some LE technique somewhere here, past few days, and here it is! very glad I marked it as a favourite thread.Happy New year all!
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This sounds like a good exercise! Thanks for posting and bumping. I couldn't get the video link to work though :-(
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Nitocris, thank you for that link. A year after surgery, I was fed up with how old chemo had left my joints and started a gentle yoga class for seniors and couldn't believe how good I felt afterwards. Deep breathing was the first thing I learned and it really seemed to help my aching LE arm. I believe this helps the lymph system and have stuck with my classes because I love it.
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I'm excited that community ed is offering a 4 week Tai Chi class at a time I can take around work. It's only 8 classes long,, but it's a start.0 -
I have stage 0 LE
But
I do lots of different breathing exercises
My breast and arm hurts all the time especially to the touch
I wrote this down and will try it
Thanks...
Glad to see some faces that I no
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bumping this for Glennie and the rest. This is a cool exercise and I often do it even in the big stall in the bathroom if I need privacy. takes no time at all and gets the oxygen to your brain also.
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Thanks, hugz!!
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