Monthly Archives: March 2012

What is the Solaris Tribute?

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The Solaris Tribute is a therapeutic garment for the treatment and management of lymphedema and related disorders such as lipedema, chronic venous insufficiency and other chronic edemas.

The Solaris Tribute is a custom-made, bi-directional quilted compression garment with sewn channels that are filled with pressure-inserted medical grade chip foam. What does this mean to you?

As a bi-directional flow garment, the Tribute channels lymph fluid away from the area of the lymphatic system that has suffered damage and guides the fluid toward alternate drainage routes called collateral pathways. The sewn channels lead away from the damaged area. These channels are filled with medical grade chips of foam of varying densities. The foam chips nestle into the skin to address the skin thickening that accompanies chronic swelling. The foam chips are inserted under a specific amount of pressure, and this is part of what helps to determine the compression the garment delivers.

This skin thickening is the result of the retention of proteins and other cellular debris trapped in the swollen area. When the swelling feels doughy and retains the impression of anything that presses into it, this is due to the buildup of proteins which cling to the water molecules.

The medical grade chip foam sewn into the Tribute garment creates high and low pressure points which begin to gently break down the protein while at the same time providing subtle tissue stretch and release of the skin. This subtle stretch and release of the tissue, which happens passively while you wear the garment as you sleep at night, mimics the action of manual lymph drainage, the massage technique which stimulates the lymphatic system to take up more fluid and process it. So, while the skin thickening is being broken down, the lymph system is stimulated to process more fluid; these two actions together guide the proteins and fluid away from the congested area. This protein-rich fluid will then move on to functional lymph nodes which can break it down further.

The Solaris Tribute affects swelling in a much different way than simple compression garments. Simple compression garments simply increase the pressure on the circulatory system, inhibiting the production of interstitial fluid and encouraging the uptake of the lymph fluid. This has little effect on the protein content of the fluid and does not directly stimulate and open up the lymph system. The compression gradient of a simple compression garment is in one direction only, from distal to proximal, from the part of the limb furthest from the trunk to the part of the limb closest to the trunk. With the Solaris Tribute lymphedema garment the fluid is moved not only toward the trunk but toward the side of the body where healthy lymphatics can take up the excess fluid. This creates bi-directional gradient compression. In other words, the Solaris Tribute provides a full lymphedema treatment while you sleep. The treatment consists of massage and compression and results in a softer, less swollen limb. It is effective in the treatment of lymphedema, lipedema and mixed edemas such as the lymphedema which can accompany chronic venous insufficiency.

As a custom-made garment, the Solaris Tribute is manufactured to the exact measurements needed to fit your swollen area. A Tribute can be made to fit and treat any part of the body where swelling is a problem.

For more information about the full line of lymphedema care products made by Solaris and made available in Canada by Lymphedema Depot, please visit our website at www.LymphedemaDepot.Com.

ReadyWrap: An Alternative to Compression Stockings!

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ReadyWrap low-elastic medical binders are the perfect alternative or supplement to elastic compression hosiery. The low-stretch materials work with the venous and lymphatic systems to naturally improve fluid movement, enhancing the calf’s natural muscle pump and producing low resting and high working pressures. ReadyWrap’s easy Velcro™ closure system also allows for easy donning and doffing, especially for individuals who have difficulty donning elastic compression garments.

Instead of struggling with compression stockings to treat venous insufficiency or lymphedema and related disorders,  the ReadyWrap components are simply and easily closed around the foot, lower leg, knee and thigh to provide compression as needed. Because ReadyWrap is a low-stretch, adjustable wrap it can be worn at night as well as during the day by simply adjusting the pressure to the comfort level required.

The ReadyWrap is easily applied. A patient or a caregiver can learn to put it on effectively in a matter of moments. Of course, it is just as easy to take off and reapply. This allows patients and caregivers to monitor the condition of the skin on a daily basis, insuring patient safety and well-being. Patients that are being seen for poor cirulation, venous problems, swollen legs or swollen ankles can all benefit from inelastic compression.

ReadyWrap can be worn over venous ulcers that have been covered with wound dressing material. Wound care professionals know that reducing edema is key to healing wounds. Discuss this application with your wound care team.

ReadyWrap is the only low-stretch compression garment of its kind that is available in a full leg application in standard sizes. The standard size  ReadyWrap thigh piece accommodates a girth of up to 100 centimeters.

The ReadyWrap components of foot, calf, knee and thigh can be ordered separately or in any combination that is needed by the patient. Because each component is a standard size, they are reasonably priced and quickly obtained.

ReadyWrap is made of materials that release heat and moisture for maximum comfort. The material is also very skin-friendly. There is also an optional sock called the Solaris Silver Liner that can be ordered with the ReadyWrap. It has silver content in the fabric that makes it  very comfortable to wear under the low-stretch medical garment if you wish.

To learn more about ReadyWrap, visit www.LymphedemaDepot.com.

You can see a flier that shows the features of the ReadyWrap leg garments here:ReadyWrap features.

 

Spring Events for the Lymphedema Community

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The days are getting longer and a bit warmer. Spring is almost here! Another sure sign of spring is the burgeoning list of upcoming events on the Lymphedema Depot Events page. We use this webpage to publish a calendar of events  that are of interest to members of the lymphedema community. While we have a focus on events that serve the Canadian lymphedema community we also include international lymphedema events.

Springtime is a busy time for events, conferences, classes and meetings. It takes planning to attend the ones you want to attend, so check our events page before you make your plans! The events that we list are not solely focused on lymphedema, but also include events that focus on related disorders. We include information on events in such fields as wound care, venous disorders, foot care, cancer, edema management, adipose disorders such as Dercum’s disease, lipedema and others. While we can’t list every event in the medical field we do try to keep the list relevant.

Our events list came about as an outgrowth of our Links page. As a Canadian company that serves the lymphedema and related disorders community we frequently receive calls from patients, family member and therapists, among others, who are looking for resources. Since anybody involved in lymphedema has had experience with a lack of resources, we felt that we could easily provide the service of letting people know what is actually available. Finding information and connecting with others is just as important as finding quality treatment.

You can visit our Events page by going to our website and clicking on Events, or just use this link: www.LymphedemaDepot.com/events.

Visit our Links page by going to our website and clicking on Links, or just use this link: www.LymphedemaDepot.com/links.

 

Hooray, it’s Lymphedema Awareness Day !

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Today is Lymphedema Awareness Day. Please visit our webpage at www.LymphedemaDepot.com  to read our article on what you can do to help raise awareness of lymphedema in your community, your circle of friends and relations, or even raise your own awareness about this chronic swelling condition.

If you do nothing else, make today the day you join your provincial lymphedema organization. Our Lymphedema Awareness web page provides links to these wonderful, volunteer-driven associations.

If you are a lymphedema patient, today is a good day to make an appointment for a manual lymph drainage treatment from your therapist. If you have not had treatment for your lymphedema, today is a great day to take that first step toward getting treatment. Our Links page at www.LymphedemaDepot.com/links has links to organizations, information resources and lymphedema therapist directories.

Lymphedema Awareness Day is a also a great day to realise and celebrate how far the lymphedema treatment movement has come. Awareness of lymphedema is higher than ever, there are more therapists than ever and there are more products than ever to help treat and manage lymphedema and related conditions. There are still a host of challenges for lymphedema patients are care-providers, but the amount of progress that has been made is remarkable.

We define the lymphedema community as everybody who is involved in this work. That means patients, the families and friends of patients,  therapists, researchers, doctors, nurses, vendors, organisers, volunteers, writers, product sales people, product developers, lymphedema educators, publishers and speakers. Everybody whose life is touched by lymphedema, lipedema or other chronic swelling conditions is a member of this community. Take Lymphedema Awareness Day to celebrate that we have this community for support and that we are all pushing for progress!

http://www.lymphedemadepot.com/lymphedema_awareness/.

Lymphedema Awareness Day: How Can I Help?

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Tuesday, March 6th, 2012,  is Lymphedema Awareness Day in Canada and the US. On this day we focus on ways we can help raise awareness and educate our friends, family and physicians about lymphedema, its causes and its treatment.

A good primer on lymphedema can be found at the Lymph Notes website at http://www.lymphnotes.com/. This is a long-standing website full of good information on lymphedema, its complications and its treatment as well as links to resources.

You could also approach your municipal government to proclaim March 6th a Lymphedema Awareness Day. Here is a link to a sample proclamation from Vancouver: http://www.lymphovenous-canada.ca/march6proclamation%20-%20vancouver.jpg.

Another great resource for lymphedema and related conditions is posted on our website; just click  on the Links : http://www.lymphedemadepot.com/links/

You can also find a Lymphedema Awareness Day flier and information about the provincial lymphedema associations by going to our website at www.LymphedemaDepot.com and clicking on the Lymphedema Awareness Day logo.

Another great Canadian resource can be found at http://www.lymphovenous-canada.com, a compendium of news and resources curated by Cathy McPherson.

What can you do after accessing all this information? Bring it to the attention of your friends, family, physician, other health care professionals and anyone else you know who could benefit from this information.

Spread the word!