Victoria La Manna, PT, DPT, CLT of New York, NY successfully completed Norton’s School of Lymphatic Therapy’s Lymphatic Drainage Certification Program. The certification signifies advanced skill in the application of complete decongestive therapy (CDT) in the treatment of lymphedema.
Lymphatic Drainage is the abnormal accumulation of protein rich fluid due to a disorder of the lymphatic vessel or nodes. It is a chronic condition that will usually worsen over time if left untreated. Complex Decongestive Therapy is the conservative treatment of choice for lymphedema and is reimbursable in New York by medical insurance. CDT involves a regimen of manual therapy, medical compression (bandaging, wrapping of the area), skin care, aerobic conditioning, and isotonic exercises done during the therapy session and at home.
Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) Therapy is a gentle hands-on modality used to stimulate lymph flow and its specific rhythm, direction, depth, and quality over the entire body. This technique is used to aid excess lymphatic fluid to healthy neighboring territories and return it to the intact lymphatic system. The effects of MLD consist of:
• Relaxation, analgesic, diuretic
• Increases performance of the lymphatic system
• Re-routes fluid from congested area
• Softens connective tissue
MLD may also benefit these conditions:
• Lipedema
• Phlebo-lymphostatic
• Post-trauma or post-surgical swelling and healing
• Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
• Cyclic-Idiopathic Swelling
• Inflammatory Rheumatism
• Migraine Headache
• Sinus Headache
• Scleroderma
• Chronic Fatigue
• Fibromyalgia
• General Relaxation
Victoria La Manna, PT, DPT, CLT earned, and successfully received, the 140-hour Lymphatic Drainage/CDT Certification which fulfills the requirements to sit for the national certification testing with the Lymphology Association of North America (LANA). Dr. La Manna is an expert physical therapist at Beyond Basics Physical Therapy, which is located in midtown Manhattan. She began, and is currently the head physical therapist for, the Lymphatic Drainage Program, which addresses the upper and lower extremities and the trunk region in men, women, and children. She is a member of the Women’s Health and Orthopedic sections of the American Physical Therapy Association and the National Lymphatic Drainage Network. Victoria is also a member of the National Vulvodynia Association and the International Pelvic Pain Society.
