Lymphatic Treatment Technology Used For Sports Recovery

Athletes are constantly searching for cutting edge technology to help them to train longer to perform stronger or faster. Recovery has been an underrated component of training for decades, with more sports scientists striving to find the balance between beneficial recovery and loss of time training.

Compression boots and sleeves have been in the market for a while, however world class athletes are learning the art of lymphatic drainage and compression from the lymphatic community, where compression that includes the torso and back is providing remarkable rest and recovery results.

Elegance Beauty and Detox Centre in Marian is gaining a reputation for lymphatic drainage therapy for lipoedema / lymphoedema patients as well as an athletic recovery centre.

Owner and Lymphoedema clinician Laura Hamilton has fought lipoedema and secondary lymphoedema most of her life. As she struggled with weight that wouldn’t budge, she underwent gastric sleeve surgery, but found there was still a buildup of lipoedema fat that she could not remove, no matter how much she exercised or reduced her energy intake.

“I was basically just called fat and put in the corner. It still frustrates me today the lack of knowledge around the lymphatic system and conditions such as lipoedema. I wish someone had told me a decade ago what I know now.”

Laura has undergone multiple surgeries to remove the lipoedema and says she still has some way to go, but the difference in her appearance is remarkable. In total she has lost 50 plus kg and has had 10lts of lipoedema removed from her legs. She has changed the salon into a space that can now offer help to others suffering with lipoedema and lymphoedema through massage and compression.

At her base in Marian, Laura uses world class technology with the Lympha Press, pneumatic compression therapy which can assist with lymphatic drainage and reduce inflammation. While most of her patients visit her for lipoedema and lymphoedema related treatment, Laura says the Lympha Press can be used to reduce pain for a number of conditions where inflammation is a problem. It’s also gaining worldwide chatter as an effective way to recover after strenuous sport.

Hamish Wright is a local track cyclist. Now competing in his mid-40s, Mr Wright said that quick and effective recovery is more crucial to his training than when he was younger.

Mr Wright will be competing at the Masters World Track Cycling Championships in Los Angeles next month, and uses the Lympha Press to recover from heavy training sessions.

“I’m a sprinter, so my training sessions can be quite brutal, especially coming into a big competition,” Mr Wright said.

“It’s a lot of explosive power training as well as top-end speed, so recovery that allows me to get back on the bike feeling better is crucial to lead into a big event like the world championships.”

Mr Wright picked up two golds, a silver and a bronze at the Masters Track Cycling Nationals earlier this year and will be competing for Australia at the World Championships.

His recovery session at Elegance Beauty and Detox Centre starts with a lymphatic massage, to open the lymph nodes to assist with drainage to reduce inflammation. The massage is very gentle, more like a sweeping motion over the skin rather than a deep tissue massage that athletes are used to.

Then, the Lympha Press is used from 30 to 45 minutes. Where standard compression boots only compress the legs, the Lympha Press includes the torso, allowing drainage from the inguinal nodes along with other nodes to thoroughly rid the body of inflammation.

Laura sets the room up as a relaxation hub, with soft music and starry sky lighting for full relaxation while the Lympha Press compresses and decompresses using air pumps.

Mr Wright said the difference in his recovery has been noticeable since trying the Lympha Press.

“Usually, my legs would ache all day after a heavy session, but after the Lympha Press, the soreness is instantly reduced and I feel less tight, more flexible,” Mr Wright said.

“The ability to get back on the bike the next day with less pain means I can push each training session harder, thanks to accelerated recovery.”

Compression is helping athletes across a wide range of sports play at a higher level and stay in the game longer.

The clinic has an 8 cell Lympha Press hire unit so that the therapy can be tried at home, or Laura can assist with the purchase of a Lympha Press for people who would benefit from everyday use.

Laura can also measure and fit compression. The clinic offers a range of services as well as stocking Talking compression, Juzo, Lipoelastic, Mobiderm and Hardingham garments.

With first-hand experience dealing with inflammatory conditions, Laura can offer plenty of great advice and tips on pre to post surgery for lipoedema.

Contact Elegance Beauty and Detox Centre to book a Lympha Press session to feel the recovery benefits for yourself.

Track cyclist Hamish Wright using the Lympha Press at Elegance Beauty and Detox Centre for post-training compression recovery

Hamish Wright will be representing Australia at the World Masters Track Cycling Championships in Los Angeles next month

Laura Hamilton is the owner of Elegance Beauty and Detox Centre

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