Manual lymphatic drainage courses

[rosieraddy]

As usual I am confused! Almost completed my VTCT Swedish Massage course but am interested in learning more about MLD because we really only touched on it on our course.

I have been looking on some of the cancer sites (because of the lymphodema connection) and they are saying that you must be fully qualified to carry out MLD.

Has anybody done a course on top of their Massage course?

 

[Cyn]

Not done a course, but was taught how to on my massage course.

You might be interested to hear that the medical establishment now don't do MLD for lymphoedema, but prefer to treat it with exercise and bandaging. I think that's a shame, because I've got many success stories with MLD.

 

[Mother Amethyst]

Not totally accurate. Some NHS clinics don't offer MLD simply because they don't have the time, but there are others where it is available and used as part of intensive treatments (along with bandaging and compression garments).

As for training? Recommend Vodder training - details (with permission of Mods) through www.mlduk.org.uk

 

[another therapist]

I was looking into this on the Gateway Workshops, sadly don't have the funds at the moment

 

[Princess babe]

There are training establishments offering manual lymphatic drainage courses based on vodders technique.

 

[Spindrift]

Coming back to this, and my previous post, I actually won a course with Gateway Workshops and have decided on MLD, the course is this Saturday, it is along the lines of the Vodder Technique, I can't wait, I may also be able to use it at the hospice too

 

[vinslave]

You will need to let the clinical manager know what form of lymph drainage you have done. I do not believe that a workshop through Gateway will give you sufficient knowledge in order to treat hospice patients who may have compromised lymphatic systems.

"Along the lines of Vodder" is a far cry from the actual thing.

 

[j3w3lz08]

Apologies this was my wording.

We have already spoken about it at the hospice, we do acutally have a "lymph nurse" so I won't be taking her job.

http://www.gatewayworkshops.com/Courses.aspx?c=2862ea54-87b3-4181-93e3-e470f25184e0

This is the course outline, I have done previous courses with them, and felt it was enough

 

[malik]

Hi Jo

How did you find the Gateway MLD course? I just took a look at their info via your link and under the section of cancer treatment near the bottom they do state that you cannot be insured to treat clients with cancer with the Gateway 1 day course.

I'm currently in the middle of doing the official Vodder Manual Lymph Drainage course (start second part tomorrow - excited). To get a qualification to treat clients we are doing 10 full days (9 to 5.30pm) of work. There was 5 days back in July and 5 days now. Inbetween we had to practice, practice, practice and learn all the theory for the 2 written and 4 practical exams we have on Friday (eeek!) Even with all this teaching and practice I feel I've only just reached the tip of the iceberg so not sure how a 1 day course could give students enough practice and teaching to go out and do this treatment on paying clients. How do you feel about it?

There are people on my course who have previously done both 1 day MLD courses plus the ITEC one (so courses "based" on the Vodder technique) and the one things they've all said is that they wished they just come on and done this course straight away rather than the others. They would have saved time and money and they feel that they really didn't learn enough on the other courses. This is such a specific technique and treatment - a far cry from other forms of massage (I do lots of other therapies) and the people we'd be treating can be in a physically vulnerable state which makes it even more important to ensure we are fully trained in the theory (which is just as important, if not more so, than the practical work).

Anyway - that's just my opinion. Would be good to hear how you got on though.

 

[SINNER SAVED BY GRACE]

Contrary to what people believe about 1 day courses, I actually found the course content to be quite good, but I won't be going on the Vodder course.