This information is aimed at encouraging movement and activity for patients experiencing lymphoedema to the arm and/or breast.
Movement and activity for arm and breast lymphoedema
You do not need to restrict or avoid physical activity after an axillary (armpit) intervention.
Move within your capability.
Movement and activity help your body’s circulation. This might help reduce swelling. Exercise makes the muscles contract and pushes oedema through lymph vessels.
If you notice any signs of infection to your treatment area; such as redness, heat, swelling, discharge and you may feel unwell – seek medical attention by contacting your GP or 111 if out of hours.
Positioning yourself at rest
When you’re sitting or lying down, it helps to position yourself in a way that helps the lymph to drain.
With arm oedema, when you’re sitting, raise your arm to a comfortable level by putting it on a cushion or a pillow.
Deep breathing
- You can do these breathing exercises while sitting up in a chair or in bed, or while lying down.
- Relax your shoulders and upper chest.
- Rest one of your hands below your ribs.
- Take a slow, deep, comfortable breath in through your nose, feeling your hand rise as your tummy (abdomen) rises.
- Then slowly breathe out through your mouth, so your abdomen is flat again.
- Do this 5 times
Abdominal Breathing Technique
Hi, I’m Carla and I’m gonna show you how to do abdominal breathing. Remember to have a nice posture and relaxed shoulders. You can do them sitting down or standing up.
Remember to breathe in by nose and breathe out by mouth. So when you breathe in, imagine that you have a balloon in your tummy and you inflate this balloon and when you breathe out imagine that you are deflating this balloon. You need to feel your hand going in.
So we’ll do it together now; we breathe in and out. Remember to do them maximum five times and before and after you do your lymphedema exercises.
Watch our videos for the exercises of the area where you have lymphedema or you are at risk of lymphedema
Arm oedema—Wear your compression sleeve when you’re exercising if you have one. Try to do some exercises every day.
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Arm, wrist and hand exercises
- Hold your hand out with fingers together then spread your fingers out, then close your fingers together again.
- Combined movements – sit comfortably in a chair then with your hands touch your knees then touch your shoulders and lift your arms as much as possible without pain, touch your shoulders and then your knees.
- Pretend breast stroke swimming – In a standing position or seated on a chair cross your arms in front of your chest and swing them out to your sides, if this is too difficult try it at waist height. You can also do a pretend backstroke.
- Exercise with a ball – press the ball between your hands, pressing slowly.
- Rest your arm on a cushion with your hand hanging off the end. Bend your wrist down until you feel a stretch, hold for 5 seconds and slowly relax. Then bend your wrist up until you feel a stretch again and hold it for 5 secs and then relax.
- Circles – rest your arm on a cushion with your hand hanging off the edge. Turn your wrist in clockwise circles and then anti clockwise.
- Clench your hand to make a fist and then open and spread your fingers out wide.
- Hold your hand out with fingers together then spread your fingers out, then close your fingers together again.
- Thumb to finger – using your thumb touch each finger one at a time, as it becomes easier you can start doing it faster.
- Bend and extend – bend your fingers at the knuckles, keeping your fingers straight
Arm Exercises for Lymphoedema
Hi I’m Karla I’m gonna show you some arm exercises remember to repeat each exercise five to ten times to do your deep abdominal breathing before and after and very important to be pain-free we’ll start with the head in the neck and I want you to turn your head to the side back to the middle and to the other side as much as possible back to the middle now here to the shoulder keep your shoulders relaxed and your body straight and to the other side.
It’s normal that you feel a bit of a stretching on this exercise on the side of the neck next one will be shoulders up relaxed and down and next one for the shoulders rotate them as much as possible back and down backwards and then forward.
And now we’ll be doing combined movements we’ll start on the knee then touching the shoulder and up going back to the shoulder and to the knee if you have difficulties getting the arm as high as this we’ll do it a bit lower and back to the shoulder and to the knee.
Another combination of movement will be pretend swimming we’ll start with breast stroke and if this is painful on the shoulder you’ll do it a bit lower next one back stroke you have again problems with the shoulder you’ll do it a bit lower as well.
And last one you’ll be grabbing something that you can squeeze like a stress ball or a cushion and you’ll be pressing the hands together slowly and this exercise is very good if you have any swelling of the breast area next exercises will be the wrist you can lean your forearm on an armchair or a table and what you’ll do is going up as much as possible and down as much as possible.
Next one will be circles so one side first and going for the full movement and then the other side next ones will be the hand and we’ll do opening as wide as possible your fingers bending the fingers only by the knuckles and then touching with your thumb each finger and try to do it as quick as possible.
And the last one will be with a ball so you’ll be squeezing the ball five to ten times and you can do that as well opening as wide as possible and doing a fist.
Remember to do all the exercises once a day minimum without pain and if you are concerned you need to really go to your doctor or speak to your lymphedema specialist remember that you can find more information about lymphedema on the Cancer Research UK website.
Self-care notes, useful addresses and phone numbers
Lymphoedema Support Network
Leeds Cancer Support
Leeds cancer support compliments care offered by your clinical team. We offer access to information and a wide range of support, in a welcoming environment for you, your family and friends.
We can be found in the information lounges in Bexley wing and also in the purpose built Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan centre.
Contact Numbers for Leeds Cancer Support
Information lounge level – 2 Radiotherapy department
Information centre Level 1 Outpatients department
Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre (Leeds)
Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre (Harrogate District Hospital)
Macmillan Cancer Services
Interpreters are available if required.
Jayne Garforth Macmillan Information Centre
Cancer Support Yorkshire
Maggies Leeds
Practical, emotional and social support for people with cancer.
Lymphoedema Department
You can contact the Lymphoedema department Monday to Friday during the day.
Hours can vary.