What is Lymphedema?
Lymphedema is swelling because of a disruption in the flow of lymph fluid through the lymphatic system. This disruption causes the fluid to accumulate under the skin which leads to swelling, generally in the arms and legs, but also the face and neck.
A patient’s leg being treated with a vasopneumatic pump.
What is Lymphedema?
Lymphedema causes swelling because of a disruption in the flow of lymph fluid through the lymphatic system. This protein-rich fluid accumulates under the skin which leads to swelling, generally in the arms and legs, but also the face and neck.
Are you not sure if you have lymphedema verses regular swelling or edema? There is a self-check for Lymphedema you can perform before you make an appointment with a physician to request therapy:
Is the swelling limited to one arm or leg?
Did you have surgery or radiation prior to the onset of the swelling?
Did you have an injury or surgery on your affected body part?
Is the back of the hand/foot included in the swelling?
Are the natural skin folds (elbow/knee, ankle/wrist) on your extremity deepened?
If the answer to some or all the above questions is “yes”, lymphedema may be present.
Lymphedema that is hereditary (type I) or acquired after a surgery or after cancer treatments can be evaluated, treated, and managed. Early Identification and treatment help patients achieve better results.
Treatment during the acute or chronic stages of the disease can help manage symptoms.
More chronic symptoms and signs include:
Swelling in your arms, legs, shoulders, hands, fingers, chest, or neck.
Skin that feels tighter, harder, or thicker than normal in the affected area.
Clothing, rings, bracelets, or shoes that fit tighter than before.
Aching, tingling, or a feeling that your arm or leg is heavy.
Weakness in your arm or leg.
Difficulty moving joints, such as your wrist or ankle.
Repeated infections in your arm or leg.
How Brown Rogers Therapy Can Help You
Our lymphedema specialist will provide consultation and craft a specialized, individualized treatment plan to help control symptom, helping you get back to doing what you love. During Our Lymphedema Evaluation we will spend one-on-one time assembling a thorough client history, detailed, anatomically-specific measurements of swelling, range of motion, strength, and function of the affected area.
Your Treatment May Include:
Repeat measurement of swollen areas
Manual Lymphatic Drainage and/or Vasopneumatic device treatment to reduce the size of the affected area
Compression bandaging or temporary compression garment until maximum reduction is achieved, then measurement for a compression garment
Therapeutic and breathing exercises that help decrease the swelling.
Activity modification recommendations to limit exacerbations of lymphedema
Client and family education for self-management of lymphedema, including home equipment recommendations so you are successful at discharge.
We’re Only a Phone Call (or Text) Away
If you or a loved one has been suffering with symptoms like these, let us help you! Scheduling an evaluation is an easy, convenient process. You can call or text us at 225-926-2400, and our team will be in touch with next steps.
Why is Pelvic Health Therapy Important?
Pelvic health is important to a lot of bodily functions, as well overall postural stability. The pelvic “floor” acts like a basket of muscles, nerves, and fascia that holds vital organs and supports functions like urination, bowel movements, sex, and pregnancy and delivery.
Pelvic health is important to a lot of bodily functions, as well overall postural stability. The pelvic “floor” acts like a basket of muscles, nerves, and fascia that holds vital organs and supports functions like urination, bowel movements, sex, pregnancy, and delivery.
Activities such as childbirth, heavy lifting or chronic coughing can put pressure and weaken these muscles. Pelvic health therapy helps bring awareness to these muscle groups first so that strengthening is effective, and symptoms are alleviated.
What can you do to protect the pelvic floor?
Our therapists use Biofeedback Technology to help patients gain sensitivity and control over pelvic floor muscle tightening and relaxation, resulting in improved coordination.
Exhale during lifting. Exercise your pelvic floor and core muscles. Maintain a healthy body weight. Avoid constipation and excessive coughing. See a pelvic health therapist to evaluate strength, tightness, coordination, pain, dysfunction and much more.
What to expect in a treatment visit?
Our Pelvic Health Specialists take the time to understand your individual situation, knowing that each client will be different. An individualized and tailored treatment program is developed that is based on clinical findings, related medical history, and a thorough evaluation. Treatment may include:
Biofeedback technology: this helps patients gain sensitivity and control over pelvic floor muscle tightening and relaxation, resulting in improved coordination.
Education and home exercises for the pelvic floor
Bladder and bowel retraining strategies
Dilator training for increasing penetration tolerance
Safe Core muscle training
Stretches
Physiological quieting exercises
Breathing exercises
Post-surgical protocols
Pain relief measures
Functional activities and exercise activity education
Why choose us?
In 2006, we were the first private (non-hospital) clinic in Baton Rouge to offer outpatient pelvic health therapy, and our program continues to offer an effective solution to pelvic floor dysfunction.
We want to walk with each patient on their own path to healing, recognizing the uniqueness of the journey. In just a few visits, many patients will see significant improvements and develop their own understanding of the pelvic floor as an integrated system in the body!
We recognize our proactive, comprehensive approach and proven results empower people to return to normal activities that may have been affected by the pelvic health dysfunction.
We offer Pelvic Health therapy at both of our clinics. If you would like to schedule an appointment, you can call or text our office at 225-926-2400.
What is Custom Splinting?
At Brown Rogers Physical Therapy, we are committed to helping our patients get better with specialized treatments. If indicated, custom splints are created by our Hand Therapists, Amber Donnes, OTR/L, MOT or Angelle Brown, MOT, CHT during your therapy session. These splints are molded to perfectly fit the contours of a person’s hand as the thermoplastic material responds to heat, making it pliable and customizable to any joint or soft tissue structure. Skills and knowledge of a hand therapist are needed to measure, trace, and adjust the splint to accurately fit their patient’s hand based on injury, postoperative immobilization/mobilization, or diagnosis. When making a custom fabricated splint, your therapist will consider each patient's unique needs and concerns by providing an effective and comfortable splint that is easy to take on and off, one that fits just you.
Dry Needling, Explained!
Have you ever heard of the term "Dry Needling"? If no, we are here to help you understand the history & process of it! At Brown Rogers Physical Therapy &Wellness, we have multiple therapists that specialize in Manual Therapy. One of the neat things we utilize in Manual Therapy is Trigger Point Dry Needling!
Annual Movement Screen
This screen is not about determining whether you are moving "perfectly", rather, it is about whether you are moving optimally to minimize your potential for injury and to encourage a rich, active lifestyle. It can also be used to determine your readiness to return to sport or activity upon completing a rehabilitative program.
Pelvic Health Therapy for Men and Women
There are several different disorders that can cause issues within the pelvic floor in both men and women. The pelvic floor consists of muscles and other types of tissue that work much like a sling to keep pelvic and abdominal organs supported and in place. Pelvic floor dysfunction is a broad term that refers to conditions caused by weakened or tightened muscles in the pelvic floor, as well as certain problems with the lower back and hip joints. These problems can be a result of pregnancy, childbirth, poor posture, age, infection, injury, surgery, and many others.
Aquatic Therapy
Aquatic Therapy can help a person get fit or regain fitness, recover from an injury or improve overall fitness and sports performance. Specific body movements are designed, taught and supervised by a therapist who specializes in Aquatic Therapy. A tailored treatment plan will help a person achieve specific needs and goals! In the water patients don't have to worry about falling so focus is on improving balance. The buoyancy of the water reduces the gravity effects, so the patient is able to move more with less pain and pressure on joints and muscles. For this reason, aquatic therapy is an excellent choice post surgery due to hip, knee, ankle, shoulder or back injuries. Compression from the water also reduces surgery related swelling. A mental boost is provided to patients who have endured a lengthy recovery with decreased activity allowing them to get out and do something to safely further their recovery.
Wellness Physical Therapy
A Wellness Physical Therapy appointment at Brown Rogers Physical Therapy &Wellness is client-centered evaluation and treatment, performed by extensively-trained therapists with advanced education.
Support Health & Well Being - Essential Oils
Essential oils (EOs) are compounds extracted from plants that capture the plant's scent and flavor, referred to as "essence". Combining plant extract with a carrier oil creates a product that is ready to use in various ways, like massage. Look for EOs extracted through distillation or cold pressing only, not through chemical processes.
Common Gym Mistakes that Lead to Injuries
Exercising with correct technique, posture and level of intensity is crucial to avoid injuries and maximize the benefits of your workout.
Types of Headaches & How PT Can Help!
Most causes of migraine headaches are benign and can be managed with conservative treatment like dry needling through physical therapy. Don't live with chronic headaches! Through Direct Access, you can get on our schedule today without a referral.
Change - September 2020
Change can come by choice, but now more than ever, with unpredictability. Brown Rogers Therapy, with one progressive step after another, has adapted and thrived in our 16 year history. Embracing change, we have redefined our brand, starting with a new logo!
Change can come by choice, but now more than ever, with unpredictability. Brown Rogers Therapy, with one progressive step after another, has adapted and thrived in our 16 year history. Embracing change, we have redefined our brand, starting with a new logo!
2004.
Our 2004 logo has carried us through 16 years of branding the excellent orthopedic care that physicians and our community have come to love and trust. Our entire approach at that time as a new clinic, came from a defined, structured place where the conveyance of professionalism along with the specialized orthopedic therapy we offered was most critical. We backed what we said with what we did. I will never forget telling a doctor about our "comprehensive approach" in those very early days of trying to gain traction. He said, "Yeah, everyone says that sort of thing." I asked him to send a patient and follow up to see if we held true to our "marketing" message. Sixteen years later we are still here and so are his referrals.
Let’s Get Creative.
Our new logo has circles, two asymmetrical, one almost perfect, yet all three completed by the name we stand by. Three versions of shapes and distinct colors that signify our inclusive philosophy, overlapping and representing the diversity of our clients' needs. Our professionals are able to meet each person on their journey. From front desk personnel to the treating therapist, Brown Rogers Physical Therapy steps into the circle, bringing wholeness to healing. With comprehensive evaluation, skilled manual therapy & exercises, and with focused education that comes from spending one-on-one time, we deepen our understanding of each individual. Whatever condition or dysfunction has interrupted a patient's world, we bridge and bring movement, strength, balance, and function.
Why Now?
(without mentioning THE “C” word)
Each week since March, we continually adjusted hours, treatment times, cleaning procedures, and check-in protocols to emphasize our high standards of safety and awareness of staff and patient needs. All business owners and leaders know adaptation is normal, to be unafraid and willing to problem solve the latest "fire". Receptivity rather than resistance ruled action these recent months, and a "start over" theme was happening everywhere we looked. Deciding we liked some of this change, and infused with flexibility and creativity, we were inspired to go beyond the safety updates. We felt the timing was right to reflect more of who we are now in a revitalized logo and website, giving our known name a new feel. Already offering an abundant list of sub-specialties, we decided to bring wellness services- private PT, & Massage Therapy to the Jefferson Clinic. During down time we updated our lobby and other spaces have been and now two warm, upscale rooms are dedicated to wellness!
It’s ALL ABOUT coming together.
This branding and logo are the window dressing to our story, one that is only told because of the people who have been part of the BR team, those who entrust us with their care, and the medical community who send us referrals. In honoring the points of convergence and divergence, we are connected to so many who have come and gone (and come back again)! We appreciate this interconnectedness with the depth and wisdom that comes from change, from loss and rebirth, and from all that has contributed to why we are here. We hold dear our core values with an open-minded, positive vision for the future, knowing that what each patient goes through with pain or limitation, is never the same. Brown Rogers Physical Therapy is here to help and to heal.
In gratitude for and with change,
Angelle Brown, OT, CHT Owner, Brown Rogers Physical Therapy & Wellness