Sport was and still is a highlight of the day for Richard. Living without running, watching and supporting everything from football to skydiving meant not living to the full. Therefore, he has been working hard to stay fit and healthy, but his hip joints had a mind of their own.
Meet Richard
I met Richard after he had been through a variety of treatments and put a lot of effort into overcoming his pains and poor mobility.
Initially, deep tissue massage brought a lot of relief and eased mobility, however, he could still feel where the muscles allowed free movements but the joints held him back.
Medically, Richard was too young to be considered for hip replacement, however, we have run out of options. Every day, Richard genuinely persistently tried ALL the recommendations he was given from the most knowledgeable specialists over 7 years. The surgeon confirmed later on that surgery turned out to be the only option, as the origins and extent of the problem never showed fully on the scans.
Richard’s intuition was right all along.
As a busy working person with a family, he couldn’t take months to recover, which is why he asked for my help.
I was to treat him with Manual Lymphatic Drainage or MLD straight after the surgery to speed up his recovery.
Where massage has been around for centuries, very little is known about Lymphatic Drainage. Frequently used in beauty, there are very few therapists who know how to perform it to the maximum benefit to a client. Becoming a proper Manual Lymphatic Therapist takes a lot of studying. Performed correctly, MLD can make a dramatic improvement for people living with Lymphoedema, Lypoedema, joint pain, post-surgery recoveries such as mastectomy or double mastectomy or various aesthetic surgeries, and even dental implants.
I have even used it as a part of detoxification – it gives powerful results.
Richard’s surgery was long and unexpectedly complicated. Since the medical team was excited to see such an interesting case, his recovery was anticipated to be long and painful. Richard was determined to get back on his feet as soon as possible.
I was fortunate to be able to start Manual Lymphatic Drainage on Day 2 of his surgery. He could hardly move and was in a lot of pain. However, after only two lymphatic drainage sessions on Day 3 he was already walking carefully.
From Day 5 he was walking, didn’t feel he needed painkillers and was longing to go out. The visiting nurse confirmed she has never seen such a speedy recovery and next to no swelling. She inquired whether he was doing anything special for it.
On Day 7, Richard met his surgeon who confirmed that even though the recommended recovery time is 6 weeks, he is happy to confirm in writing that Richard is allowed to drive. He was surprised to see such a speedy recovery in such a short period.
Same as the nurse, his surgeon inquired whether Richard used anything in particular for his recovery.
Unfortunately, neither the nurse nor doctor had ever heard of Manual Lymphatic Drainage used as a post-surgery therapy, but both confirmed it has dramatically exceeded their expectations of his recovery.
I have since seen an NHS Lymphatic nurse as a patient and she cheerfully confirmed the protocol I used for her was identical to what they do in the hospital for their patients.
Results & Follow-Up
Six months later, I saw Richard again after his second hip replacement, and last I heard he was going snowboarding for the second time.
I am very pleased to see Richard embracing his mobility after such a long journey into recovery and hope that more people can take advantage of Manual Lymphatic Drainage.
His speedy recovery was a combination of professional medical care, Richard’s determination and a regular schedule of 10 daily Manual Lymphatic Drainage treatments shortly after the surgery.
