EBENSBURG — Women who are diagnosed with breast cancer are subject to physical and emotional trauma.
In addition, women battling cancer are at risk for developing lymphedema, a swelling caused by a buildup of lymph fluid in the body.
Amy Steinhoff, a certified lymphedema specialist, has made a living by helping women who have been diagnosed with both breast cancer and lymphedema.
Already an occupational therapist, Steinhoff, of Johnstown, became interested in lymphatic massage when she was finishing her degree in massage therapy.
She became a certified lymphedema specialist through The Academy of Lymphatic Studies in Sebastian, Fla., and took breast cancer rehabilitation courses in Cumberland, Md.
Steinhoff worked for Indiana Regional Medical Center for two years before agreeing to work for Vantage Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation in Ebensburg.
Steinhoff was given the opportunity to open a lymphedema clinic and treat women with breast cancer.
“You really have to be certified to treat it (lymphedema),” said Steinhoff. “People with breast cancer undergo mastectomies, biopsies, different types of surgeries and it can make it worse for them if it isn’t treated right.”
Lymphedema is a fluid buildup and swelling in the limbs and is a common side effect of breast cancer treatment.
The accumulation of lymph fluid following surgical trauma to the lymph nodes often is painful and can restrict movement and lead to infection.
The fluid collects because the small, bean-shaped glands filter lymph fluid as part of the lymphatic system’s network of tissue, glands and vessels that help the body fight infection.
Damage to the lymph nodes interrupts the flow.
“Lymphedema is one of those things that can happen right after surgery or 50 years later,” said Steinhoff.
She worries that women are not prepared for the lymphedema that is sometimes a part of breast cancer.
“I’ve had patients come to me and say that they’ve never been told about it. It’s more important for them to know about it than not know,” she said.
The treatment of lymphedema varies with each patient. A typical treatment includes therapy two to three times a week, one to two hours of weight training or aquatics and massage.
Vantage makes use of Hivamat – a method of therapy that supplements the therapist’s massage with an electrostatic field of energy to cut the time of massage.
Working in this field has impacted Steinhoff on a personal level.
“When you meet these women and all they want to do is look normal, you do everything you possibly can do to create that normal look for them,” said Steinhoff.
Steinhoff also stresses the importance of starting treatment early, and only accepting treatment from a qualified professional.
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