Complete Decongestive Therapy (CDT)

Complete Decongestive Therapy (CDT) is an intensive therapy program that is divided into two phases: Phase I, the Decongestion phase, and Phase II, the Maintenance phase.

Phase I – Decongestion
The goal of Phase I is to decrease the swelling in the limb to normal size, or as close to normal as possible, while maintaining healthy skin. There are four basic components to Phase I:

• Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD)
• Compression Therapy
• Multi-Layer Bandaging
• 2-Layer Bandaging
• Short Stretch Compression Wraps
• Chipped Foam-based Products
• Exercise
• Skin Care

Phase II – Maintenance
Once the swelling has decreased from your limb, it is essential to continue your care at home to maintain this reduced size. Unfortunately, the swelling will come back if not managed correctly. The goal of Phase II is to preserve the results of all your hard work in Phase I. Just like the Decongestion Phase, there are four components of Phase II:

• Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD)
• Compression Therapy
• Compression Garments
• Wrap / Velcro® Products
• Chipped Foam-based Products
• Exercise
• Skin Care