Use the following summary of lymphedema training classes with certain precautions in mind. The list has been compiled from posted lists of schools that claim to provide expert instruction in the protocols of manual lymph drainage (MLD) and complete decongestive therapy (CDT). LymphActivist makes no claims to the legitimacy or effectiveness of the training received, and makes no recommendation of any one or group of schools.

Format, content, as well as scope of the classes varies, and there is no universally-accepted standard. The closest to a "standard" protocol are Vodder/Fäldi-derived techniques (the most commonly used protocol in documented studies of effectiveness of lymphedema treatment) or Casley-Smith techniques. The Pacific Therapy Education program for PTs, PTAs, OTs, COTAs and MDs follow the techniques developed by Leduc. The International Lymphedema & Wound Care Training Institute (ILWTI) combine lymphedema and wound care training leading towards joint certification Still other schools have developed their own techniques that may or may not be based on Vodder protocols or validated by documented studies.

Full CDT certification courses range from 120 to 160 hours of classroom and lab instruction, typically 1/3 of which is lecture and 2/3 of which is hands-on instruction. An exam is administered to assure competency. Variations include credit for home study, weekend classes and internet classes. Classes leading to certification are often administered in segments, e.g. Vodder Certification in MLD & CDT in four 5-day segments: Basic; Therapy I; Therapy II; Therapy III, and Leduc International Certification in Lymphedema Management after completion of: Basic Course; (Level II Course); Advanced Course; and Case Study. Other courses (e.g. Norton, Klose, ACOLS) claim to cram equivalent content into a 9-day period (typically one week including 2 weekends) and home study. The International Lymphedema & Wound Care Training Institute offers a Lymphedema Specialist Certification to physicians and physician assistants, therapists and therapist assistants, and nurses after a 6-day course and pre-course home study.

Included in this listing are advanced specialty courses on head and neck therapy, upper extremity and lower extremity therapy, aquatic therapy, lymph taping, compression bandaging, advanced garment fitting, and certification review and update courses.

After completion of a full course in lymphedema therapy, a therapist may sit for a national certification exam. The Lymphology Association of North America^®, LANA^®, https://www.clt-lana.org/index.html is a non-profit corporation specializing in the certification of healthcare professionals who diagnose and/or treat lymphedema and related disorders. LANA^® was created following the 1998 American Cancer Society Lymphedema Workshop recommendation to establish certification guidelines to assure that specific treatments and facilities meet state-of-the-art criteria. The multidisciplinary LANA^® Board of Directors, including physicians, nurses, and therapists, identified the need for and subsequently created a national certification examination. Contact LANA at lana@clt-lana.org 📧 for further information.

This listing is provided as a starting point for research into available training opportunities in your area. Contact e-mail addresses, websites and phone numbers are provided for each listing. Responsibility of determining whether any particular training program is appropriate and suitable to an individual therapist lies with the therapist and the individual school.

For further information on training requirements for lymphedema therapists I recommend the Lymphedema Wellness Manual for Patients and Therapists by Gay Lee Gulbrandson, CLT-LANA, Berkeley, 2014 CA specifically pages 110-112.