Team lead
Kira Marie Skibdal
Clinical Development Physiotherapist for physiotherapists in Lymphedema and Palliative group.
Focus
Lymphedema Therapy
The lymphedema therapists at Amager and Hvidovre Hospital treat patients with arm, leg, head/neck, or pelvic lymphedema in an outpatient setting. They work closely with other healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, and physiotherapists in primary care, to ensure an integrated treatment plan for patients across sectors.
The treatments focus on:
Evaluation and diagnosis through clinical examinations and measurements.
Manual lymphatic drainage, bandaging, and compression therapy to stimulate the lymphatic system and reduce swelling.
Instructing and guiding patients in exercises and movements that can improve lymphatic circulation and reduce lymphedema symptoms.
Educating patients in self-care techniques, including skincare, dietary advice, and infection prevention.
Ongoing focus on quality assurance of documentation practices.
Palliative Therapy
The physiotherapist in the palliative care group focuses on guiding and assisting patients with life-threatening illnesses to maintain or improve their quality of life and functional abilities during hospitalization and after returning home, in close collaboration with the interdisciplinary team.
The treatments focus on:
Pain relief and comfort during the terminal phase.
Guiding patients through movement exercises and physical rehabilitation to preserve or restore function and mobility, both individually and in small groups.
Teaching breathing exercises and techniques to improve respiration and alleviate breathing difficulties.
Focusing on preventing physical complications such as pressure ulcers and muscle weakness through appropriate positioning and care.
Providing guidance and support to caregivers in assisting patients with physiotherapy exercises and care.
Contributing to enhancing patients' overall quality of life and well-being through physiotherapeutic interventions.
Examples of ongoing work
Participation in a research project across Hospitals in the Capital Region of Denmark focusing on leg edema, titled: Digital support for compression bandaging in patients with chronic leg edema - Assessment of measurement properties of a newly developed sensor (CIMON).
The project is a Ph.D project in lead by Physiotherapist, MPH, Ph.D. student Merete Celano Wittenkamp, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, Department of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy University of Southern Denmark, Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics
Selected outputs
Clinical guidelines: