The Granzow Lymphedema & Lipedema Center is excited to announce its new partnership with Klose Training, the renowned lymphedema certification program led by the incomparable Guenter Klose. Klose Training is recognized around the world as one of the leading training programs for lymphedema therapists and Guenter has already begun hosting sessions at the Granzow Lymphedema & Lipedema Center’s Jacksonville, FL location.
Klose Training offers a variety of continuing education classes for physical therapists, occupational therapists, and physicians related to lymphedema therapy. Classes cover topics like manual lymphatic draining (MLD), head and neck lymphedema management, wound management for patients with lymphedema, and breast cancer rehabilitation. But the organization’s most popular course is its 135-hour lymphedema certification course.
This course is open to any licensed physical and occupational therapist, as well as licensed physical and occupational therapist assistants.
The value of a lymphedema certification
“Lymphedema is still a relatively misunderstood and underappreciated field,” claims Klose. “Many physicians and therapists lack the training needed to properly diagnose and treat lymphedema because most medical schools and physical and occupational therapy programs don’t cover it. So a lymphedema certification course is a great addition to your license.”
Lymphedema is often a side effect of cancer treatment, and because many physical and occupational therapists offer cancer rehabilitation, it’s essential that they are also knowledgeable about the best ways to treat and manage breast cancer related lymphedema. The same skills and techniques used to treat lymphedema can also be effective in treating swelling in other post-surgery patients. For example, certified lymphedema therapists (CLTs) will have tools to treat swelling resulting from orthopedic surgeries, reducing the recovery time and providing better treatment outcomes.
Beyond the valuable skills learned in a lymphedema certification course, CLTs are in high demand, and therefore more marketable. They provide additional value to physical and occupational therapy clinics and have the option of working for lymphedema surgery and treatment centers like the Granzow Lymphedema & Lipedema Center.
The Klose Training Advantage
Klose Training courses are unique because therapists can complete a significant portion of the course virtually and on their own schedule. Though the lymphedema certification course is 135 hours total, 75 of those hours can be completed at home, leaving only 60 to be completed in person at a weeklong training session. This, of course, means that busy therapists don’t need to take as much time off work and away from their families to become certified.
The training center also prides itself on the quality of its online content. While many virtual programs are PowerPoint-based, the Klose courses are video-based and very engaging. The content is extremely robust and continually updated to reflect the most current research and techniques. This is because Guenter Klose and the Klose Training team maintain a strong relationship with the world-renowned Foeldi Clinic in Germany, which is considered the world’s leading hospital for lymphedema treatment.
Finally, once students complete the Klose Training lymphedema certification, they will automatically be added to the directory of certified lymphedema therapists on the Klose Training website.
“This user-friendly directory is used by physicians making referrals, and patients looking to find a CLT in their area,” explains Klose. “It’s a great marketing resource for therapists.
A partnership for better patient care
While some lymphedema patients respond well to conservative therapies, many need surgery to fully alleviate the pain and discomfort of lymphedema. And the best board-certified lymphedema surgeons partner with CLTs for pre and post-surgical work. This combination of conservative therapy and surgery results in the best outcomes for patients.
“We are very excited about this partnership with the Granzow Lymphedema & Lipedema Center,” says Klose. “Dr. Granzow is someone who does his homework and attends trainings around the world to make sure he’s up to date on the latest techniques and research in the field. So it’s only natural that I was drawn to his talent and dedication to the field. This new partnership will be the perfect marriage between the best conservative therapy training and the best surgical options for lymphedema and lipedema.”
As a part of the Klose Training courses, therapists will learn how to determine when conservative management is enough and when a patient needs surgery. With more CLTs who understand not only the best therapy techniques but when to refer patients to a surgeon, the result will be better guidance for patients in a field where expertise is in short supply.
To learn more about Klose Training, visit klosetraining.com.
Lymphedema certification courses in Jacksonville, Florida are offered several times a year. To register for your lymphedema certification course, visit: klosetraining.com/schedule