November 2026 eCommunication | | |
Pain and Lymphedema:
Making Room for the Conversation
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November 2–8 is National Pain Awareness Week. This year’s campaign, Unsilence Pain, invites us to listen, acknowledge people’s experiences, and help build understanding.
Many people living with lymphedema report pain, sometimes with a significant impact on everyday life. Those experiences deserve recognition, even as research continues to investigate the relationship between pain and lymphedema.
Studies document pain in both cancer-related and non-cancer-related lymphedema. Swelling, tissue changes, treatment effects, and coexisting conditions may contribute in different ways. There is still much to understand about why pain occurs, how it varies, and how it affects people’s lives.
For people living with secondary lymphedema in the setting of lipedema, pain and tenderness are also recognized features of the underlying lipedema.
| How can we make more room for these experiences in conversations about lymphedema? | Explore the resources below: a practical guide to supportive conversations, Canadian clinical recommendations, and research examining pain across different lymphedema populations. | | |
When Pain Comes Up: A Guide to Supportive Conversations
Pain Canada | 2026
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How can we respond when someone tells us they are living with pain? This short guide offers practical ways to listen, acknowledge their experience, and ask what support would be helpful. Share it with family, friends, colleagues, or anyone supporting someone living with pain.
Download the Guide
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Lower-Limb Lymphedema: Canadian Clinical Recommendations
Wounds Canada | 2025
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Chapter 13 of Wounds Canada’s Best Practice Recommendations addresses lower-limb lymphedema, including pain, its possible contributors, and the importance of assessment. Dr. David Keast is the chapter’s lead author. See pages 8 and 11 for discussion of pain assessment and different pain experiences.
Read the Chapter
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Pain and Fear of Movement in Lower-Limb Lymphedema
Frontiers in Psychiatry | 2024
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This small study explores pain and fear of movement in people with lower-limb lymphedema. Participants included people with primary lymphedema, cancer-related and non-cancer-related secondary lymphedema, and involvement of one or both legs.
Read the Study
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Nerve-Related Pain in Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema
Pain Physician | 2025
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A study of 100 women with breast cancer-related lymphedema examines neuropathic, or nerve-related, pain features and their association with lymphedema severity. It offers insight into one aspect of pain in this specific population.
Read the Abstract
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Pain Features in Lipedema and Bilateral Leg Lymphedema
Lymphatic Research and Biology | 2026
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This exploratory study compares pain intensity and nerve-related pain features in two separate groups: women with lipedema and women with bilateral lower-limb lymphedema. It documents pain in both groups and identifies questions for further research.
Read the Abstract
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Subscribe Ahead of Winter Pathways
Keep learning with Pathways, Canada’s lymphedema magazine.
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Subscribe now to receive the upcoming Winter 2027 issue and a full year of research, clinical perspectives, personal experiences, and practical information for people living with lymphedema and those who support their care.
A Winter sneak peek: Sarah Buddingh Smith explores fatigue in lymphedema – from the energy required for daily self-management to pacing activities and making room for the things that matter.
Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting lymphedema education!
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CLFA2027 Registration Is Open – Join Us in Halifax
Canadian Lymphedema Framework Assembly 2027: Canada Connects
May 13–15, 2027 | Dalhousie University | Halifax, Nova Scotia
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Bring your experience, questions, and ideas to three days of learning, connection, and conversation about advancing lymphedema care in Canada.
Begin with Lymphedema LEAD Day – Learn, Explore, Ask, Discover, followed by a two-day Open Space Forum, where registered participants create the agenda around the issues and opportunities that matter to them.
Early Rate: $249 CAD through December 31, 2026.
Registration includes all three days, lunch and refreshments each day, and Thursday evening’s Canada Connects Ceilidh.
| | The CLF believes in strengthening connections across the lymphatic care community. In addition to CLF news, we are pleased to share important stories and noteworthy news, research updates, academic opportunities, and events shaping the lymphatic care landscape. Our emphasis is on Canadian initiatives, but we also feature items with international impact and relevance for our community. | |
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Events & Webinars
These are just some of the events coming up.
Visit our events calendar for more Canadian and international events.
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Breast Cancer Surgery and Lymphedema: What Patients Should Know
Canadian Society of Breast Imaging
When: Saturday, November 14, 2026
Time: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm ET
Where: Virtual event (Zoom)
Cost: FREE — Registration required
Audience: Patients, Family Physicians, Primary Care Providers and other health professionals
Guest Speakers: Dr. Siba Haykal and Dr. Farhad Ghasemi
Learn More and Register: https://csbi.ca/csbi-events/
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LymphyCon Health Conference 2027
When: April 3-4, 2027
Where: Holiday Inn & Suites Calgary South Conference Centre, Calgary, Alberta
Learn More and Register: https://www.facebook.com/LymphyCON/
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Canadian Lymphedema Framework Assembly 2027:
Canada Connects
When: May 13-15, 2027
Where: Dalhousie University Campus, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Cost: Early Rate — $249 CAD through December 31, 2026
Register & Learn More: CLFA2027.ca
| | | | Workforce Challenges and Retention among Certified Lymphedema Therapists | | |
We invite you to participate in a research study being conducted by investigators from Washington University in St. Louis about lymphedema therapist workload and workforce participation. If you agree to participate in this study, you will be asked to complete an online survey. It will take about 5-8 minutes to complete.
You can skip questions by selecting ‘prefer not to answer’ or stop the survey at any time. The survey is anonymous unless you chose to provide your email address in the survey. No one will be able to link your answers back to you if you do not provide your email.
If you have any questions about the research study itself please contact: Sarah Stolker at s.a.stolker@wustl.edu. If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about your rights as a research participant, please contact the Human Research Protection Office at 1-(800) 438-0445 or email hrpo@wustl.edu. Thank you very much for your consideration of this research study. Being in this study is optional.
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Research Participants Needed
ARPA-H Lymphatic Diseases Study
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Researchers from the University of Alberta and Thomas Jefferson University are seeking participants for a study exploring the challenges people experience in the diagnosis and care of lymphatic diseases.
The research is looking at barriers to diagnosis and treatment, insurance and cost concerns, education and advocacy, and how the experiences and perspectives of people affected by lymphatic diseases can help inform future lymphatic imaging technology.
Institutional Review Board (iRISID-2025-1406).
| | | | LANA Medical Provider Survey | | | | |
The aim of this survey is to evaluate clinical exposure, knowledge, and confidence regarding lymphedema management, as well as to understand provider perspectives on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted tools in clinical practice.
This survey will take approximately 10–15 minutes to complete.
This study is supported by LANA, a professional organization for lymphedema therapists.
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Lymphedema Association of Quebec (LAQ):
Pan-Canadian Survey on Cellulitis Episodes
and Lymphedema
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This survey aims to collect information about:
- the frequency of cellulitis episodes,
- the symptoms experienced,
- the treatments received,
- related hospitalizations,
- the impact on lymphedema management and the financial burden for patients.
The insights gathered will help inform efforts to strengthen lymphedema screening, improve access to timely and appropriate care, and better understand and address cellulitis-related complications. Your participation is an opportunity to contribute to meaningful change and help shape a more responsive and supportive system for the lymphedema community across Canada.
| | Thank You to Our Industry Partners | | The Canadian Lymphedema Framework gratefully acknowledges the support of our industry partners. Their contributions help make our work possible and support education, awareness, and connection across the lymphedema community. We invite you to visit them online to learn more about their lymphedema products and services. Click any logo below to go directly to their website. | | ©2026 Canadian Lymphedema Framework | Website | | | | |
