Disclosure: I received one free Lounge Doctor Leg Rest to review on The Lymphie Life. Although this post is sponsored, all opinions expressed here are my own honest impressions of the product.
Every lymphie knows the struggle of trying to find the perfect elevation. We’ve all been there: pulling pillows off the bed, grabbing cushions from the couch, rolling blankets under our knees — anything to prop up our swollen, aching limbs and help gravity move that lymph back down.
Unfortunately, it takes more than gravity to get fluid moving. Elevation is a science, and effective elevation aids are, too. Piles of cushions and wedge-shaped pillows aren’t usually enough to achieve the proper positioning needed to facilitate healthy venous and lymphatic flow.
The product
Enter the Lounge Doctor Leg Rest. Available in both foam and inflatable models, the leg rest is a comfortable — and scientifically developed — solution.
What sets it apart from other wedges and leg pillows on the market is its design. Developed by Dr. Christopher Dickson, a Board Certified Vascular Surgeon and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the patented design fits the natural contours of your legs to ensure you’re resting at the ideal angles for effective venous and lymphatic flow.
Watch Dr. Dickson explain the whys and hows behind the Lounge Doctor Leg Rest’s approach to elevation in this video:
The leg rest pillow I received is the Lounge Doctor Leg Rest with Cooling Gel Memory Foam, size medium. The dimensions of this size and model are 18″ wide, 11 3/4″ tall, and 23″ long. (For reference, I’m 5’5″ tall.)
This model is constructed of high-resiliency open cell foam and has a two-inch layer of cooling gel memory foam. It comes with a removable cover made of durable stain- and moisture-repellent fabric, and has an anti-slip grip bottom to keep it from sliding around on the couch or bed.
Click the images to enlarge.
My impressions
The first time I used the Lounge Doctor Leg Rest was after a long (sedentary) day at work, a bus commute, and a half-mile walk home — the conditions could not have been more perfect for trying a new leg rest. Sure enough, as soon as I put my tired and swollen legs up, I felt it: relief.
As mentioned before, the Lounge Doctor’s patented shape is a big reason for the instantaneous relief. With my thighs tilted at 40 degrees, my knees bent at 20-30 degrees, and my calves at a 15-degree-angle, my legs felt supported and, most importantly, relaxed.
Although it looks a bit tall (the size medium is almost twelve inches in height), I didn’t have a problem with the height; the contours of the pillow make it a gradual and natural incline, and the pillow itself is soft yet sturdy, with just enough give to cradle my legs. It’s lightweight, too, so you can take it from the couch to the bed with ease.
It’s comfortable enough to fall asleep while using, but sometimes I like to take advantage of that great gravity and do some manual lymphatic drainage: the height and angles of the leg rest facilitate lymphatic flow and make for an effective massage session. (I’d imagine it would be equally beneficial to use the leg rest to elevate while using a pneumatic compression pump as well, provided the pillow is wide enough.)
In the few weeks I’ve had the leg rest, I’ve been using it nearly every day to help alleviate my swelling and show my legs some TLC. I’ve found the pillow to be useful beyond my lymphedema needs, too. Not long after I received my Lounge Doctor Leg Rest, I was laid up for a weekend with a painful neck strain. The leg rest was such a huge help in keeping my body comfortably aligned, relieving some of the pressure on my back and neck and making my recovery more bearable.
My bottom line? Staying elevated has never been easier with the Lounge Doctor Leg Rest. It has become a crucial part of my lymphedema toolkit: no more balancing my legs on a teetering tower of pillows, or swinging them over the back of the couch.
I’m not sure how — or if — the leg rest could be comfortably adapted for upper extremity lymphedema, so I can’t speak to that. However, if you have lymphedema in your legs, the Lounge Doctor Leg Rest is an answered prayer.
This product and the healthy elevation it provides is something most everyone’s legs can benefit from, lymphedema or not. (Even my mother is looking to buy one for herself after trying mine during a visit!)
Interested in a Lounge Doctor Leg Rest? The Lounge Doctor Leg Rest can be purchased on their website, www.loungedoctor.com, and is available in a variety of sizes and widths to accommodate your needs. In addition to leg rests, the company offers other products like contour pillows and compression socks.
Please note that you should not use the leg rest if you have severe congestive heart failure or peripheral arterial disease, as those conditions may be exacerbated by elevating the legs.
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