Carolyn Saunders Massage Therapist

After 9 wonderful years in my beautiful clinic at 65 Aberdeen St, it's time for a new chapter.

Leaving this space has brought some mixed emotions. It's been a lovely old building in a fantastic location, and I'm so grateful for all the memories made here and for the wonderful clients who have walked through its doors over the years.

I'm excited to let you know that I'll be continuing to see clients from a temporary location while I work on creating something very special—a home-based massage clinic. Over the coming months, I'll be renovating a dedicated treatment space at home, and I can't wait to welcome you there once it's complete.

In the meantime, I'll be operating from a lovely room at 180 York St, Wombat Lodge, within Macks Massage. It's a comfortable, professional space, and you can continue to book your appointments as usual.

Thank you for your continued support, encouragement, and loyalty over the years. It truly means the world to me, and I'm looking forward to continuing to help you on your health and wellness journey from my new location.

Here's to new beginnings!

Carolyn Saunders Massage Therapist 💜

💙 Can Lymphoedema Be Treated?

Lymphoedema is a chronic condition — but it can be managed effectively.

Without treatment, it can worsen and may lead to:
• Recurrent skin infections
• Thickened or hardened skin
• Skin folds
• Fluid leaking through the skin

The gold standard treatment is Decongestive Lymphatic Therapy (DLT).

This includes:
✔ Compression bandaging or garments
✔ Manual Lymphatic Drainage (a gentle, specialised technique)
✔ Skin care education
✔ Specific exercises
✔ Lifestyle modifications
✔ Adjunctive therapies such as pneumatic compression devices

The goal is to:
• Reduce swelling
• Improve comfort and movement
• Prevent complications
• Support long-term self-management

✨ I am a Decongestive Lymphatic Therapist, and I work with clients to provide individualised treatment plans, education and practical strategies so they feel confident managing their condition.

If you or someone you know is living with swelling, please know — support is available and you don’t have to manage it alone.

Lymphoedema graphic courtesy of Washington University 😊

What Causes Lymphoedema?

💙 As part of Lymphoedema Awareness Week, let’s talk about causes.

There are two main types of lymphoedema:

1️⃣ Primary lymphoedema
A rare condition where the lymphatic system doesn’t develop properly from birth.

2️⃣ Secondary lymphoedema (most common)
This happens when the lymphatic system is damaged.

Common causes include:
• Surgery
• Lymph node removal
• Radiation therapy
• Cancer
• Infection
• Injury or trauma
• Chronic inflammation
• Chronic obesity
• Chronic venous insufficiency
• Malnutrition
• Certain Medications

Many people associate lymphoedema only with cancer treatment — but it can occur for many different reasons.

The main symptom is swelling in part of the body.

In the early stages, swelling may:
• Feel soft
• Leave a dent when pressed
• Come and go
• Be worse at the end of the day

You might also notice:
• Heaviness
• Aching
• Tight clothing or jewellery
• Reduced flexibility

✨ As a Decongestive Lymphatic Therapist, I help people understand why their swelling is happening and guide them through safe, evidence-based treatment and long-term self-management.

Early support can prevent progression and complications.

*Lymphoedema image courtesy of Getty Images 🙂

What Is Lymphoedema?

💙 2–8 March 2026 is Lymphoedema Awareness Week

Before we talk about lymphoedema, let’s start with the lymphatic system.

The lymphatic system is a network of vessels and tissues that runs throughout your body.

Its main jobs are:
• Draining excess fluid from tissues
• Supporting your immune system
• Absorbing certain fats from digestion

When this system doesn’t work properly, fluid can build up in the tissues.

This is called lymphoedema (pronounced lim-fo-dee-ma).

Lymphoedema is a chronic condition that causes swelling, most commonly in:
• Arms
• Legs

But it can also affect the:
• Chest
• Ge***al area
• Head
• Neck

It is more common than many people realise — and early treatment makes a big difference.

✨ I am a Decongestive Lymphatic Therapist, and I assist people with lymphoedema through treatment, education and practical self-management strategies.

If you’ve noticed ongoing swelling that doesn’t seem “normal”, it’s worth having it assessed.

*Lymphoedema graphic courtesy of Getty Images 🙂

I had the pleasure of attending the Massage and Myotherapy Association annual conference over the weekend. It was a great opportunity to attend some awesome presentations, participate in some amazing workshops, learn some new skills, network with my peers from across all of Australia and I even got to get dressed up for a gala dinner. (A huge thank you to my lovely client Pam, who very generously loaned me this fabulous dress 🥰)
Carolyn Saunders Massage Therapist 💜

June is Lipoedema Awareness Month

What is Lipoedema?
Lipoedema is a chronic and progressive disorder that is characterised by the abnormal accumulation of adipose (fat) tissue primarily in the legs but can also affect the buttocks and arms.

Lipoedema is not caused by being overweight. Obesity is a different condition. You can be a healthy weight and still have lipoedema. Diet and exercise, although important for a healthy lifestyle, have no impact on lipoedema.

Who gets lipoedema?
Lipoedema almost exclusively affects women and tends to worsen during times of hormonal change, such as puberty, pregnancy and menopause. It is estimated that lipoedema is impacting 11% of women worldwide of all shapes, sizes, ages and ethnicities.

For some women, the disease progresses quickly and severely. For others, the only symptom is a minor increase in fat just underneath the skin (subcutaneous fat) that remains stable for many years.

Symptoms of Lipoedema:
• Disproportionate fat growth in legs, buttocks and/or arms compared to hip-to-waist ratio
• Presents symmetrically, involving both sides of the body, i.e. both legs
• Affected areas can be hypersensitive to touch, bruise easily and often feel cold to the touch
• Sensation of heaviness, achiness, discomfort and/or fatigue in affected areas
• Appearance of lumpy, nodular, dimpled or mattress-like texture in affected areas
• Pain and discomfort in hot weather
• Reduced hair growth on affected areas
• Hands and feet are generally unaffected, though a ‘cuffing’ or ‘bracelet’ effect may be seen at the ankles and wrists

Management of Lipoedema:
There is no cure for lipoedema, but it can be managed to prevent it from getting worse. Self-management strategies include:
• Compression therapy – compression garments help reduce pain, improve movement and decrease fluid build-up
• Manual Lymphatic Drainage – a very specific massage technique that stimulates the lymphatic system, helping to reduce swelling and pain
• Skin care - keeping affected skin clean, moisturised and dry is important for reducing the risk of inflammation and injury
• Physical activity – low impact exercises such as swimming, cycling, rebounding and walking improve mobility and circulation
• Eating well — a balanced heart-healthy and anti-inflammatory diet is important for weight management and overall health
• Mental and emotional wellness — living with a chronic condition can be emotionally challenging, support groups may be helpful

Where do I find more information on lipoedema?
Lipoedema Australia is our national representative body for lipoedema and has information on what lipoedema is, what it looks like, history of lipoedema, research, treatment, resources, FAQs, news, blogs, events, information for medical professionals and a checklist of common symptoms to take to the doctor.

Call Carolyn Saunders Massage Therapist on 0409 539 615 to assist with your lipoedema management.

Picture courtesy of Lipoedema Australia 🙂

Wahoo! I have completed my Decongestive Lymphatic Therapy training 😁

What is Decongestive Lymphatic Therapy?

It is the gold-standard of non-invasive therapy to manage lymphoedema and lipoedema. It includes many approaches to reduce swelling and pain to improve quality of life.

Approaches include:
• Compression: compression bandaging and compression garments help to reduce swelling and promote fluid drainage
• Manual Lymphatic Drainage: a very specific and gentle massage technique to help move fluid away from the affected area
• Skin Care: to prevent and/or manage skin conditions such as infection, associated with lymphoedema and lipoedema
• Exercises: gentle body movement to help improve fluid drainage
• Modifications to activities of daily living: wearing loose clothing, wearing gloves whilst gardening, drinking plenty of water, avoiding heat, elevating affected area
• Adjunctive treatment: may include devices such as a low-level laser therapy or sequential intermittent pneumatic compression pump

Book your next appointment with Carolyn Saunders Massage Therapist on 0409 539 615 🤩

Introducing Mack Cassidy from Mack's Massage who is sharing my building. Welcome aboard! Here is some awesome information about Mack:

Hi I am Mack. I am grateful to have just opened Mack’s Massage at 65 Aberdeen Street Albany. I started my massage, yoga and reiki journey in 2006. Practicing Yoga, Reiki and Thai Yoga massage in Karratha until 2022, I moved to Albany offering mobile services and hosted chair massage at market stalls in 2023 & 2024. I graduated in my Diploma of Remedial Massage in 2024.

Albany has become my home, the weather is a tad cooler than Karratha. My services at Macks Massage are Remedial, Swedish, Thai Yoga, Reiki and Workplace/Event massage.

I am privileged to have my studio in the same building as Carolyn Saunders, Darren Bodey and Becki Bodey. A wonderful mix of massage, reflexology and reiki.

Mack Cassidy
www.macksmassage.com.au
[email protected]
0413 297 540

Look what I did! 😁💜

Congratulations and Welcome to our recent graduate, Carolyn Saunders from Albany, Western Australia.

Is scar tissue holding you back?

What scars can do to us…
cause discomfort, pain or numbness, reduce blood and lymph flow, inhibit joint movement, reduce flexibility, weaken muscle strength, restrict fascia movement, cause dysfunction, reduce energy flow.

Scars may feel and look unpleasant and may even upset us emotionally due to the traumatic events that created them. Fortunately help is at hand…

McLoughlin Scar Tissue Release® is an innovative, pain-free, natural method of helping you with your scars. Gentle fingertip pressure is applied to the area to help free the restriction in the scar. No force is involved, and the work is always applied within your tolerance.

MSTR® is designed for:
• Surgical scars; including laparoscopic scars
• Trauma wound scars; including burn scars
• Non-visible scar tissue like sports injuries

It can also be applied to:
• Plantar fasciitis
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Dupuytren’s contracture
• Auxillary web syndrome (cording)
• Frozen shoulder

Carolyn Saunders Massage Therapist is an approved practitioner of the McLoughlin Scar Tissue Release® technique. Contact Carolyn to book your scar tissue release appointment.