Dr Judith and Dr John Casley-Smith created the Casley-Smith method of Complex Physical Therapy, the original Australian evidence-based treatment for chronic oedemas, such as lymphoedema, which is utilised by tens of thousands of practitioners worldwide.
CANpractice qualifies you as a certified lymphoedema practitioner
trained in the Casley-Smith Method of Complex Physical Therapy.
We make certification simple for practitioners from all over the world and across Australia.
You will learn Complex Lymphatic Therapy including assessment of oedema, skin care, decongestive exercises, manual lymphatic drainage, assistive technology and compression therapy.
“This was the best course that I have ever done! The CANpractice lymphoedema course was incredibly informative plus practical. Andrea is a very welcoming and motivating instructor.”
– Isabelle Mitchell, Occupational Therapist, Casley-Smith Lymphoedema Therapist, Completed CANpractice in 2022
CANpractice is taught by experts in this area. Online lectures by Professor Neil Piller, Lymphologist at Flinders University who was trained by Dr John Casley Smith, and is Andrea Mangion’s mentor. Andrea, Physiotherapist and Casley-Smith Trainer, has had 10 years of experience in presenting these courses.
Caring health professionals and complementary medicine practitioners are usually drawn to this training. It is suitable for:
Enjoy a comprehensive learning experience which provides the necessary tools for an exceptional learning experience. In CANpractice you will learn:
By the end of the course, you will leave with confidence in delivering treatments for chronic swelling. You will know how to chart a clear path of treatment for each individual client.
CANpractice is not a short training course that only provides nominal lymphatic drainage methods for healthy people. But instead it is a 135 hour qualification that provides you with a comprehensive learning experience designed to equip you to problem solve complex cases, such as patients that have had cancer, and work alongside the medical profession in a respected lymphoedema clinic or in your own business as a qualified Casley-Smith lymphoedema practitioner.
Learn online in the privacy and comfort of your own home. Watch recorded, guest lectures from Australia’s only Lymphologist, Professor Piller (Flinders University), videos of lymphatic drainage and bandaging as well as case studies of patients living with lymphoedema.
The assessment method is a multiple choice quiz that you can re-take as many times as you need. We recommend at least 4 weeks but you can start earlier after enrolment.
By getting the theory out of the way, the 1 week face to face week is action packed and fun!
To nurture you are invited to invited to attend three, weekly virtual classroom sessions before the in-person training (6-8pm AEST). One session occurs two weeks after the course to allow you to share your successes and consolidate your business model. Casley-Smith trainer, Andrea Mangion, will share her secrets of success and you will be able to ask questions and consolidate key learning concepts.
We spend 5 days together building your practical skills so that you are equipped the week after to start treating patients. At the course, you will meet a patient and hear of their personal experiences. Practical skills that will be practised include assessment of oedema, manual lymph drainage, compression bandaging (multi-layer and two layer), pneumatic compression and bioimpedance spectroscopy. You will also learn how to prescribe custom and ready to wear compression garments.
The assessment method is a multiple choice quiz and continuous assessment of your practical skills as either competent or not competent. Feedback and encouragement is continually provided as our aim is to boost your confidence and empower you to be the best lymphoedema practitioner that you can be.
Homework activities are provided during the in-person training to assist you with the practical sessions for the following day.
135 hours in the international standard of lymphoedema training. Our complete 135 hour course, covering all body areas, is recognised worldwide by Casley-Smith International. The course is accredited by the International Institute of Complementary Therapists (IICT), Massage Association of Australia (MAA) and the Australasian Lymphology Association (ALA). (This course is the equivalent of the ALA’s previous combined Level 1 and 2 course).
According to your professional scope of practice you may specialise in the treatment of certain body areas. A breast care nurse, for example, specialises in the upper limb and breast and therefore may not need to complete the Lower Limb Module. Practitioners who complete foundation and body area specific training will be eligible to apply for accreditation by the Australasian Lymphology Association (ALA) as an Accredited Lymphoedema Practitioner. Your certificate will state the areas of training completed. (Please note that IICT, MAA and Casley-Smith International require the full 135 hour course to be completed for recognition.)
The course structure and components enable you to cover the required course materials and receive your qualification in a timely manner. To read more about the course location, dates and course bonus, pick the best dates that suit your preference from the course options below.
In 2024 we are proudly offering our May/June and September/October 2024 programs. Please book early to avoid disappointment as courses usually sell out approximately 3 months prior.
Hear from four of our past students who have completed the CANpractice course and are now all practising as qualified lymphoedema therapists.
To download a course PDF please press here: CANpractice brochure
If you have questions about CANpractice, or would like to discuss if a life-changing career in lymphoedema is suitable for you, text 0403536416 to talk with Andrea Mangion, Director of the Australian Institute of Lymphoedema and Titled Cancer and Lymphoedema Physiotherapist (Australian Physiotherapy Association). If you are calling from overseas please call +61403536416.
Feel free to text Andrea on 0403536416 to arrange an appointment to discuss your career as a lymphoedema practitioner.
Our courses are open to any health professional who wishes to train in lymphoedema – such as Medical Practitioners, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Registered Nurses, Remedial Massage Therapists, Osteopaths and Podiatrists.
The minimum requirement is Certificate IV in Massage Therapy (National code: HLT42015).
Yes. The Casley-Smith method has been published in many respected medical journals. Evidence of their work being the original Australian method is found in their paper titled, “Modern treatment of lymphoedema. Complex physical therapy: the first 200 Australian limbs.”
An example of a patient outcome from this publication is the picture below showing a man with a very swollen leg following a melanoma and removal of his inguinal and popliteal lymph nodes. You can see that Complex Physical Therapy helped his leg transform in 42 days.
You can read more about the Casley-Smith method here.
Yes. Casley-Smith is recognised around the world. The Casley-Smith method was the first documented Australian method for treating lymphoedema. There are now thousands of recognised therapists across the world using the Casley-Smith method.
Unlike other methods, such as the Földi technique (developed in Germany) and Vodder (developed in France) the Casley-Smith method was developed in Australia.
The Casley-Smith method is up-to date and evidence-based. As an example, the use of an innovative imagine method is one of the new advancements in the care of patients with lymphoedema. The video below features UK Casley-Smith teachers including Dr Rhian Noble-Jones (past President of Casley-Smith International). In this video, you will hear Dr Noble-Jones talk about how the Casley-Smith method works and how our understanding of the lymphatic system has been improved with imaging of the lymphatic system.
For the massage session, we recommend that you bring a warm nightgown, two towels and your own pillow. For the bandaging and measurement sessions please bring “short- shorts”. You are welcome to bring a re-fillable water bottle or ceramic mug to reduce waste. Food is provided at the face to face component of the course.
The course fee includes everything that you will need for a solid foundation of success – including a poster of the lymphatic system, lymphoedema bandages, lymphatic textbook and tape measures. You will leave with at least two kilograms of goodies to help you in your clinical practice. (Please account for this if travelling by air, as we do not recommend you travel with carry-on luggage only.)
Please note that the cost of CANpractice does not include flights, accommodation or transfers, these will be at your own, additional expense.
Yes! If you sign up to attend a CANpractice course with a friend, you will need to purchase your places at the same time in the same transaction. Using the code withafriend250 you will save $250 on your course price. If separate invoices are required, get in touch and we can arrange this after purchase.
The CANpractice will qualify you to be a lymphoedema therapist and is recognised by Casley-Smith International. CANpractice is also accredited by the Australasian Lymphology Association (ALA) in accordance with the ALA’s Competency Standards for the following lymphoedema training modules: Foundational, Head & Neck, Upper Limb, Breast & Trunk, Genital & Abdomen and Lower Limb and meets the application requirements for the ALA Accredited Lymphoedema Practitioner Program.
The Australasian Lymphology Association (ALA) is the peak professional body for lymphoedema in Australia and New Zealand. The Association, through the support of its members, strives to improve the management of those with or at risk of developing lymphoedema and enhance communication between health professionals, educators, relevant authorities and government, with regard to oedema and lymphoedema.
ALA recognised courses are subject to a rigorous accreditation process. This allows you to have confidence in the standard of training that you are undertaking. You will learn how to market your lymphoedema services and state your qualification in your title to referring health practitioners.
Successful completion of this course may allow you to apply for accreditation under the ALA Accredited Lymphoedema Practitioner Program (ALPP) and inclusion on the National Lymphoedema Practitioners Register (NLPR), a publicly available and searchable online listing of Accredited Lymphoedema Practitioners. Please visit the ALA website to learn more about the ALPP and NLPR. Please check your eligibility for accreditation prior to enrolling in our course.
Garment prescription is one of the most evidence-based modalities for the treatment of lymphoedema. Access to government funded garment prescription programs, such as Enable in NSW, require you to have completed a lymphoedema course recognised by the ALA. This is to ensure standards of training for those that will be prescribing pressure garments. The NSW Health website is available here. If you download the application form you will see in Section 7, the Prescriber Declaration, that you must sign as to whether you have completed an ALA recognised course. This information, on garment programs, has been included to give you the confidence that the lymphoedema course you will be undertaking meets certain stringent standards.
CANpractice training has been accredited by the ALA in accordance with the ALA’s Competency Standards for the following lymphoedema training modules: Foundational, Head & Neck, Upper Limb, Breast & Trunk, Genital & Abdomen and Lower Limb. Further information regarding the Competency Standards is available here. For those familiar with the ALA’s previous terminology, this course is the equivalent of a combined Level 1 and 2 lymphoedema course.
IICT stands for the International Institute for Complementary Therapy.
Yes, research shows there is a shortage of lymphoedema therapists to meet demand. The treatment of lymphoedema is regarded as a “speciality” service. Several research papers have stated that Australian cancer survivors have “struggled to find” the help that they need when it comes to lymphoedema therapists. One example of Australian research on breast cancer survivors found that,”One-third of this group of women had difficulty accessing treatment to halt this potentially progressive condition“. We aim to inspire our students to stand out, be appreciated and become known as the go to health practitioners for lymphoedema care.
135 hours is the international training standard for lymphoedema courses and therefore 135 hours of training need to be undertaken (as part of completing our full course) to be recognised overseas. The Casley-Smith method is known around the world and you will receive a certificate that is recognised by Casley-Smith International.
No. It is not a requirement of Casley-Smith International for you to have re-train every few years. We do not put an expiry date on your certificate.
We hope you enjoy your career in lymphoedema and therefore undertake future training as you feel is necessary. Most health professionals are required to undertake some form of continuing professional development every two years in order to keep their general practitioner registration (such as AHRPA registration in Australia).
Our online learning and face to face course is run by Andrea Mangion. Andrea is titled as a Cancer and Lymphoedema Physiotherapist by the Australian Physiotherapy Association. Andrea has been running ALA recognised lymphoedema courses for over 9 years. She is an ALA member and Accredited Lymphoedema Practitioner and has volunteered for the ALA Assessment Committee and was the past chair of the ALA’s Trainers Committee.
We will transfer your course registration to a future course if you are suddenly unable to attend the face to face component due to COVID-19. If you need to post-pone within 2 weeks of the course, the only additional expense will be funding your meal expenses at the next course – as the venue requires us to pay for this upfront with one month of notice. In the event that we must cancel a course due to COVID-19, prior to online learning starting, we will offer you a refund. Alternatively you can hold over your course registration to a future course.
Yes. Courses run with the minimum number of 8. The maximum number is dependant on the course venue and local requirements at the time (such a COVID spacing). We require our practitioners to be in pairs for the practical sessions, to ensure that you have a consistent practice partner, so this impacts our final course numbers. If we do not reach minimum course numbers the course will be cancelled and you will be offered a refund or your course registration will be moved to a later date. Please do not book any accommodation until you have confirmation of minimum course numbers being met.
Yes, health professionals travel from overseas. Most students are from Australia but students commonly attend from countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong and China.
Michael and Alfred are pictured having fun bandaging. Alfred travelled from Hong Kong to attend the course in October 2022.
© 2023 Australian Institute of Lymphoedema.
