HANCEVILLE – Wallace State Community College has been declared an Official Campus Site for MLD Certification Campus of Alabama, making it the only school in north Alabama that will offer the MLD Institute International Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) Certification.
The declaration was granted by the Manual Lymph Drainage Institute International after a campus visit in May by its president, Elisa DiFalco, and was a surprise to Babs Herfurth, head of the Therapeutic Massage program at Wallace State. The program was hosting about a dozen area professionals during a five-day MLD Certification course taught by DiFalco. As DiFalco congratulated the participants for successfully earning their certification, she congratulated the college on being chosen an MLD Certification Campus.
The only other MLD Certification Campus in Alabama is located in south Alabama, and Wallace State is the only community College in the state to earn the privilege, Herfurth said.
As an MLD Certification Campus, Wallace State will conduct certification courses for massage therapists, physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, occupational therapists, and occupational therapy assistants. According to the MLD Institute International, MLD can be used to treat a wide range of conditions, including leg ulcers, diabetic ulcers, fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis and Crohn’s disease. It can be used after before and after surgery to help with scars, keloids, edema, and after C-sections and joint replacements.
MLD can be helpful with sports injuries, including hematomas, torn muscles, dislocations, fractures and tendonitis. It can aid patients dealing with burns, pain management, phantom pain, constipation, rheumatism, and Down’s Syndrome. It can also be used to treat obesity, lymphedema, acne, hair loss, swollen eyes/sinuses and in cosmetic dentistry.
MLD has become popular in recent years, especially in regards to sports medicine, where the NFL’s hiring of MLD certified graduates has brought a lot of interest in the growing field, according to DiFalco. Herfurth said as a certified campus, Wallace State will have an invitation to attend institutes geared toward current and former NFL players to see how MLD is being implemented in their care.
Wallace State’s Therapeutic Massage program offers short certificate that can be completed in two semesters. Applications are being accepted for admission in Fall 2017. For more information, contact Babs Herfurth at 256-352-8425 or babs.herfurth@wallacestate.edu.
Registration for Fall 2017 is underway, with classes starting on Aug. 16. Visit www.wallacestate.edu for more information or call 256-352-8000.
Image credit: Aerial Envision
