Abstract
We evaluated the effectiveness of the complex physical therapy (CPT) for lymphedema in the limbs of twenty-five patients who had been admitted to our hospital. Twenty-two patients were of secondary lymphedema, and eighteen were status post treatment of uterine cancer. CPT advocated by Foeldi et al. consisted of skin care, manual lymph drainage (MLD), compression therapy with elastic bandages or elastic stockings, and exercise therapy under compression.
MLD functionally operates to enhance the lymph drainage proximally in both contralateral and ipsilateral truncal quadrants of the torso, then in the proximal limb, and then from the distal to proximal portion of the edematous extremity. Swelling ratio of all patients on admission was 26.5 ± 14.1%. At discharge it was 14.9 ± 9.9%. Edema reduction ratio (ERR) of the all patients was 46.1 ± 19.2%, and the effectiveness was recognized in 80.0% of cases with ERR of more than 30.0% at discharge.
Lymphedema should be accurately diagnosed in the early stage and be treated with CPT correctly by clinicians who understand lymphedema thoroughly and are well trained.
