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Clinical Experiences Using Pneumatic Massage Therapy bfor Edematous Limbs Over the Last 10 Years

From the 2nd Department of Surgery, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

Yasuo Idezuki

From the 2nd Department of Surgery, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

Tetsu Nemoto

From the Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan

Tatsuo Togawa

From the Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan

A pneumatic massage apparatus has been developed for the treatment of peripheral lymphedema. The stag nant lymph and venous blood are dis placed toward the heart by this pneu matic massage. It has been applied to more than 650 patients with edema tous limbs in the authors' Hadomer clinic over the last ten years. Satisfac tory results were obtained, including decrease in swelling, pain, and indu ration. The authors' clinical experi ences and statistical analysis of the patients are reported here.

Statistical analysis: 9 primary (4 males and 5 females) and 646 second ary (28 males and 618 females) pa tients with lymphatic edema of ex tremities have been treated. The ma jority of the patients had postmastec tomy edema of the upper extremity.

Clinical studies: The circumfer ence of the edematous limb was mea sured before and after pneumatic massage treatment of forty to sixty minutes, daily or every second day.

sage was effective in the treatment of edema of the limbs, and its effective ness was confirmed also by core tem perature measurement of the hand during pneumatic massage. The de creased circumference of the edema tous limb was kept constant for a long period of time by daily repeated pneumatic massage and ordinary conservative treatments.

In conclusion, most lymphedema is of a secondary type. Pneumatic massage was effective in the treat ment of peripheral lymph edema, and the improvement was maintained by repeated daily pneumatic massage and ordinary conservative treatment. Therefore, before it becomes worse, lymphedema of the limb should be treated by use of conservative treat ments, including pneumatic massage continued as a long-term schedule.

Angiology, Vol. 39, No. 2, 154-163 (1988)
DOI: 10.1177/000331978803900205


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