ENDERMOLOGIE® (WITH AND WITHOUT COMPRESSION BANDAGING) – A NEW TREATMENT OPTION FOR SECONDARY ARM LYMPHEDEMA

Abstract

Two treatment protocols are presentedusing the LPG® Endermologie® system incombination with compression bandaging asa new treatment option for secondary armlymphedema. Both protocols were applied 4days a week for 4 weeks but differed in TrialII in time spent clearing the regions of thetrunk adjacent to the swollen limb and theaddition of a larger treatment head so that agreater area could be covered more quickly.The first protocol involved 24 women and thesecond involved 10 women. At the end of thetreatment period, both protocols demonstratedoverall reductions in limb volume (134mls;18.3% p = 0.000 and 185mls; 28%, p = 0.002),limb fluid (182mls; 28%, p = 0.000 and216mls; 33%. p = 0.014), truncal fluid(342mls; p = 0.002 and 290mls; p = 0.066),improvements in fibrotic induration in somelymphatic territories, and significant improvementsin subject reporting of heaviness,tightness, tissue hardness and limb size. TrialII demonstrated additional benefits in termsof reduction in whole arm volume at 24 hours,improved fluid and arm volume reductions,and a significant improvement in subjectreported arm range of movement. The additionaltime spent clearing the regions adjacentto the swollen limb in the second protocolappears to produce an increase in limb volumeand limb fluid loss compared to the originaltreatment protocol.