TREATMENT OF PERIPHERAL LYMPHEDEMA BY CONCOMITANT APPLICATION OF MAGNETIC FIELDS, VIBRATION AND HYPERTHERMIA: A PRELIMINARY REPORT

Abstract

Although treatment of peripheral lymphedema has included magnetic fields, vibration, andhyperthermia individually, no one has administered all three at the same time. Accordingly, tenpatients with unilateral leg secondary lymphedema were treated using daily therapy for 20 dayswith each modality for a duration of 60 minutes for a total of 3 hours. The clinical response wasevaluated by the coefficient rate of contraction, i.e., by measuring the circumference of the leg 10cm above and below the patella edge before and after therapy. This preliminary uncontrolledtrial resulted in 8 highly effective, 1 improved, and 1 unaffected outcome. In 6 of the 8 highlyeffective outcomes, the volume of the treated leg became nearly the same as that of the untreated,non-edematous contralateral leg. One patient developed skin erythema which subsidedspontaneously several hours after therapy ended. This combined modality therapy for treatmentof lymphedema should be explored further