Conservative treatment of lymphedema: the state of the art

Abstract This article aims to discuss the possibilities of conservative and non-pharmacological treatments for lymphedema. A non-systematic review of the literature was carried out, including studies involving human subjects with different types of lymphedema. Several approaches to lymphedema treatment have been reported and Complex Decongestive Therapy (CDT) has been considered the most effective treatment for limb lymphedema. Other conservative treatments have been proposed such as Taping, Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy, Acupuncture, Photobiomodulation Therapy, Endermologie, Intermittent Pneumatic Compression, and Low-frequency, Low-intensity Electrotherapy. The choice of the therapeutic approach to be employed should consider lymphedema characteristics, the therapist's experience, and the patient's wishes. In addition, since this is a chronic condition, the patient must adhere to the treatment. To this end, the therapeutic proposal may be the key to better control of limb volume.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bergmann,Anke, Baiocchi,Jaqueline Munaretto Timm, Andrade,Mauro Figueiredo Carvalho de
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Angiologia e de Cirurgia Vascular (SBACV) 2021
Online Access:http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1677-54492021000100416
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