World J Clin Cases. 2024 May 26;12(15):2482-2486. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i15.2482.

ABSTRACT

Lymphedema is a prevalent complication affecting patients with breast cancer, greatly impacting their quality of life. This editorial describes diagnostic methods and therapeutic interventions for managing lymphedema in patients with breast cancer. Diagnosis relies on clinical evaluation and objective measures, including arm circumference and volumetric assessments, along with lymphoscintigraphy and ultrasonic measurements. Treatment primarily involves complex decongestive physical therapy, comprising manual lymphatic drainage, compression therapy, exercise, and meticulous skin care. These interventions aim to reduce swelling, alleviate discomfort, and prevent further complications. Additionally, lifestyle modifications such as avoiding extreme temperatures and maintaining proper hygiene are essential. Flavonoids can be used for drug therapy. Despite its prevalence, lymphedema often receives inadequate attention in clinical practice, emphasizing the importance of raising awareness and enhancing medical services for affected individuals. Clinicians play a pivotal role in educating patients about preventive measures and ensuring timely intervention. Overall, a comprehensive approach encompassing early diagnosis, multidisciplinary management, and patient education is essential to mitigate the burden of lymphedema in patients with breast cancer and improve their overall well-being.

PMID:38817238 | PMC:PMC11135456 | DOI:10.12998/wjcc.v12.i15.2482

Healthcare (Basel). 2024 May 17;12(10):1038. doi: 10.3390/healthcare12101038.

ABSTRACT

Mobilization with movement (MWM) and myofascial release (MFR) are treatment techniques that increase ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (DFROM). Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) facilitates waste drainage and improves soft tissue tension in peripheral tissues. To date, no studies have investigated how the combination of MLD, MWM, and MFR influences the human body. The purpose of this study is to determine how the combination of MLD, MWM, and MFR affects DFROM and balance ability. We randomly assigned 16 individuals (26 feet) to one of three groups: MWM-MFR (MR), MWM-MLD (MD), or MWM-MFR-MLD (MRD) intervention. To confirm the intervention effect of each group, DFROM was assessed using a modified lunge test, and dynamic balance was measured using a modified star excursion balance test. In the results, differences were found between the MR and MRD groups in PL and mGCM activities in the 1 section (p = 0.008, p = 0.036) and between the MD and MRD groups in mGCM activity in the 4 and 5 sections (p = 0.049, p = 0.004). We suggest that the application of MRD is the most effective intervention for increasing muscle activation of the PL and mGCM during the modified star excursion balance test.

PMID:38786448 | PMC:PMC11121053 | DOI:10.3390/healthcare12101038

J Clin Orthop Trauma. 2024 Apr 14;51:102401. doi: 10.1016/j.jcot.2024.102401. eCollection 2024 Apr.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) is a routine therapeutic technique used to decrease peripheral oedema by activating lymphatic drainage. Evidence for its efficacy remains sparse. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of MLD before and after total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

METHODS: This was a single-centre randomized, controlled and observer-blinded trial. 112 patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups: group 1 underwent MLD for 30 min daily on five consecutive days both before and after TKA; group 2 underwent MLD for 30 min daily on five consecutive days only after TKA; and the control group did not undergo MLD. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score, range of knee motion, swelling and pain were assessed before TKA, after two days, five days and six weeks.

RESULTS: The overall age of the patients was 69.4 years (SD = 9.8, range = 41-87). The groups were well matched in terms of sex, age, height, weight, and body mass index. There was no statistically significant difference with regard to any of the outcome measures between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS: The present results indicate that MLD had no significant benefits when applied either before or early after TKA. Therefore, we do not recommend the routinely use of MLD in the early period before or after TKA. Further studies should evaluate the effect of MLD after arthroscopic surgery.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level II, Lower quality RCT with follow up <80.

PMID:38751751 | PMC:PMC11092877 | DOI:10.1016/j.jcot.2024.102401

J Clin Med. 2024 Feb 23;13(5):1277. doi: 10.3390/jcm13051277.

ABSTRACT

Background: Complex decongestive therapy (CDT) is the standard and basic therapy for lymphedema. The central component of CDT is manual lymphatic drainage (MLD). In addition to CDT, other measures such as intermittent pneumatic compression therapy (IPCT) (active compression machine therapy) are available. In this prospective research study, the objective and subjective effects of MLD and IPCT on lymphedema of the lower extremity were investigated and both therapies were directly compared. Furthermore, the patients’ body mass index (BMI) and stage of lymphedema were tested for their effect on the respective therapy. Methods: Patients participating in the study received both therapies (MLD and IPCT) on the same lymphedema-affected limb at an interval of two days. The objective volumetric therapy effect was measured by the digital volume measurement of the affected limb. The subjective effects of the therapies were measured using two specially designed questionnaires. Results: A total of 40 patients were included in the study. There was no significant difference in the volume differences between the interventions, BMI categories, lymphedema, or treatment order regarding the immediate and two-day effect. Conclusions: No significant difference was found in the subjective or objective therapy efficacy of the two methods. Intermittent pneumatic compression therapy is considered a comparable therapeutic procedure when properly indicated.

PMID:38592094 | PMC:PMC10931544 | DOI:10.3390/jcm13051277

J Clin Med. 2024 Jan 11;13(2):402. doi: 10.3390/jcm13020402.

ABSTRACT

(1) Background: Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), included within the complex decongestive therapy, as a therapy for the treatment of lymphedema has raised controversy about its benefits for lymphedema after breast cancer. The aim of this research is to test the effects of MLD on lymphedema after breast cancer during the treatment maintenance phase. (2) Methods: A randomized, single-blinded, controlled crossover trial was conducted to analyze the effects of a manual lymphatic drainage intervention compared to a control group without MLD intervention for the treatment of lymphedema. Arm volume measured by circumference measurement, subcutaneous tissue thickness measured by ultrasound, and the sensation of pain, heaviness, and swelling were evaluated as outcome measures. (3) Results: For the control group, an increase in volume was found in some of the circumference and subcutaneous tissue thickness measurements, in addition to a worsening of arm pain, swelling and heaviness. (4) Conclusion: The absence of treatment based on MLD in lymphedema after breast cancer worsens volume measurements, as well as arm heaviness. Therefore, it would be advisable to carry out this type of therapy as part of the maintenance treatment for lymphedema in breast cancer.

PMID:38256536 | PMC:PMC10816533 | DOI:10.3390/jcm13020402

J Orthop Surg Res. 2024 Jan 11;19(1):54. doi: 10.1186/s13018-023-04525-7.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive approaches to the hip joint for total hip arthroplasty such as the DAA (“Direct Anterior Approach with bikini incision”) are increasingly utilized. According to the literature, this approach is more muscle-sparing, results in less postoperative pain, and achieves higher patient satisfaction. The existence of postoperative lymphedema after hip arthroplasty is hardly considered. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the evaluation of the different access methods related to postoperative lymphedema and their functional outcomes.

METHODS: This is a prospective non-randomized study at an orthopedic specialist clinic in Northern Europe. The surgeons that performed the arthroplasties are high-volume surgeons in private practice affiliated to the clinic. The study included 188 patients with primary hip arthroplasty in a 1:1 ratio (DAA: standard accesses (posterior, transgluteal, and anterolateral access)). Epidemiologic data, Harris Hip Score, Oxford Hip Score, European Quality of Life 5, and Visual Analog Scale were collected preoperatively on admission day, 3rd and 5th postoperative day, and follow-up after 1 year. Furthermore, the range of motion, gait, and ability to climb stairs, as well as the presence of hypesthesia were assessed. To evaluate the edema situation, both legs were measured on the 3rd and 5th postoperative day. The prescription of manual lymphatic drainage and remaining swelling conditions 1 year postoperatively were recorded.

RESULTS: For each group, 94 patients with a mean age of 61.7 years (DAA 60.7 and standard access 62.6) were included. All but one patient in the DAA group showed postoperative lymphedema (n: 93/94; 98.9%). In the standard surgery group, only n: 37/94 (39.4%) showed swelling symptoms requiring treatment. After 1 year, lymphedema persisted in 20 patients in the DAA group and 0 patients in the standard-OR group. Hypesthesia at the ventral thigh persisted in 16/94 (= 17%) patients of the DAA group versus 0/94 patients of the standard group after 12 months. Of these 16 cases, 10 had concomitant edema (62.5%). The DAA showed better results than the standard accesses in terms of Oxford Hip Score (p < 0.05) and ability to climb stairs (p < 0.05). In contrast, the Visual Analog Scale and patient quality of life results showed no significant difference (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated the increased incidence of postoperative lymphedema in patients operated on via DAA access using a Bikini-type skin incision. In the follow-up, significantly more hypesthesia of the ventral thigh occurred in the DAA group. Otherwise, the DAA proved to be superior to the standard approaches from a functional point of view at short-term follow-up. Future research is needed to compare the horizontally oblique to the longitudinal oblique skin incision technique in direct anterior hip surgery regarding the above-mentioned adverse effects found in this study.

PMID:38212819 | PMC:PMC10782765 | DOI:10.1186/s13018-023-04525-7

Healthcare (Basel). 2024 Jan 4;12(1):118. doi: 10.3390/healthcare12010118.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Complete decongestive therapy is the standard treatment for lymphedema. Manual lymphatic drainage and short-stretch multilayer compression bandaging are two daily stages of complete decongestive therapy during which physiotherapists work with patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the risks of musculoskeletal disorders to which physiotherapists are exposed during these two phases.

METHOD: Five physiotherapists performed five 20 min manual lymphatic drainages, followed by the compression bandaging phase. From the video recordings, 8477 postures defined by 13 joint angles were grouped into clusters using hierarchical cluster analysis. The risk of musculoskeletal disorders in physiotherapists’ postures was assessed using ergonomic tools.

RESULTS: Seven clusters, called generic postures (GP), were identified and defined throughout the mean joint angle values and standard deviation. Four seated GPs were found for the drainage phase, and three standing GPs were identified for the bandaging phase. This phase corresponded to a quarter of the total duration. The GP’s ergonomic scores ranged from 4.51 to 5.63 and from 5.08 to 7.12, respectively, for the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) and Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA). GP1, GP3, and GP4 presented the highest ergonomic scores (RULA scores: 5.27 to 5.63; REBA scores: 6.25 to 7.12). The most affected areas were the neck (flexion > 20° for all GPs), trunk (flexion between 25 and 30° for GP2, and GP7 during the bandaging phase and GP4 during the drainage phase), and shoulder (flexion and abduction >20° for all GPs except GP5).

CONCLUSIONS: These results highlighted that the two complete decongestive therapy phases could be described as a combination of GP. Ergonomic assessment showed that compression bandaging as well as drainage phases expose physiotherapists to moderate musculoskeletal disorder risks that require “further investigation and change soon”.

PMID:38201023 | PMC:PMC10778821 | DOI:10.3390/healthcare12010118

BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2024 Jan 2;25(1):30. doi: 10.1186/s12891-023-07153-8.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Total knee joint replacement (TKR) is an effective method for the treatment of severe knee osteoarthritis. With an increasing number of surgeries, complications such as lower limb edema, pain, and limited mobility have caused a heavy burden. Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) may be a solution to solve the problem. The study aims to evaluate the efficacy of MLD in reducing knee edema, pain, and improving range of motion (ROM) in patients after TKR.

METHODS: A search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, VIPs, WanFang database, and Google Scholar from inception to June 2023. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the effects of MLD and non-MLD (or another physiotherapy) on improving knee edema, pain, and ROM after TKR were included. Stata 16.0 was used for meta-analysis. GRADE was used to assess the quality of evidence.

RESULTS: In total, 7 RCTs with 285 patients were identified. There were no significant differences found in the ROM of knee flexion (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.03, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.22, 0.28, P = 0.812) and the ROM of knee extension (SMD= -0.30, 95%CI: -0.64, 0.04, P = 0.084). No differences were observed in the lower extremity circumference after TKR (SMD= -0.09, 95%CI: -0.27, 0.09, P = 0.324). For postoperative pain, there was no significant advantage between the MLD and non-MLD groups (SMD= -0.33, 95%CI: -0.71, 0.04, P = 0.083).

CONCLUSIONS: Based on the current evidence from RCTs, manual lymphatic drainage is not recommended for the rehabilitation of patients following total knee replacement.

PMID:38167036 | PMC:PMC10763325 | DOI:10.1186/s12891-023-07153-8

EClinicalMedicine. 2023 Dec 22;67:102397. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102397. eCollection 2024 Jan.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Lymphedema affects one in six breast cancer survivors making it a global healthcare challenge. There is considerable debate about the efficacy of different treatments for lymphedema. We aimed to summarize the current evidence for treatments for lymphedema in breast cancer survivors.

METHODS: In this overview of systematic reviews with meta-analyses (SRMAs), five databases were searched for SRMAs of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) reporting effects of medications, surgery, exercise, laser therapy, acupuncture, kinesio taping, or complex decongestive physiotherapy (CDP) for breast cancer-related lymphedema published from database inception up to March 7, 2023. Data extraction was performed for the SRMAs and RCTs, and SRMAs were appraised with AMSTAR2. Random effects meta-analyses of the RCTs provided estimates of the pooled effects sizes (Hedges’ g) for each treatment modality. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42020184813.

FINDINGS: 1569 studies were identified by the search and eighteen SRMAs with 51 RCTs were included, investigating manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), compression pump, exercise, kinesio taping, laser, and acupuncture. Overall, the methodological quality of the SRMAs was low. SRMAs reached different conclusions for all treatment modalities, except for kinesio taping where the two SRMAs found no effect. The analysis of 40 RCTs with 1970 participants revealed a small effect across all interventions compared to any control (g = 0.20, p = 0.047, I² = 0.79), corresponding to volume reductions of 119.7 ml (95% CI 135-104) and 88.0 ml (95% CI 99-77) in the intervention and control groups, respectively, and a small effect of exercise (g = 0.26, p = 0.022, I² = 0.44). The between-group differences in volume reduction were small and did not reach statistical significance for any one treatment modality.

INTERPRETATION: Based on the available data, there is no evidence of superiority of any one treatment on volume reduction nor any solid research refuting these treatments. Thus, definitive conclusions to inform clinical practice about the efficacy of these treatments cannot be drawn. Due to poor-quality evidence, more research is needed to untangle the efficacy of each treatment component for different stages of lymphedema.

FUNDING: Danish Cancer Society.

PMID:38152415 | PMC:PMC10751832 | DOI:10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102397

Sci Rep. 2023 Dec 12;13(1):22024. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-49291-y.

ABSTRACT

It is unclear whether manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) following primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is effective in reducing pain and swelling and improving knee function. The present study investigated the efficacy of MLD after TKA. The outcomes of interest are the range of motion (ROM), pain (visual analogue scale, VAS), and circumference of the lower leg. This meta-analysis was conducted according to the 2020 PRISMA statement. In November 2023, the following databases were accessed: PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Embase, with no time constraint. Only level I evidence studies, according to the Oxford Centre of Evidence-Based Medicine, were considered. All the randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing patients who have received MLD versus a group of patients who did not undergo MLD following primary TKA were accessed. Data from four RCTs (197 TKAs) were retrieved. 67% (132 of 197 patients) were women. The mean length of follow-up was 7.0 ± 5.8 weeks. The mean age of the patients was 69.6 ± 2.7 years, and the mean BMI was 28.7 ± 0.9 kg/m². At baseline, between-group comparability was evidenced in the male:female ratio, mean age, mean BMI, knee flexion, and VAS. No difference was found in flexion (P = 0.7) and VAS (P = 0.3). No difference was found in the circumference of the thigh (P = 0.8), knee (P = 0.4), calf (P = 0.4), and ankle (P = 0.3). The current level I of evidence does not support the use of MLD in primary TKA.

PMID:38086979 | PMC:PMC10716409 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-023-49291-y