Indications for treatment include:
Primary Lymphedema
Secondary Lymphedema
– Cancer &/or radiation
– Cellulitis
– Coronary Artery Bypass Graft with vein harvesting
– Chronic Venous Insufficiency
– Obesity
– Lipedema
– Dependent Positioning
– Inactivity (paralysis)
Pain
– Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome
– Unknown Causes
Surgery (manual lymph drainage helps reduce healing time, swelling, pain & scar tissue formation)
Sports Injuries (such as sprains or strains)
Other
Note: Foldi’s Textbook for Lymphedema outlines three types of lymphatic insufficiency resulting in volume increase:
- Lymphostatic (a.k.a. mechanical insufficiency of the lymphatics, a high-protein edema)
- Dynamic (a low-protein edema such as malnutrition, renal dysfunction & congestive heart failure)
- Combined Forms (lymphostatic & dynamic components)
In dynamic or in combined forms listed above, volume should improve or resolve (in the case of dynamic alone) once the underlying medical condition is treated. However, sometimes a physician may desire compression for help in managing volume & its complications (such as weeping) once a person is medically stable. When such conditions are present, extreme caution must be exercised &, in some case, treatment may not be appropriate at all.
