Pressure Therapy

[Sly Saint]

What is pressure therapy?

Pressure therapy is a type of lymphatic drainage that uses air pressure to massage the body. A special suit is inflated with air, which creates a gentle pressure that helps to move lymph fluid through the lymphatic system. Pressure therapy is often used in conjunction with manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) to improve the effectiveness of the treatment.

How does pressure therapy work?
The air pressure in the suit creates a wave-like motion that helps to massage the body. This massage helps to improve the flow of lymph fluid through the lymphatic system. The lymph fluid carries away waste and toxins from the body, which can help to reduce swelling, improve circulation, and boost the immune system.

Pressure therapy can be beneficial for a variety of conditions, including:

1. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): This is a condition that causes a variety of digestive problems, including abdominal pain, bloating, and diarrhea. Pressure therapy can help to reduce the symptoms of IBS by improving digestion and reducing inflammation.
   
   
2. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS): This is a condition that causes fatigue, muscle pain, and other symptoms. Pressure therapy can help to reduce the symptoms of CFS by improving circulation and reducing inflammation.
   
   
3. Fibromyalgia: This is a condition that causes widespread pain and tenderness. Pressure therapy can help to reduce the pain and improve mobility in people with fibromyalgia.

https://physiohealinghands.com/pressure-therapy/

UK based physiotherapy company.
Is there any evidence for this treatment?

 

[Trish]

By googling, the nearest I could find was this:
Lymphoedema compression therapy
Compression therapy provides graduated, even pressure, which won't constrict your limb. It will be carefully chosen, with you, by your lymphoedema therapist.
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It also talks about compression garments to be worn at home.

Maybe they latched on to ME/CFS because some people with POTS/OI find compression garments helpful. Or maybe it's related to the quack Perrin Technique which involves massage for lymphatic drainage. Or maybe they just made it up to attract people who are desperate enough to try anything.

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

Is there any evidence for this treatment?

No.

In fact once oedema has formed massage doesn't seem to do much. We tried 'Flowtron' massaging devices in the 1980s but they did little. Once oedema has formed the water has collected amongst the connective tissue fibres and it seems that you cannot really 'push' it into the lymphatics. The lymphatics themselves may have no problem with flow of what water gets in to them. This field is very poorly understood and very badly described in physiology books.

What does seem to work is putting on compression stockings before the leg swells up during the day. I do this when going on aeroplanes and it stops most of the swelling very nicely. Once oedema has formed it may take days to clear but if it is got rid of by putting on stockings every morning it may stay away for long periods as long as stockings are used for high risk periods like car or plane journeys or very hot days.

This therapy looks to be a another quack version of Perrin.

 

[rvallee]

There was a lot of talk about that on the Long Covid subreddit in the first 1-2 years.

Haven't seen anything about it in at least a year. A patient community made mostly of people with no medical training is able to move on from useless treatments. And yet some professionals can carry on making a business out of it. The difference is what's at stake. To the patients, useless treatments are useless. To shady professionals, useless treatments can be a gold mine. Very different stakes.