Influence of manual lymphatic drainage on health-related quality of life and symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) in improving health-related quality of life (HRQOL), symptomatology, and physical status in patients with chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). DESIGN: Single-blind randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Health community attendant service. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects with CVI (N=41) were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n=20; mean age, 54.6±11.3y) or control group (n=21; mean age, 46.8±11.1y). INTERVENTIONS: The experimental group completed 10 lower extremity MLD sessions over 4 weeks and 1 educational session. The control group only attended the educational session. Outcome measures were taken at baseline (t0), at the end of 4 weeks (t1), and after 2 months for follow-up (t2). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: HRQOL was assessed with the Chronic Venous Insufficiency Quality of Life Questionnaire-20, symptoms (fatigue, heaviness) were assessed with a visual analog scale, severity of the disease was assessed with the Venous Clinical Severity Score (VCSS) (total score, score for each item), leg volumetry was assessed with perimeters, and plantar/dorsiflexion strength and ankle range of motion (ROM) were assessed with dynamometry. RESULTS: A significant interaction group×time effect was found for pain on HRQOL (F2,78=3.507; P=.035; partial η2=.087), clinical severity (F2,78=5.231; P=.007; partial η2=.118), especially for venous edema (assessed with the VCSS), fatigue (F1.67,65.21=4.690; P=.012; partial η2=.107), and heaviness (F1.57,61.32=9.702; P=.001; partial η2=.199), with the experimental group improving from t0 to t1 and t0 to t2 in all of these outcomes. No effect of MLD treatment could be found for ankle muscle strength, ankle ROM, and leg volume. CONCLUSIONS: Short-term MLD treatment ameliorates CVI severity and related edema, symptoms, and pain HRQOL in patients with CVI.

Manual lymphatic drainage in chronic venous disease: a duplex ultrasound study.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the effect of call-up and reabsorption maneuvers of manual lymphatic drainage on blood flow in femoral vein and great saphenous vein in patients with chronic venous disease and healthy controls. METHODS: Forty-one subjects participated in this study (mean age: 42.68(15.23)), 23 with chronic venous disease (chronic venous disease group) with clinical classification C1-5 of clinical-etiological-anatomical-pathological (CEAP) and 18 healthy subjects (control group). Call-up and reabsorption maneuvers were randomly applied in the medial aspect of the thigh. The cross-sectional areas, as well as the peak and the mean blood flow velocity at femoral vein and great saphenous vein, were assessed by Duplex ultrasound at the baseline and during maneuvers. The venous flow volume changes were calculated. RESULTS: The venous flow volume in femoral vein and great saphenous vein increased during both manual lymphatic drainage maneuvers and in both groups (P < 0.05). The two maneuvers had a similar effect on femoral vein and great saphenous vein hemodynamics, and in both the chronic venous disease and control groups. As a result of the call-up maneuver, the flow volume augmentations, as a result of call-up maneuver, decreased with the severity of chronic venous disease in those patients measured by the clinical classification of CEAP (r = -0.64; P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Manual lymphatic drainage increases the venous blood flow in the lower extremity with a magnitude that is independent from the specific maneuver employed or the presence of chronic venous disease. Therefore, manual lymphatic drainage may be an alternative strategy for the treatment and prevention of venous stasis complications in chronic venous disease.