Effects Of Massage Therapy On The Skin Of Lymphedema Patients

The difference between normal massage techniques and manual lymph drainage techniques is that strokes which might be employed in normal therapeutic massage are applied with a extra pressure than are strokes of manual lymph drainage therapy. The basic strokes which can be used in normal massage are petrissage, effleurage, tapotement, vibration and friction.
It needs to be noted that massage stroke effects are not restricted to suprafascial tissues such as the skin. These strokes also cause reactions in subfascial areas. Subfascial tissues are muscles, tendons and ligaments.
It is possible that local arterial the flow of blood is increased by massage strokes and there is venous and lymphatic return. Normal massage strokes can loosen subcutaneous adhesions as well.
There are various therapeutic massage publications that list edema as the indications of these techniques. This is a correct statement yet it's also in ways misleading if one does not establish or clarify the difference between edema and lymphedema.
Edema is in fact linked to suprafascial tissues and will function as result of various problems like inflammation or impaired venous return. Examples of impaired venous return are valvular insufficiency, pregnancy, or prolonged sitting and/or standing.
In edema, the lymphatic system is overloaded but remains intact. This ends in water getting accumulated in the tissues. This condition is named dynamic insufficiency.
It can be done that therapeutic massage benefits some types of edema but is contraindicated persons. This is why normal massage therapy shouldn't be used in patients with edema without prior consultation which has a physician.
Lymphedema alternatively is definitely a response to mechanical insufficiency with the lymphatic system. This in turn ends with water and protein accumulating in tissues. When the lymphatic system becomes mechanically insufficient the transport capacity in the system decreases below the required physiological degree of water and protein load. The system is just not capable then of properly answering an surge in lymphatic load.
There can also be several unwanted effects of rub on lymphedema. As mentioned before, massage strokes usually cause an rise in arterial blood circulation (also called active hyperemia) in skin areas to which normal 2Hands Massage techniques are applied. This active hyperemia is escorted by an boost in blood capillary pressure. This leads to a subsequent increase in ultrafiltration of water in the blood capillaries area. The response to this technique is always that more water accumulates inside interstitial spaces. As the lymphatic system is mechanical insufficient the lymphatic system is not able to manage this additional water load as there are an boost in swelling.