Faculty Publications

The Effectiveness Of Manual Lymphatic Drainage In Patients With Orthopedic Injuries

Document Type

Article

Keywords

Edema removal, Manual therapy, Outcomes

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Journal of Sport Rehabilitation

Volume

25

Issue

1

First Page

91

Last Page

97

Abstract

Clinical Scenario: Managing edema after trauma or injury is a primary concern for health care professionals, as it is theorized that delaying the removal of edema will increase secondary injury and result in a longer recovery period. The inflammatory process generates a series of events, starting with bleeding and ultimately leading to fluid accumulation in intercellular spaces and the formation of edema. Once edema is formed, the lymphatic system plays a tremendous role in removing excess interstitial fluid and returning the fluid to the circulatory system. Therefore, rehabilitation specialists ought to use therapies that enhance the uptake of edema via the lymphatic system to manage edema; however, the modalities commonly used are ice, compression, and elevation. Modalities such as these may be effective at preventing swelling but present limited evidence to suggest that the function of the lymphatic system is enhanced. Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) is a manual therapy technique that assists the lymphatic system function by promoting variations in interstitial pressures by applying light pressure using different hand movements. Focused Clinical Question: Does MLD improve patient- and disease-oriented outcomes for patients with orthopedic injuries?

Department

Department of Health, Recreation, and Community Services

Original Publication Date

1-1-2016

DOI of published version

10.1123/jsr.2014-0222

Repository

UNI ScholarWorks, Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa

Language

en

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