Deep Oscillation Therapy for lymphedema

Options
Rolniak
Rolniak Member Posts: 7
edited June 2014 in Lymphedema
Deep Oscillation Therapy for lymphedema
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Rolniak
    Rolniak Member Posts: 7
    edited June 2008

    Has anyone used deep oscillation therapy to treat lymphedema?  Did it help?  I am a physical therapist treating lymphedema with complete decongestive therapy.  Some PT clinics have started treating lymphedema with a machine that provides "deep oscillation" that is supposed to reduce edema.  It is new to our area.  The school I went to to learn to treat lymphedema has not even heard of it. I want to get any feedback I can on this.  Thanks.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Binney4
    Binney4 Member Posts: 8,609
    edited June 2008

    Hi, Rolniak, and welcome!

    Every once in a while we do have someone post with questions about this form of treatment, but I don't recall anyone ever telling us they had it. Hopefully someone will come along who has some experience with it one way or another. In the meantime, here's the page on it from LymphedemaPeople, where Pat O'Connor keeps up with all manner of treatment notions. Basically there is as yet no solid research on its effectiveness and it remains outside the realm of standard treatment. 

    http://www.lymphedemapeople.com/wiki/doku.php?id=deep_oscillation_therapy&s[]=deep&s[]=oscillation 

    Are you planning to attend the National Lymphedema Network's August conference for medical professionals? I'd guess that would be a great opportunity to learn about all the new research regarding therapies and LE products.

    Thanks for all the work of your hands Smile!

    Binney 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • inspiewriter
    inspiewriter Member Posts: 876
    edited June 2008
    Never heard of it, would like to hear more.Smile
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Rolniak
    Rolniak Member Posts: 7
    edited June 2008

    Thank you Binney.  You are a help to a lot of people it looks like.  Your link to LymphedemaPeople has a good explanation of the deep oscillation therapy.  It sounds great.  I just don't know if it has the benefit it claims to have.  My worry is that Doctors will refer patients with lymphedema to clinics that just use the machine and do not have trained therapists who do the complete decongestive therapy.  I can see the machine benefiting patients only if combined with CDT by a trained therapist.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Binney4
    Binney4 Member Posts: 8,609
    edited June 2008

    Rolniak, good morning!

    Not only will doctors do that, but patients are inclined to buy products like this themselves and self-treat in hopes of avoiding the rigors of real, proven LE therapy. The fact this item has been around as long as it has with absolutely no studies proving its effectiveness does not bode well for it. I've seen other seemingly bizarre products come along (the Riancorp cool lazer comes to mind) that prove themselves effective in short order and can then be used in conjunction with CDT to reduce fibrotic blockage. But this one -- no evidence, just hype. (And no evidence that it doesn't actually do long-term harm, either.) And in the meantime I, like you, wonder how many women are delaying proper treatment in hopes of an easier fix.

    Doctors need lots of help learning about LE treatment. Have you thought about a newsletter about your clinic especially for local medical folks? Or articles in the local hospitals' staff newsletters? I've had a lot of good results from a nursing in-service that explains the protocol and why they shouldn't use diuretics or tie patient arms to IV poles to elevate them (!!!) It's all news to them. But they do manage to get the word out to the doctors, which I being a mere patient can't hope to do.Undecided (If you do an in-service, be sure to bring cookies.Wink) Not sure why doctor education should be my job or yours, but...it is!Laughing

    If you learn more or find someone who uses it, please let us know.

    Thanks!

    Binney 

    Edited to say I just remembered another thread we had on deep oscillation and bumped it up for you. No real conclusions there, but hope it helps. 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Rolniak
    Rolniak Member Posts: 7
    edited June 2008

    Well put Binney.  You sound like you have medical background.  I have done some inservices for the hospital staff.  LE is complex and it takes more than a few minutes to properly explain rationial for treatment, etc. 

    I feel for all you "sisters of swell"  who have gone through so much to beat cancer and then have LE to deal with.  I wish I had an easy fix for you.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2010

    I know that this topic is an old post, however, I wanted to chime in with my recent experience.

     My LE therapist - who is fantastic by the way - has an Hivamat 200 oscillation machine that she is trying out.   I had one of the treatments yesterday at my usual LE appointment and must say that I am somewhat optimistic about the treatment. I am erring on the side of caution here.  My therapist measured my arm like she always does, did the treatment which is MLD aided by the machine and then she measured again after the treatment.  My measurements were reduced by .5 cm to 1 cm.  

    The feedback she has received from all of her LE patients who have tried this treatment has been 100% positive.  

    Do I think or does she think that this is a quick fix?  Absolutely not.  Whether she decides to buy the machine is still up in the air as I gather it is quite expensive and if she does purchase this I am cautiously optimistic that this will be another tool in this SWELL fight.

    Just my perspective.  Smile 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • lymphtherapist
    lymphtherapist Member Posts: 57
    edited July 2010

    If you are referring to the HIVAMAT, I have used it in my Lympedema Clinic and am trying to purchase it.  I have found it does wonders to assist reduction of  fibrotic and sclerotic limbs.(and saves my hands also)  It also reduces pain.  But it is used as an adjunct to active therapy, along with complete decongestive therapy. 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited July 2010

    Yes she is trying out the Hivamat and it is another tool in this fight for sure. 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories