It’s estimated that 10 million Americans — and many more worldwide — suffer from a condition known as lymphedema — a swelling of various parts of the body caused by fluid blockage in the lymphatic system.
Like many health conditions, lymphedema and lymphatic blockage are the targets of various consumer products that claim to provide relief and improvement in symptoms. Devices that range from pumps to vibration plates can be bought and used by anyone, but do these products actually work? And what, if any, scientific basis is behind them?
Dan Geersen, a physician’s assistant at Duke University’s Vascular Surgery and Vein Center, says that there’s evidence to support the efficacy of these devices in some situations. But they aren’t the be-all and end-all of lymphedema treatment.
The Lymphatic System
According to Geersen, who is also the director of Duke University’s Multidisciplinary Lymphedema Clinic, the lymphatic system is a lot like a subway system.
It is essentially a transport route for immune cells and nutrients to travel throughout the body, relying on the mobilization of lymph — which Geersen describes as a thick, translucent, sticky, and protein-rich fluid surrounding the body’s soft tissues. The lymphatic system thus acts as a part of the immune system, supporting these soft tissues and fighting infections.
Lymph “nodes” are like subway station stops — hubs where “passengers” like red and white blood cells get on and off the route, Geersen says. And tubules throughout the system allow this transport, connecting the nodes and functioning almost like the intestinal system, he adds.
The fluid moves because of the micro-contractions of smooth muscle between lymphatic nodes. Anyone who’s ever seen a clear or yellowish fluid weep or drain from a cut during the healing process has essentially seen this fluid, Geersen says.
Because such a tremendous volume of nutrients and fluid move through the lymphatic system, damage to a node or portion in that system — say due to infection or injury — can result in that area of the body being unable to move fluid.
The result is swelling: usually in limbs, and often specifically into the fingers, hands, and feet.
Other signs of lymphatic blockages include recurring infection, skin changes that result in a blushed appearance, or persistent redness due to capillary dilation or congestion, and other skin conditions like cellulitis and papillomatosis. The latter, Geersen says, results in skin that is rigid and bumpy like the warts on a toad. The former can lead to scar tissue, and that scarring can create a chronically worsening condition.
Read More: Meet Your Lymphatic System: A Key Part of the Immune System
What Devices Are Available to Drain the Lymphatic System?
Geersen says combatting a lymphatic blockage means getting lymphatic fluid moving again through compression. And to do so, a trio of devices, including pneumatic pumps, vibration plates, and calf muscle pumps, can be used.
Pneumatic Pumps
Geersen’s clinic regularly utilize pneumatic pumps, devices that “make your leg look like the Michelin Man,” he says. They work by employing gentle and sequential compression to inflate or deflate small, chambered bags of air; Geersen says to think of them like the floaties children put on their arms while learning to swim. The air pumped into the bags applies pressure to the skin, massaging the fluid into moving again.
That fluid movement accomplishes several things, Geersen says. It allows harmful bacteria to move through the lymphatic system, where it is killed instead of stagnating like a petri dish. It also encourages the growth of lymphatic tubules, allowing for better drainage of lymph fluid.
Compression also does the more obvious: It reduces inflammation, which Geersen describes as among the human body’s greatest enemies to good health. It’s important, however, to never use a pump when you have an open wound, as it could push fluid out or bacteria further up your leg.
Vibration Plates
The second often-utilized device for consumers is what’s known as a vibration plate: a skateboard-like pedestal that vibrates while a person stands on its surface.
Essentially, these devices work by creating micro-vibrations that dilate the body’s vessels by “sheer force.”
“If you’re causing these sheer forces on a microvascular level, it’s exciting your cells,” Geersen says, adding that the concept can be likened to earthquakes, when two faults rub together.
While these devices may help people with certain conditions, moderately and temporarily improving their circulation, the jury is still out on whether they help anyone actually diagnosed with lymphedema.
“There is, from my understanding, no long-term data that shows continued improvement of your overall circulation with use of those devices,” Geersen says.
Calf Muscle Pumps
The final category of lymph blockage aides is what Geersen calls a “calf muscle pump.”
It’s essentially a pair of bike-like pedals that can be used while sitting down, producing calf muscle compressions. Geersen describes the calf as a “second heart” for the legs.
“It’s responsible for about 85 to 90 percent of the fluid [that gets] out of the legs,” he says. As the lymphatic and other systems of the body work together, these types of devices can help some patients reduce leg and foot swelling.
Read More: How Stress Weakens the Immune System
The Verdict
Geersen says all these devices have existing literature to support them helping lymphatic drainage to at least some extent. But the key to their effectiveness lies in how bad the existing condition is.
If lymphatic swelling is an everyday occurrence and is interfering with someone’s quality of life, seeing a doctor should be their next step. These devices, he says, will likely do little in the long haul.
“Momentary movement of this fluid does nothing for long-term swelling benefit, in the sense that you still need compression [on the affected area],” he says. “You still need something to hold that fluid.”
Overall, Geersen sees many of the consumer products on the market as beneficial for younger, healthier people, or those with swelling and aching from being on their feet for prolonged periods.
“Some of these devices are good […] for occasional stop-gaps,” he says. “But if you’re dealing with a problem that’s severe enough that you’re saying, […] ‘I need medical equipment to mobilize my fluid,’ [then] you need to talk to somebody about what causing the improper fluid mobilization first.”
Read More: What Is Inflammation, and Why Is It Sometimes ‘Bad’ for Your Health?
Article Sources
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Matt Benoit is a journalist based in Bellingham, Washington. His work has appeared in several Washington newspapers, the Pacific Northwest Inlander, Salish Current, WhatcomTalk.com and Freethink Media. He believes learning and curiosity are fundamental to a good life. Find him on X.
