“At Lympha Press, we’re always thinking about how we can offer a real benefit to people with lymphedema,” says Deborah Gross, a product specialist for Lympha Press® in the U.S.
Deborah plays a leading role in Lympha Press garment and pump development. Here, she reviews innovative new lymphedema products and the latest research dedicated to furthering lymphedema care.
Innovative Lymphedema Treatment Devices
Deborah and others at Lympha Press frequently speak to patients, therapists, and physicians to better understand the needs of people living with lymphedema. “We always try to be on the leading edge of intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) therapy for lymphedema,” she says.
Deborah discusses new Lympha Press options for treating lymphedema:
Optimal Plus with Lympha Touch Technology: IPC Plus Negative Pressure Therapy
“We entered into a collaboration with a company that makes a really wonderful device, called Lympha Touch, for treating lymphedema,” says Deborah. “This new treatment adds to patients’ options, which include Lympha Press pneumatic compression therapy, compression garments, and manual lymph drainage (MLD).”
Lympha Touch® uses negative pressure—or suction—to lift the skin. Suction works differently than compression or IPC to treat excess fluid and fibrosis. Lympha Press will offer Lympha Touch as an optional accessory to Lympha Press Optimal Plus™. This new model enables the use of both Lympha Touch and Optimal Plus in a single console.
The Benefits of Lympha Touch
Benefits of Lympha Touch negative pressure therapy for lymphedema include:
- Ease of use: The device is programmable, which allows precise control of the amount, length, and release of suction. The easy user interface also makes the device safer for patients to use on their own.
- Head and neck treatment: Compression garments and IPC are not always effective in treating swelling in the face, head, and neck. Lympha Touch, however, comes with small cups that can treat these challenging-to-reach areas. Case studies demonstrate excellent results with Lympha Touch in reducing pain and swelling and improving head and neck mobility.
- Fibrosis tissue remodeling: Fibrosis is hard tissue resulting from long-term inflammation, which eventually blocks lymph flow. Lympha Touch stretches and softens fibrotic tissue, allowing better fluid flow.
- Additional therapy for stubborn areas: Lympha Touch offers an additional treatment method for body regions that need extra drainage or aren’t treatable with a pneumatic compression garment.
“We’ve heard from many therapists who use IPC with negative pressure therapy in the same session with excellent results,” says Deborah.
How to Get Lympha Touch and the Optimal Plus with Lympha Touch Technology
Lympha Press also has an exclusive agreement in the U.S. for distribution of the Lympha Touch Pro, which is for clinical use. The Pro version has a wide variety of physical therapy applications in addition to lymphedema therapy.
The Optimal Plus with Lympha Touch technology is intended for patients to use at home. Ideally, a therapist introduces Lympha Touch during in-clinic lymphedema therapy. They then recommend the Optimal Plus with the Lympha Touch attachment to the patient for in-home treatment.
The automated negative pressure makes the device easy for patients to apply to areas they can reach themselves. Therapists can show patients how to use Lympha Touch in ways that are appropriate for their treatment goals and condition in around 10 minutes.
The Benefits of Lympha Press IPC
Lympha Press IPC devices use cyclical pressure, applying and releasing pressure to the treated areas in a rhythm through overlapping chambers. IPC differs from compression garments and bandages because it’s dynamic, adding external movement rather than relying on gravity or muscular movement only.
“A Lympha Press pump applies compressive massage but then releases completely between cycles. The deflation between cycles allows the lymphatic system to refill, resulting in improved lymphatic flow. It does this sequentially as it moves up the extremity,” says Deborah.
Lympha Press dynamic compression offers a powerful treatment method. It can be used as part of a home treatment program along with other modalities such as compression garments and MLD.
Recent research demonstrates the effectiveness of Lympha Press:
New Lymphedema Research: Optimal Plus Doubles Fluid Reduction
Lympha Press recently supported research in partnership with the Campisi Clinic in Italy on the effectiveness of Lympha Press Optimal Plus. In the study, half of the participants received complete decongestive therapy (CDT) daily. The other half received CDT and Lympha Press treatment daily.
People who used the Lympha Press Optimal Plus with CDT had twice as much lymph volume reduction as those who received only CDT. The article on improving outcomes before lymphatic surgery with decongestive therapy and IPC discusses this research in detail.
New Lymphedema Research: Proven IPC Benefits and Uses
Lympha Press sponsored a recent review of existing studies on the many benefits and uses of IPC for lymphedema. A review article was published in the medical journal Lymphology. The article helps broaden the knowledge and support of this valuable tool for use in both clinic and home care.
New Lipedema Research: Lipedema Treatment With IPC
A recently submitted study, available as a preprint, focused on people diagnosed with lipedema without a diagnosis of lymphedema. Lipedema is a chronic condition with an abnormal buildup of fat in the legs and sometimes the arms, which can cause pain and swelling. It’s often mistaken for obesity.
“In the study, the depth of the fat tissue decreased in people who used Lympha Press IPC therapy and compression garments. However, it did not decrease in the control group that used compression garments only,” says Deborah.
“The people who used Lympha Press experienced significantly reduced pain and edema as well as relief of other symptoms,” she says. “The results also showed that treatment with Lympha Press may prevent the development of lymphedema in people with lipedema.”
Continuing Treatment Innovation
Deborah and the team at Lympha Press are dedicated to continuous innovation in lymphedema and lipedema treatment. Feedback from patients and providers helps them refine their products. They also use the input to develop new devices that improve the lives of people affected by these conditions.
Take control of lymphedema treatment with leading-edge Lympha Press pneumatic compression. From groundbreaking negative pressure therapy to innovative research-backed devices, Lympha Press is revolutionizing care.
