Oluwafifunmi Odunowo*

Physical Therapy Department, University of Michigan-Flint, United States/Physical Rehabilitation Program, International Committee of the Red Cross, Ethiopia

*Corresponding Author: Oluwafifunmi Odunowo, Physical Therapy Department, University of Michigan-Flint, United States/Physical Rehabilitation Program, International Committee of the Red Cross, Ethiopia.

Received: May 20, 2022; Published: June 14, 2022

Abstract

Lymphedema is an incurable and progressive condition characterized by chronic inflammation, tissue fibrosis, atrophic changes in skin, localized pain and secondary infections. Often classified as primary or secondary based on the underlying causes, lymphedema could affect the upper and lower extremities, genitals, face and trunk and is noticeable initially by soft pitting edema that occurs in dependent positions but is relieved with elevation. Treatment for lymphedema could be conservative or invasive. While conservative treatment of lymphedema focuses on reducing pitting edema through compression, surgical treatment follows three approaches: resection procedures, microsurgical interventions and suction-assisted lipectomy. According to evidence, integrated physical therapy interventions for lymphedema could decrease lower and upper extremity edema by 90% and 26% respectively.

Keywords: Lymphedema; Physical Therapy; Chronic Inflammation

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Citation

Citation: Oluwafifunmi Odunowo. “Lymphedema: A Brief Overview".Acta Scientific Orthopaedics 5.7 (2022): 56-60.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2022 Oluwafifunmi Odunowo. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.