The influence of manual therapy on biometric parameters in patients with improper body weight.

Abstract

In recent years, there have been only a few studies showing an improvement of the lymphatic system function in patients with abnormal body weight after the use of manual lymphatic drainage (MLD). The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of using MLD of the abdominal cavity as one of the forms of therapy for lymphatic system dysfunction in people with abnormal body weight. Material and methods: The study presents the therapy of two women aged 30 to 59. They underwent 10 treatments of manual lymphatic drainage of the abdominal cavity (30 minutes x 3 times a week). Biochemical tests were performed before and after the MLD treatment. The degree of obesity was determined on the basis of the BMI (body mass index) and WHR (waist-to-hip ratio). The 7-point Likert scale was used to evaluate the patients' quality of life. Results: The overweight patient showed an improvement in biochemical parameters, including a decrease in the level of C-peptide and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and a better quality of life compared to the state before the therapy. This subject scored 3 points before vs. 5 points after the MLD treatment. The patient with classº2 obesity and coexisting diseases demonstrated the increase in the level of hsCRP and improvement was only visible in the level of C-peptide, however, after the therapy, there was also an improvement in quality of life. The patient with classº2 obesity scored 3 points before vs. 4 points after the MLD treatment. Conclusions: Initial research indicates potential benefits of the application of MLD to improve biochemical parameters, including a reduction in the inflammation in overweight patients and improvement in the quality of life in patients with abnormal bodyweight.

Adipose Tissue and Biological Factors. Possible Link between Lymphatic System Dysfunction and Obesity

“…There are also reports suggesting a positive effect of MLD on the treatment of women with infertility [180], as well as people with rosacea accompanied by chronic lymphoedema of the face [181]. The search for therapeutic interventions aimed at supporting the treatment of obesity, including the reduction of comorbid chronic inflammation, has been the subject of the work only of a few researchers, including our team [101,[182][183][184][185]. For example, a study by Arngrim et al, investigated subcutaneous adipose tissue lymphatic drainage of macromolecules in lean and obese subjects and, furthermore, evaluated whether adipose tissue lymphatic drainage may change in parallel with adipose tissue blood flow [182].…”

“…Nevertheless, the best results were obtained with MLD [183]. Our initial research indicated the potential benefits of the application of MLD in improving biochemical parameters, including a reduction in the inflammation and improvement in the quality of life in patients with overweight and obesity class 2 [184,185]. However, further studies on a larger number of patients, both overweight and obese, are needed to thoroughly investigate the effectiveness of manual lymphatic drainage in the course of obesity.…”