Effectiveness of the Osteopathic Pedal Pump in Reducing Lower Limb Volume in Older Adults with Chronic Leg Lymphedema

Status: Recruiting
Location: See location...
Intervention Type: Other
Study Type: Interventional
Study Phase: Not Applicable
SUMMARY

Chronic lymphedema in the lower extremities is a common problem found in older adults that can result in cellulitis, poor wound healing, venous stasis ulcers, and other comorbidities. Compressive therapies are the present gold standard for the manual treatment of lymphedema in the lower extremities. However, the benefits of these compressive therapies are modest, and they are not well tolerated by older adults. An alternative manual treatment is the osteopathic pedal pump, an osteopathic manipulative treatment, that uses a rhythmical pumping motion instead of compressive force to move interstitial fluid from the lower extremities back to the circulatory system. However, the evidence that the osteopathic pedal pump can reduce volume in the lower extremities remains anecdotal. The aim of this study is to determine if the osteopathic pedal pump can reduce volume in the lower extremities among older adults with chronic lymphedema. Leg volume will be measured using water displacement. Older adults with chronic lymphedema of the lower extremities will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: a treatment group that will receive one session of the osteopathic pedal pump and a control group that will receive one session of a light touch treatment.

Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: All
Minimum Age: 55
Maximum Age: 100
Healthy Volunteers: t
View:

• Age 55 years old or older

• Have lower leg lymphedema

Locations
United States
New Jersey
Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine
RECRUITING
Stratford
Contact Information
Primary
Matt McLaughlin
mclaugmh@rowan.edu
(856) 566-6330
Time Frame
Start Date: 2024-04-09
Estimated Completion Date: 2025-11-08
Participants
Target number of participants: 72
Treatments
Experimental: Osteopathic Pedal Pump
Participant lays supine on the table and the operator stands at foot of table. Operator places hands on the feet, contacting the balls of the feet, and carefully plantar flexing to a slight degree. Operator dorsiflexes the feet to cause the whole body to move cephalad. The body is allowed to rebound back caudad towards foot of the table. The operator times the next dosiflexion motion to occur towards the end of the caudad motion wave. Technique time is 5 minutes.
Sham_comparator: Light Touch Treatment
Participant lays supine on the table and the operator stands at foot of table. Operator places hands on the feet and touches participant body on the balls of the feet, but operator does not palpate feet or lower limbs.
Related Therapeutic Areas
Sponsors
Leads: Rowan University

This content was sourced from clinicaltrials.gov