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. 2022 Aug 25;14(8):e28374.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.28374. eCollection 2022 Aug.

Reduction of Arm Lymphedema Using Manual Lymphatic Therapy (Godoy Method)

Jose Maria Pereira de Godoy  1   2 , Lívia Maria Pereira de Godoy  3   4 , Henrique Jose Pereira de Godoy  5   6 , Maria de Fatima Guerreiro Godoy  7   8
Affiliations

Reduction of Arm Lymphedema Using Manual Lymphatic Therapy (Godoy Method)

Jose Maria Pereira de Godoy et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Background: The manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) technique used during the early stages following surgical treatment of breast cancer can help prevent the progression of clinical lymphedema.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of manual lymphatic therapy (MLT) (Godoy method) in reducing the development of lymphedema immediately after breast cancer treatment.

Method: A randomized, blind, crossover, clinical trial was conducted involving 66 women with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL), who underwent one hour of manual physical therapy and one hour of the control procedure. To evaluate the volume before and after the application of the MLT technique, volumetry, a water displacement technique was used. For statistical analysis, the paired t-test with 5% alpha error by Stats Direct 3(StatsDirect Ltd, Wirral, UK) was used.

Results: A significant reduction in the volume of the limb was found in all patients (p-value = 0.0001, paired t-test).

Conclusion: MLT is effective in reducing lymphedema after breast cancer treatment.

Keywords: breast cancer; evaluation; lymphedema; manual lymphatic drainage; therapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Volumes before and after MLT.
MLT, manual lymphatic therapy
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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