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

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.