Silke Jahr, Birgit Schoppe and Anett Reisshauer
DOI: 10.2340/16501977-0225

Objective: To investigate symptoms and functional impairment in women with secondary lymphoedema of the breast following surgical treatment and to assess the therapeutic benefit of treatment with low-intensity and extremely low-frequency electrostatic fields (Deep Oscillation®), supplementing manual lymphatic drainage.
Methods: Twenty-one patients were randomized either to the treatment group (n=11): 12 sessions of manual lymphatic drainage supplemented by Deep Oscillation®, or to the control group (n=10): manual lymphatic drainage alone. Assessment included subjective pain and swelling evaluation, range of motion of the shoulder and the cervical spine, and analysis of breast volume using a 3D measuring system.
Results: Patients had high pain and swelling scores at baseline. Shoulder mobility was impaired in all patients; restriction of cervical spine mobility was common at baseline and declined further in the control group. Deep Oscillation® resulted in significant pain reduction in the treatment group. The subjective reported reduction of swelling in both groups was confirmed objectively by 3D measurement only in the treatment group.
Conclusion: Additional Deep Oscillation® supplementary to manual lymphatic drainage can significantly enhance pain alleviation and swelling reduction in patients with secondary breast lymphoedema compared with manual lymphatic drainage alone.