INTERMITTENT PNEUMATIC COMPRESSION THERAPY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

Intermittent Pneumatic Compression(IPC) therapy is an effective modality toreduce the volume of the lymphedematouslimbs alone or in conjunction with othermodalities of therapy such as decongestivetherapy. However, there is no consensus onthe frequency or treatment parameters forIPC devices. We undertook a systematicreview of contemporary peer-reviewed literature(2004-2011) to evaluate the evidence foruse of IPC in the treatment of lymphedema.In select patients, IPC use may provide anacceptable home-based treatment modality inaddition to wearing compression garments.