Evaluation of Taping in the Lymphatic System through Lymphoscintigraphy of Upper and Lower Limbs: A Case Study

Abstract

Introduction: Lymphatic taping has been used extensively in several areas of physical therapy, and has been prominent in the treatment of edema. Its results are considered empirical and no study reports its effect observed by a lymphocyte count study. Purpose: To verify the performance of lymphatic taping in the lymphatic system using lymphoscintigraphy examination. Methods: A 44-year-old male patient with no clinical signs of lymphatic alteration underwent lymphoscintigraphy examination prior to and after application of lymphatic taping in the upper and lower limbs on different days of placement to verify if the use of lymphatic taping may influence the lymph flow. Results: The result was an improvement in the lymphatic flow with application of lymphatic taping only in the lower limbs, where the taping acted only for 24 hours. There was a greater amount of radiopharmaceutical extracted in the feet of the patient, comparing pre-and post-application of taping. At the foot of the left lower limb, the absorption ratio doubled. There was also improvement in the right limb, but on a smaller scale. Conclusion: Through the evaluation of the lymphatic system by lymphoscintigraphy it can be observed that the values analyzed are relatively higher when the patient has lymphatic taping applied with both 10% and 20% of tension in the lower limbs.