Abstract. Hilterapia® and lymphoedema

V. Nicolaou
Energy for Health [05], 2010

Lymphoedema is a wide spread disease which consists in the swelling of soft tissues as a result, initially, of accumulation of protein rich fluid in the extracellural spaces. If untreated, this is eventually replaced by fibrous tissue, with reduced oxygenation. Lymphoedema has four main characteristics:

  • Excessive protein in the tissues
  • Excessive fluid in the tissues [both intra and extracellular fluids]
  • Excessive deposition of fibrous tissue
  • Chronic inflammatory reactions

Lymphoedema can be classified as primary and secondary:
1. Primary lymphoedema develops in people with inadequate, insufficient or poorly functioning lymphatics.
2. Secondary lymphoedema develops in response to damage, disease and surgical removal of nodes or irradiation of tissues in radiotherapy.