Very effective in the fight against water retention and the phenomenon of heavy legs, pressotherapy is a drainage technique that improves blood and lymphatic circulation. More and more popular, it is used in several fields. Discover in this post all you need to know about this approach.
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Pressotherapy: what is it?
A paramedical therapy applied with lymphatic drainage boots, pressotherapy improves blood circulation. In addition, by promoting the drainage of lymph inside the blood vessels, it prevents its stagnation in the peripheral parts of the body. This favors the elimination of toxins and the reduction of fatigue. The devices used during pressotherapy sessions are equipped with a number of accessories. These include:
- Boots for the legs;
- Sleeves for the arms;
- A panty for the buttocks;
- A belt for the stomach and hips.
The targets of pressotherapy
People with heavy legs, circulatory problems, lymphedema, fat rolls (love handles, saddlebags) can consult a pressotherapy professional such as the German lymphodrainage specialist. Moreover, this therapy is also used in the field of sports, especially to facilitate recovery after physical effort. Indeed, sportsmen’s muscles are usually tense after training or games. The use of pressotherapy allows them to avoid swelling and the feeling of heavy legs.
Pressotherapy also promotes muscle healing and the healing of strains and sprains. However, it is advisable to take the advice of your doctor before making this choice. Finally, pressotherapy in the field of aesthetic care helps fight cellulite by eliminating fat cells, edema and draining toxins. This results in firmer skin in the treated area.
The procedure of a pressotherapy session
With the legs slightly elevated, the patient lies comfortably on his or her back during the pressotherapy sessions. The professional adjusts the rhythm and pressure of the equipment involved in the process, so that the operation does not seem painful.
Under the action of the accessories, there is an alternation of compression and decompression phenomena. Compression drives the resorbed liquids into the collecting channels and then drives them out through the evacuation networks. Decompression favors capillary resorption by the phenomenon of aspiration. It is the combined action of these two mechanisms that optimizes blood and lymphatic circulation.
In general, the duration of a pressotherapy session varies on average between 20 and 30 minutes.
Contraindications to pressotherapy
Pressotherapy is not recommended for people suffering from renal insufficiency, diabetes, hypotension, phlebitis, tumors, or cardiac, respiratory, or venous problems. Pregnant women, menstruating women, and people with untreated open wounds are also not allowed to use this therapy.
