Gait training for lower leg edema in patients experiencing sclerotherapy or operative procedures for leg varicose veins *
It is well known that lower leg edema occurs in patients who have undergone sclerotherapy and operative procedure or such operative procedures as high ligation of the long and short saphenous veins or ligation of the perforator branch for varicose veins of the legs. To date, there have been no reports regarding rehabilitation approaches for patients who have undergone the above mentioned procedures. We evaluated the efficacy of gait training to improve such lower leg edema. Group I : sclerotherapy only, group II : operative procedure, group Ⅲ : both sclerotherapy and operative procedure, group IV : as controls inpatients with no leg varicose vein who had undergone a tonsillectomy. As rehabilitation therapy, the subjects were required to do 1) 20 minutes walking on the floor to activate the venous foot pump function, 2) to go up and down steps to activate the venous muscle pump function, and 3) to undergo added compression therapy using an elastic bandage and elastic stocking. In group I, the leg edema improved within several days due to the use of an elastic bandage or elastic stocking and no recurrence was encountered. Regarding operation therapy, in group I, strong leg edema occurred on the first postoperative day. In group Ⅱ, it occurred again on the seventh postoperative day after compression therapy. In group Ⅲ, no leg edema occurred again. Our results have led us to conclude that walking and going up and down steps as gait training soon after surgical procedures are very effective for decreasing lower leg edema. (Accepted on June 28, 2002) Kawasaki Igakkaishi 28(2 ) : 101-107, 2002
