Any use Physiopod personal at home for clearing hand l... - LSN

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Any use Physiopod personal at home for clearing hand lymphodema?

Buddywhite profile image
15 Replies

I am thinking of purchasing a unit, reviews sound promising, but wanted to ask if anyone has had success specifically with hand swelling? Advantage of having one at home is that you could use every day and so within a few weeks I can imagine it would be possible to get great results? Hopefully there are success stories, the machine is very expensive to buy.

I have swelling in back of hand, fingers and palm. I spoke to a lady in physiopod, she sounded very encouraging but was hoping to get other patient reviews

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Buddywhite profile image
Buddywhite
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15 Replies
Lymparmy profile image
Lymparmy

I purchased a Physiopod a few years ago because of lymphoedema in my arm and lower legs. It does work well but I find the 25 minute programme for odema is tiring to do myself on my arm and legs. So I do the first 10 minutes several times a week. I feel the effect about 20 minutes later on my body. My family also use it foraching muscles after sport, sprains and arthritis. Mine is well used and I am very glad I made the investment. Hope this helps.

Buddywhite profile image
Buddywhite in reply toLymparmy

Thanks lympharmy! Do you Find it moves fluid? I have fluid in my hand that I am trying to move. I also have a few lumpy bits in my palm and I was told the physiopod might be good for it. As my hand is congested now I am not able to wear a glove or sleeve for the moment which I find very disconcerting. I was hoping that if I get and use the physiopod very regularly it might alleviate my requirement for a sleeve . Does this sound in any way realistic?

Lymparmy profile image
Lymparmy in reply toBuddywhite

It does move the fluid, not immediately but within about half an hour I can feel the difference and that the really swollen areas have reduced. I have lymphoedema in my right hand and whole of my arm and it definitely helps my condition. I wear a sleeve with mitten rather than separate glove which used to dig into my wrist. In my humble opinion I think it would help your hand. Self massage is quite tiring and this machine replaces all that. Obviously I am not a specialist and I suppose it doesn't work for everyone but doing nothing wasn't an option for me. There's the added bonus of being able to treat so many other conditions too. Wishing you well.

loudelou profile image
loudelou

Hi Buddywhite - could I please ask what product you are referring to? It's not very clear on the website and I like the sound of it and think it could help me. Would appreciate a link! Thank you

Buddywhite profile image
Buddywhite in reply toloudelou

It is the physiod personal basic model

Buddywhite profile image
Buddywhite in reply toloudelou

Physiopod uk

Buddywhite profile image
Buddywhite in reply toloudelou

Physiopod.co.uk

Emma1966 profile image
Emma1966

Can I ask how much it is? there doesnt seem to be any information online and I am hesitant to phone a company for the hard sell if its way out of my financial league. I have monthly MLD and the lady uses the professional unit, and it is helping to keep the congested areas at bay, but in between work would be a good option. My problem is in my feet and toes, so hard to do MLD myself on that, due to angles!

Buddywhite profile image
Buddywhite in reply toEmma1966

Hi Emma I totally know how you feel. I believe cost is c. Three thousand euro which is an awful lot but obviously would be worth it if you had at home and could use every day and it would last for years. Some people use twice a day at home. I haven’t bought myself yet due to the cost . If it was a lot less or I could trial for three months I would. Actually If you are in the uk you may have an option to trial for three months? You would have to reach out and ask.

sleeviejeebies profile image
sleeviejeebies in reply toEmma1966

Hi Emma,I've just had a quote for £3,350 (in case you're in the UK). There's yearly servicing on top of that to consider (I've asked how much that would be, but haven't yet had a response). I've also found the professional unit quite helpful and am tempted to buy my own personal one. (Wrestling with the cost at the moment.) I agree with Buddywhite: it would be great to be able to trial one for a little while...

Hope that helps,

(also) Emma

loudelou profile image
loudelou in reply tosleeviejeebies

Thanks for this. But grrr, why invent something that can help so many and then price it out of everyone’s range 😡

Buddywhite profile image
Buddywhite in reply tosleeviejeebies

hi I see you bought a physiopod a while ago can I ask are you finding it much help? Also I see you seem to have similar issues with your hand and arm re compression making it worse. I am the very same. Latest advice I got was to wean off compression altogether. I have swelling of 1 cm difference below my elbow. It don’t have swelling above my elbow. I also have some in my hand and the problem I now have is that all compression seems to make my hand worse, especially my palm. So I swim and do lots of stretching etc. how are you coping? Do you have any advice

sleeviejeebies profile image
sleeviejeebies in reply toBuddywhite

Hello! That's interesting. I don't think I could stop wearing compression, otherwise I'd have a mega monster arm 🙂. I think what we need is a solution that directs the fluid up beyond the elbow and not back down into the hand - but I don't know what that solution is. At the moment (for me at least) it seems to hit the elbow and back up there. Or, if more pressure is applied there, move down into the hand.

I swim too, which helps, and I can move the fluid up beyond elbow by gently using my hand and directing it up but slightly away from my elbow, but of course it always comes back again.

Re the Physiopod, I think it helped a fair bit at first to soften things up - now I don't feel that it achieves anything that I can't do with SLD. So, if you have mild swelling and no hardness (I seem to remember yours was quite mild?), I'm not sure it'd be worth the outlay. Are there any practitioners local to you with the machine who could give you a few sessions to see whether it would be worth it?

Buddywhite profile image
Buddywhite in reply tosleeviejeebies

thanks , yes I go to someone who uses it. I have mild swelling and it has not increased since I stopped wearing compression a year ago. I swim a lot, maybe 3 or 4 times a week, in pool and also in the sea. I must send a photo. I wish it was not in my hand but at least it is mild. For me, comoression hurts my hand now.

Arm
sleeviejeebies profile image
sleeviejeebies in reply toBuddywhite

That's excellent news - that it's mild and hasn't increased in the last year. I'm very envious 🙂. Yes, sea swimming seems to be particularly beneficial - I noticed a dramatic improvement the two times I've been (I guess I should have a go again now that the weather is warmer). Don't know whether it's the pushing against the waves, or the salt providing more buoyancy, or the cold, or what, but it seems better than swimming at the pool...

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