Is complete decongestive therapy improving the quality of life for patients with chronic Lymphatic Filariasis?
- case report
- A vascular physician referred a patient with a diagnosis of lymphatic filariasis to the physical therapy department at King Khalid Hospital in Najran, Saudi Arabia.
Intervention: Treatment was complete decongtive therapy (lymphatic draining, skin care, compression, exercise) with 6 sessions per week for 2 weeks with a total of 12 sessions.
The outcome includes a physical therapy assessment of bilateral chronic non-pitting lower limb lymphedema, circumferential anthropometric measurements, pain, and quality of life before and after treatment.
Outcome measure:
Circumferential anthropometric measurements of the lower extremities were taken at various points by tap measurement. Physical therapy appeared to be effective as the patient demonstrated a decrease in anthropometric measurements of the lower extremity, pain by visual analogue scale before treatment 8/10 and after 12 sessions 4/10, and quality of life by the Arabic version of the Lymphoedema Quality of Life Questionnaire (LYMQOL) for lower limbs improved before treatment 8/10 and after 3/10.
This case highlights that untreated filariasis might lead to substantial changes in the size and structure of our patient’s legs, accompanied by severe functional impairment, chronic discomfort, and psychological distress, which affected the overall quality of life. Complete decongestive therapy has excellent results in treating lymphatic falirisis.
Despite the rare disease and comorbidities, the treatment in this case significantly improved the patient's quality of life , increased mobility, reduced pain level . Additionally, it has the potential to improve the outcomes of anthropometric assessments. Overall, this approach contributes to more comprehensive management of the patient’s multiple health conditions , promoting independence and well-being in their daily activities
filariasis
CDT
