Effect of Pneumatic Compression Therapy (PCT) on lymph movement
February 14, 2017
Recent Study shows significant improvement in extravascular & Lymphatic vascular system with use of Pneumatic Compression Therapy (PCT). Science Study
I have been working with Pneumatic Compression Therapy since 2012. I specifically use my systems with Amateur through Professional level athletes to eliminate lactic acid build up in soft tissue after rigorous activity, weather they are training or competing.
Recovery from sport activity is a necessary for an athlete to maintain a consistent level of peak performance. You may ask WHY? The answer is very simple: When we actively train or compete our bodies undergo various degrees of stress. We burn through Oxygen which is the nutrient for our muscles to perform. During this process our bodies/muscle tissue do not use every molecule of oxygen and the excess is known as: “metabolic waste”. When we have a build-up of metabolic waste is when we feel our muscles are fatigued or tired. I call this the “Dead Leg Syndrome”. This Waste is off loaded from the muscle tissue into the veins. The veins then transport this waste through our body and eliminate it through urination. This “elimination process” can take between 12 to 48 hours to complete after performance. When we are training, or competing often our repetitive exertion routine takes place on a cycle of less than 12 to 48 hours. Therefore, we are training or competing again before our bodies have eliminated the metabolic waste. Studies have shown that eventually this “Build Up” negatively effects our performance and it also increases our chance for injury.
There are many ways to assist our Veins to eliminate lactic acid (Metabolic Waste) faster, so we can continue to train/compete without risking our peak performance level or increasing our injury risk. Let’s take Ice Baths as an example. Ice Baths are a “quick” submersion into freezing water. Ice baths “feel” instantaneously effective but they, are not that effective. Here’s Why? First, they shock our bodies into a response. Our Arteries flood our systems with Oxygen and mainly to our vital organs to maintain a constant 98.6F. This prevents damage to these structures. Pressure is necessary to evacuate waste, from our extremities. This means we need to submerge ourselves in Ice Cold Water below 3ft of depth to create enough pressure to remove metabolic waste from our muscles. Not a pleasant process. Also, our largest muscles Hamstrings, Quadriceps, Gluteal muscles must be submerged below 3 feet of water depth, which means our core (where our organs are stored) is also subjected to this extreme.
Pneumatic Sequential Therapy Garments (see photo above) provide us with a more palatable option for ridding our muscles of lactic acid and allowing us to recover without creating stress to our tissue, which we need to continue to train and compete.
The attached Study (above) concludes that Pneumatic Compression Therapy (PCT) performed on Cancer patients show that lymph pumping velocities and frequencies, were significantly increased. Video of this study visually shows this benefit.
Over the past 5 years I have used my RPSport Systems hundreds of times with Amateur, College and Professional athletes to assist them during training and competition. The results have always proved to be beneficial. I have not had one athlete whose performance was negatively affected by the RPSport System. If, during competition client athletes failed (did not “Win”), it was not because they were fatigued, per them, their loss was a result of their opponent having greater skill.