Using Manual Lymphatic Drainage to Treat Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI)

It was noted in the press on July 17, 2025 that the US sitting president, Donald Trump was diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency which is generally referred to as CVI. Chronic venous insufficiency is one type of disease that could cause swelling over a period of time, usually in the lower extremities. When left untreated, severe cases could result in skin infections, ulcers, infection, sepsis and even death; however, this is regularly averted in countries with modern medical practices such as the US.

While CVI is most often seen in the legs, it can also be diagnosed in the upper extremities or arms.  While the pictures in this article do not depict Trump, they are a fairly good example of what CVI could look like in a younger male subject. Affected individuals during the initial onset of CVI define symptoms as unknown bilateral extremity swelling, the feeling of heaviness in the affected extremities and fatigue. 

The venous stasis which occurs during CVI can also cause the discoloration effect seen in the pictures above and below.  The affected areas can appear darker in color, which is a result of the blood pooling in the veins for prolonged periods of time, which causes swelling, discoloration and other symptoms.

Manual lymphatic drainage has been shown to be an effective treatment for chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Studies of successful manual lymphatic drainage applied to chronic venous insufficiency date back as far as nearly 50 years ago! One randomized control study concluded: Short-term MLD treatment ameliorates CVI severity and related edema, symptoms, and pain HRQOL in patients with CVI. 

One of the things that's most important of all is manual lymphatic drainage has not shown to produce any negative side effects to treat CVI, unlike other possible interventions or pharmaceuticals to treat or ameliorate this common disease.

We teach evidence-based MLD practice here at our school, where manual lymphatic drainage can be provided for a variety of medical disorders and diseases, including CVI. Manual lymphatic drainage utilizes specialized hands-on skills to lightly manipulate the underlying soft tissue to promote drainage wherever acute or chronic edema exists.  The goal in MLD practice is to create a volume reduction to reduce the swelling.  Clients usually feel better plus have greater physical function and range of motion (ROM) with swelling relief.  There is no cure for CVI; however, MLD practice can provide temporary benefits to affected individuals.

To register for our manual lymphatic drainage courses, please visit: https://ceinstitute.com/collections/lymphatics