Respiratory and Relaxation Training in Lower Extremity Lymphedema

Lower extremity lymphedema is a chronic condition characterized by impaired lymphaticdrainage, limb swelling, pain, reduced physical function, and decreased quality of life.Complex decongestive therapy (CDT) is considered the gold standard treatment; however,additional interventions that may improve physiological and functional outcomes remainunder investigation.Respiratory exercises may facilitate lymphatic return through changes in intrathoracicpressure, whereas relaxation training may reduce sympathetic activation and improveexercise tolerance. Despite these theoretical benefits, there is limited evidenceregarding their combined effect on muscle oxygenation in patients with lower extremitylymphedema.Therefore, this randomized controlled study will evaluate whether adding respiratory andrelaxation training to CDT improves muscle oxygenation measured by wearable near‐infraredspectroscopy (MOXY), functional capacity assessed with the Six‐Minute Walk Test, and limbvolume compared with CDT alone.