Compression Pump
Therapy

Living with swelling can feel heavy, uncomfortable, and difficult to manage. Pneumatic compression pump therapy uses gentle, rhythmic pressure to support fluid movement, helping reduce swelling, improve comfort, and support your ongoing self-management at home.

What is a Compression Pump Therapy?

A lymphoedema assessment is a comprehensive appointment designed to evaluate your lymphatic system and identify the cause and extent of your swelling. The lymphatic system plays an important role in fluid balance, immune function, and overall health. When it isn’t working as well as it should, fluid can build up in the tissues, leading to swelling, heaviness, and discomfort.

This assessment helps determine whether your swelling is lymphoedema or related to another condition, such as lipoedema, venous insufficiency, post-surgical swelling, or general fluid retention. Understanding the cause ensures you receive the most appropriate and effective care.

We also assess the stage and severity of lymphoedema (if present), which helps guide treatment decisions and allows us to monitor changes over time. Early assessment and intervention can make a significant difference in preventing progression and improving long-term outcomes.

What to Expect During Your Assessment?

Before beginning compression pump therapy, a comprehensive assessment must be completed.

This allows your practitioner to understand your condition, assess the type and severity of swelling, and determine whether compression pump therapy is appropriate for you. The assessment also ensures the correct pressure levels, treatment time, and device settings are prescribed safely and effectively for your individual needs.

During your session, a specialised sleeve or garment will be placed over the affected limb or body area. The sleeve is connected to a medical device that gently inflates and deflates in cycles, creating a rhythmic pumping action that encourages fluid to move through the lymphatic and circulatory systems.

Treatment sessions usually last between 20–45 minutes, during which the pressure and timing of the pump are carefully programmed based on your assessment findings. The sensation is often described as a gentle squeezing or massaging pressure.

Your therapist will monitor the treatment to ensure it remains comfortable and effective.

Compression pump therapy is rarely used as a standalone treatment. Instead, it forms part of a comprehensive swelling management plan that may also include manual lymphatic drainage, compression garments or bandaging, exercise and movement programs, skin care, and education on self-management strategies.

Combining these approaches helps support fluid movement, improve comfort, and provide longer-term management of swelling.

What Can Compression Pump Therapy Help With?

Compression pump therapy may be recommended for:

1 / Lymphoedema

Compression pump therapy helps move lymphatic fluid out of swollen areas and supports overall lymphoedema management, often alongside manual lymphatic drainage and compression garments.

2 / Lipoedema

For people with lipoedema, compression pump therapy may help reduce heaviness, pressure, and discomfort while supporting fluid movement in the affected limbs.

3 / Post-surgical swelling

Following surgery, compression pump therapy can assist with moving excess fluid and may help reduce swelling as part of the recovery process when appropriate.

4 / Venous insufficiency

Compression pump therapy supports circulation in the lower limbs and may help reduce fluid pooling caused by venous insufficiency.

5 / Chronic swelling or oedema

For ongoing swelling due to medical conditions, injury, or reduced mobility, compression pump therapy can help encourage fluid movement and support long-term management.

6 / Heaviness or tired legs

The gentle pumping action can help improve circulation and may reduce the feeling of heaviness or fatigue in the legs.

How Often Is Compression Pump Therapy Used?

The frequency of compression pump therapy varies depending on your condition, the severity of swelling, and your overall treatment plan. Some people may use compression pump therapy occasionally as part of in-clinic treatment, while others may benefit from more regular sessions.

For conditions such as lymphoedema or chronic swelling, compression pump therapy is often used alongside other treatments like manual lymphatic drainage, compression garments, and exercise. The therapy helps support fluid movement between appointments and can assist in maintaining swelling reduction.

Your practitioner will guide how often the therapy should be used and whether it is most appropriate as an in-clinic treatment, a short-term treatment during recovery, or part of ongoing swelling management. The plan will always be tailored to your individual needs and adjusted as your condition changes.

Do you need a Referral?

Private Clients do not need a referral from your general practitioner (GP) or other medical specialist to book in for a Compression Pump Appointment.

If suitable,compression pump may be included as part of your lymphoedema, oedema, or lipoedema treatments

If you are eligible for the Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan, your GP must write a referral to receive one of the above appointment types.

Please Note that these can only be used with Our Lymphoedema Physiotherapists.

Aged Care clients that have a Home Care Package will require appropriate documentation and referral from their GP or care coordinator, in line with their funding arrangements.