What is pressotherapy and how does it work?

If you have heard about pressotherapy but still have some doubts and want to know everything about this revolutionary treatment, you are on the right blog. With this article, you will clear all your doubts: how pressotherapy works and what it is for, what pressotherapy machines exist, in which cases pressotherapy works best, and much, much more. Let's start with a little history.

Its first application was purely therapeutic, in the 70s, interestingly as a postoperative treatment for vasectomy. Yes, men were the first to experience medical pressotherapy. Later on, well into the 90s, it gained prominence in the field of aesthetics, being promoted mainly with a female focus. And already into the new millennium, it stopped being pigeonholed as its function was recognized not only as aesthetic but also therapeutic and sports-related. This produced a real boom in the design and manufacture of equipment designed to offer a much more complete comprehensive treatment.

So nowadays, both women and men take advantage of the benefits of pressotherapy for their health and figure, either by going to a center or mostly, given its many advantages, using a modern pressotherapy device without leaving their home. Interesting, right? Shall we keep telling you what pressotherapy is and how it works?

How a Pressotherapy Machine Works

A pressotherapy device consists of a machine – also called a device or console – and a series of padded garments, made so that they can be inflated, with a material that is usually pleasant to the touch as well as flame-retardant. Connected to the power supply, the machine pushes air through tubes connected to the garments. This air passes sequentially through a series of independent chambers, called pneumo-compression chambers, distributed throughout the garment. That is, they fill consecutively at a certain rhythm. Depending on each device and program, there comes a moment in the session when all the chambers are inflated, holding the pressure for a longer period of time.

This compression and decompression massage exerts moderate and sufficient pressure to stimulate the lymphatic system. It is located just below the skin. Therefore, not much force is needed to cause an effect and redirect retained fluid, toxins, and fat cells. Essentially, this is how pressotherapy works.

The most used garments are the pressotherapy boots but there are also shorts for buttocks and hips, abdominal girdle, and arm sleeves. These garments can be used separately or combined for a more complete treatment. Regarding the programs and the pressure strength, each device is different, but a quality one should offer at least 4 programs to give versatility to the treatment and also several pressure options, since not all problems need to be treated with the same intensity.

Distal-proximal massage

Don't be scared, it sounds super scientific but its definition is very simple. Colloquially, a distal-proximal massage is the one performed from the periphery of the body towards its center. Distal means at a distance and proximal indicates proximity. When using a complete pressotherapy device, the garments cover almost the entire body, from the feet to the upper abdomen. And the massage always follows this same order; from the feet upwards, progressively approaching the most central points of the lymphatic network that runs throughout the body.

And if we use only the pressotherapy sleeve, exactly the same: the massage goes from the wrist to the deltoid area. We tell you this in case you read it somewhere and it sounds a bit like gibberish. For example, the fingers are distal with respect to the shoulder. However, some pressotherapy machines allow programming the filling circuit of the air chambers in reverse: in a proximal-distal direction, something indicated for specific cases such as peripheral arterial disease.

Those who suffer from it have difficulties conducting blood flow from the heart to the extremities. And pressotherapy works very well to treat certain health conditions, but also to solve or keep many other problems at bay.

Pressotherapy and its 3 main applications What is Pressotherapy for?

Pressotherapy has 3 main applications: Aesthetic, sports, and therapeutic. We can also say that it is a 3×1 treatment, because although you select a specific program, this type of massage achieves several effects at the same time, also allowing us to affirm that the lymphatic drainage of pressotherapy has effects that go beyond the lymphatic vessels, also resulting in better tone and elasticity of all tissues thanks to better cleansing and oxygenation of them. Let's not forget that in our body everything is interconnected, and the lymphatic system is key to good circulation, purified and fluid, which also directly affects the immune system.

In summary, pressotherapy is a method of moderate alternating pressure that stimulates the lymphatic system, simultaneously improving the functioning of the vascular system and also the immune system. That is why pressotherapy and poor circulation are concepts that are well associated. And when both systems work better, the body responds satisfactorily. Is this treatment that good? The truth is yes, but everything works in pressotherapy as it does in other treatments.

Depending on each case, it will be necessary to provide a certain level of willpower, commitment, and patience, especially if you are wondering whether pressotherapy helps you lose weight. Rome wasn't built in a day. That's the starting point. The truth is that it is not a method to lose kilos, but rather to define and maintain the figure. You can achieve very positive results if you use pressotherapy for cellulite. Now that you know what pressotherapy is and what it is for, let's see the cases in which you can apply it with guaranteed success.

Pressotherapy for therapeutic purposes

Using pressotherapy for therapeutic purposes greatly helps to prevent, relieve, and reduce multiple health problems. That is why in many clinics, this treatment is offered as medical or medical-aesthetic pressotherapy, not only because of the many benefits of pressotherapy on the legs, but also because you can greatly improve both internal functions and external appearance by using it for:

• Edema, lipoedema and lymphedema (congenital and post-operative)
• Chronic venous insufficiency
• Obstructed lymphatic ducts
• Accumulation of fats and toxins
• Spider veins and Varicosis
• Venous ulcer (even recalcitrant or chronic)
• Reduce any general inflammation
• Venous stasis (obstruction or compression of the veins)
• Redirect fluid retention
• Relieve the tired legs syndrome
• Muscle recovery of immobilized patients
• Reactivation of circulation in paralyzed limbs
• Post-operative of a liposuction
• Post-surgical bruises
• Stress (due to its relaxing effect)
• Peripheral Arterial Disease (with proximal-distal massage)
• Post-phlebitic Syndrome (pain, redness, and swelling of the leg due to venous clot)

Pressotherapy for sports purposes

Many athletes, both professional and amateur, join every day in the use of pressotherapy for sports purposes to:

• Relieve muscle soreness
• Eliminate lactic acid sooner
• Oxygenate all tissues
• Maintain good lymphatic health
• Recover faster after training
• Relieve edema caused by muscle damage
• Combat stress from competitions

Pressotherapy for aesthetic purposes

What to say about pressotherapy for aesthetic purposes? Both men and women use body pressotherapy to beautify their bodies. There is even facial pressotherapy, which like all pressotherapy serves to enhance blood flow, relax muscles, and improve tone thanks to stimulating collagen production. On the rest of the body, besides the boots, the pressotherapy belt for the abdomen, pressotherapy shorts for buttocks and hips, or the pressotherapy sleeve for arms are often used. And all these garments help you to:

• Reduce “orange peel skin”: Yes, pressotherapy and cellulite combine perfectly.
• Improve flaccidity. Better circulation = greater elasticity in tissues.
• Reduce volume in localized areas, keeping those extra cms in check.
• Oxygenate the skin and tissues and tone the muscles in general.
• Prevent and fight varicosis: pressotherapy and varicose veins is another successful combination, since by improving lymphatic and blood circulation, this type of lesion is reduced.
• Speed up post-partum recovery. The prisoner It is the best gift for a mom!
• Pressotherapy for slimming: This treatment is not indicated by itself for losing many kilos, but it does help you reduce contour and redirect fluid retention which also contributes to excess weight.

Although there are many benefits of pressotherapy, in some cases it may be contraindicated. We advise you to consult a doctor to rule out any impediment. 

Advantages of using your own pressotherapy machine

Now that you know pressotherapy does a lot, you might be wondering about the advantages and disadvantages of pressotherapy. The truth is that if you can get your own equipment, it’s all advantages and none negligible:

• The machine does it all. Select a program and relax!
• No schedules. You decide when to use your equipment and how long your session lasts.
• With very calculated pressure, you can do pressotherapy every day.
• At home, you can watch TV, read, or listen to music during your session. At your own pace!
• How about sharing your equipment with other family members?
• Incalculable savings and quick profitability. Going to a center regularly greatly increases your monthly budget, but having pressotherapy at home for life IS PRICELESS.

SIZEN: The leading pressotherapy brand in the Spanish market

Since our beginnings, we have committed to offering pressotherapy equipment accessible to the general public, gathering all the features that give SIZEN the 5 stars capable of positioning it as the leading pressotherapy brand in the Spanish market:

• Best value for money on the market
• Made in Spain design, compact and ergonomic, easy to use thanks to its Quick Connect System, and portable in a very sporty style bag.
• Technically efficient: 5 hrs battery, 4 massage programs, 6 compression chambers, sessions up to 90 mins, and maximum pressure of 240 mmHg
• Excellence in customer service / personal advice, because deciding which pressotherapy equipment to buy is a serious matter that should not be taken lightly.
• 15 days trial, financing options, free delivery, and 2 years warranty

Obviously, besides these points, SIZEN pressotherapy works because the different needs of not only athletes who use pressotherapy for its integrated intelligent recovery system but also people who want to improve both aesthetically and health-wise thanks to this revolutionary treatment have been carefully considered. That is why the machine Sizen 6+ It is so popular and a big favorite among users. And if you still have doubts about whether pressotherapy delivers results, take a look at our social media and you can read the opinions of both our ambassadors and customers.

Now that you know everything about pressotherapy, what it is for, and all the benefits of lymphatic drainage, all that remains is for you to personally experience the effects of pressotherapy whether your goals are aesthetic, sports-related, or therapeutic. Either way, you will be able to enjoy an excellent tool at home designed to take care of your body and improve your well-being.