Abstract
AbstractVacuum massage is a noninvasive mechanical massage technique performed with a mechanical device that lifts the skin by means of suction to create and mobilize a skin fold. It was invented by a French engineer suffering from burn scars after a car accident and has since then been frequently used for the treatment of burn scars.The two most reported physical effects of vacuum massage were improvement of the tissue hardness and the elasticity of the skin. Besides physical effects, a variety of physiological effects are reported in the literature, for example, an increased number of fibroblasts and collagen fibers accompanied by an alteration of fibroblast phenotype and collagen orientation. Little information was found on the decrease of pain and itch due to vacuum massage.Although vacuum massage initially had been developed for the treatment of burn scars, a literature review found little evidence for the efficacy of this treatment. Variations in duration, amplitude, or frequency of the treatment have a substantial influence on collagen restructuring and reorientation, thus implying possible beneficial influences on the healing potential by mechanotransduction pathways. Vacuum massage may release the mechanical tension associated with scar retraction and thus induce apoptosis of myofibroblasts. Suggestions for future research include upscaling the study design, investigating the molecular pathways and dose dependency, comparing effects in different stages of repair, including evolutive parameters and the use of more objective assessment tools.
Highlights
Vacuum massage is known as depressomassage, vacuotherapy, or Endermologie®
Humbert et al investigated the histological effects of vacuum massage and discovered an increased migratory ability of fibroblasts together with increased elastin and hyaluronic acid presence which indicated induced remodeling capacity
The upregulation of MMP-9 suggests degradation of the existing damaged extracellular matrix (ECM) to induce remodeling. These findings were somehow confirmed by the study of vacuum massage initially had been developed for the treatment of burn scars, literature reveals little evidence for the efficacy of this treatment
Summary
Vacuum massage is known as depressomassage, vacuotherapy, or Endermologie®. It is a non-invasive mechanical massage technique performed with a mechanical device that lifts the skin by means of suction, creates a skin fold, and mobilizes that skin fold [1, 2] as displayed in. In the late 1970s, Louis-Paul Guitay suffered from severe skin burns after a car accident During his rehabilitation, he had to endure hours of manual massages every day. Endermologie®, taken from the French term meaning “through the dermis”, was Louis-Paul Guitay’s way of standardizing massage therapy to maximize the effect of each treatment. He developed a mechanical device to copy the manual massage techniques by means of negative pressure. The aim of this chapter is to present an overview of the available literature with the physical and physiological effects of vacuum massage This was done in order to find the underlying working mechanisms of Endermologie® that could benefit the healing of burns and scars. Analyzing the physical and physiological effects of this treatment can increase insights in the influence on the scarring process and may clarify the outcome
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
