Costs of lymph drainage
Lymphatic drainage is a physical application that can be prescribed by a doctor. As soon as patients receive a prescription for lymphatic drainage, health insurance companies will cover the costs. However, this depends on the indication and whether it has been prescribed by a doctor.If the lymph drainage has to be paid for by the patient, the costs vary.
About 10 Euro per 10 minutes of treatment will be charged to the patient. The prices can be inquired at the respective institution (for example a physiotherapy practice). Depending on the insurance company, the costs are variable in detail.
The private insurance prescribes that the costs have to be paid by the patient himself for the time being. Afterwards, however, an invoice can be submitted for the costs of lymphatic drainage, which is then paid by the health insurance company. In the case of statutory insurance, the health insurance company usually pays immediately, although co-payments may be incurred depending on the presence or absence of additional insurance.
In general one can assume costs between 15€ to 37€. It should be considered that the price depends on the duration of the therapy as well as the location of the practice. Usually, depending on the severity of the symptoms, multiple treatments are necessary, so that the costs add up.
Even though lymphatic drainage is a therapeutic measure that is subject to costs, no costs should be spared and the treatment should be left to professionals, i.e. either physiotherapists or masseurs. Because both the execution and the decision whether lymph drainage is allowed or helpful for those affected should not fall into the hands of a layperson. Lymphatic drainage is a good therapeutic option for chronic or acute oedema.
By special ways of exerting pressure and distributing the lymph towards the main drainage areas, oedema can be significantly reduced and patients’ symptoms alleviated. In addition to the reduction of the edema, pain can also be alleviated and the relaxation of the patient can be significantly promoted. Manual lymphatic drainage is mainly performed in Germany and Austria by physiotherapists and masseurs.
In order to be allowed to use this therapy, an additional 4-week training course is required. In acute cases of oedema, lymphatic drainage can lead to a significant improvement after just a few applications. In case of chronic diseases with edema formation, very regular and continuous therapies are required to achieve success.
Since lymphatic drainage also has an effect on the entire organism and promotes the transport of substances in the tissue, there are some contraindications. For example, patients with an acute thrombosis, a skin tumor or severe heart failure should not be treated with manual lymphatic drainage. The risk of thrombus dissolution, tumor ulceration, or overuse of the cardiac output would be too high. Other contraindications such as thyroid diseases, thrombosis or pregnancy make special demands on the therapy, but can be treated with manual lymphatic drainage under certain conditions.
