It is air pressure, not hands. A pneumatic suit of boots, an abdominal girdle and arm sleeves inflates and deflates chamber by chamber, producing sequential compression from the limbs towards the centre of the body.
It pushes the venous and lymphatic return: it reduces oedema and lymphoedema, eases the feeling of tired legs and brings down the volume caused by fluid retention.
The session takes 30 to 45 minutes, it is painless and needs no preparation. The usual course is 6–12 sessions, weekly or twice weekly, with clear improvement from the third or fourth.
It does a different job from manual drainage: the machine compresses, but it does not choose the route. After liposuction or abdominoplasty the two are combined to reduce swelling, avoid seromas and prevent fibrosis; in lymphoedema, there is evidence that compression with bandaging may be enough.
It is not used with deep vein thrombosis or recent clots, serious heart disease or a pacemaker, in pregnancy — particularly the first trimester — with infections or wounds in the area, or with active cancer without medical authorisation.
At the Instituto de Cirugía Plástica del Mediterráneo, in Valencia, we offer advanced aesthetic medicine treatments with a focus on safety, medical evidence and real results. One of the treatments most requested by our patients is pressotherapy, a technique that combines science, technology and wellbeing to treat conditions of the lymphatic and circulatory systems and markedly improve the appearance of the body.
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Pressotherapy is a non-invasive medical-aesthetic treatment based on applying controlled air pressure to different areas of the body through a pneumatic suit with chambers that inflate and deflate rhythmically. This pressure activates the lymphatic system and improves blood circulation, which helps to clear fluid, toxins and accumulated fat.
At our clinic in Valencia we apply this treatment to areas such as the legs, abdomen and arms, tailoring each session to the clinical assessment and to the patient’s goals.
The body treatments we offer are not in competition with one another: they work on different tissues. Pressotherapy, manual lymphatic drainage and the Renata França method act from outside — the first with pressurised air, the other two by hand — and their effect is on fluid: they push the lymph towards the nodes. Mesotherapy infiltrates active ingredients into the superficial dermis, and carboxytherapy introduces medicinal CO₂ into the subcutaneous tissue. INDIBA infiltrates nothing: it raises the temperature of the tissue from within, with a more superficial capacitive mode and a deeper resistive one. Knowing which acts where is what allows them to be combined with judgement rather than simply stacked. Diagram by the Instituto de Cirugía Plástica del Mediterráneo, simplified for explanatory purposes.
What benefits does pressotherapy bring?
The benefits of pressotherapy are many and cover both aesthetic and therapeutic ground. These are the most notable:
It improves venous and lymphatic circulation, helping blood and lymph return to the heart.
It clears retained fluid and reduces body volume in the areas where it accumulates.
It reduces oedema and lymphoedema, very common after surgery or with chronic circulatory problems.
It encourages the drainage of fluid accumulated in the tissue, which relieves the feeling of swelling.
It reduces cellulite, by breaking up the accumulations of fat and improving the oxygenation of the tissues.
It shapes the figure, by reducing the volume caused by fluid retention and improving the tone of the skin.
It eases the feeling of tired legs, particularly in people who spend many hours standing or sitting.
It speeds up postoperative recovery, reducing swelling and helping the tissue to regenerate.
All these benefits are documented and recognised by specialists in cosmetic surgery, physiotherapy and vascular medicine. At our centre, the indication for pressotherapy forms part of an integrated medical plan that ensures the treatment is effective.
The main indications for the treatment
Pressotherapy is particularly indicated in the following cases:
Fluid retention, common in people with circulatory problems, hormonal changes or after long periods of inactivity.
Cellulite, both at an early and at an advanced stage.
Lymphatic oedema or lymphoedema, caused by blockage or insufficiency in the lymphatic system.
Early varicose veins, as a complement to other medical treatments under supervision.
Localised obesity, where there is swelling from excess fluid or poor circulation.
After plastic surgery, such as liposuction or abdominoplasty, to speed up recovery and avoid complications such as fibrosis or persistent oedema.
Our doctors assess each case and decide whether pressotherapy is the right treatment, and how often it should be carried out for the best results.
How is the treatment applied?
The procedure is simple, painless and needs no preparation beforehand. The patient puts on a pneumatic suit made up of boots, an abdominal girdle and arm sleeves, according to the areas to be treated. This suit is connected to equipment that controls the pressure and the inflation cycles.
During the session, which lasts between 30 and 45 minutes, a sequential compression is generated that stimulates the lymphatic and venous vessels, from the limbs towards the centre of the body. This stimulation encourages drainage and improves the oxygenation of the tissues.
Once the session is over, the patient can return to their daily activities with no discomfort and no side effects.
How many sessions are recommended?
The number of sessions depends on the goal of the treatment and on the state of the patient’s circulatory and lymphatic systems. In most cases, between 6 and 12 sessions are recommended, carried out weekly or twice weekly.
For postoperative treatment or specific conditions such as lymphatic oedema, the number and frequency can vary and are adapted under medical supervision.
The cumulative effect of the sessions means improvements are seen from the first applications, with more obvious results from the third or fourth session.
Contraindications to bear in mind
Although this is a safe technique, there are situations in which it is not indicated. Pressotherapy must not be applied in the following cases:
Deep vein thrombosis or a recent history of clots.
Serious heart disease or the presence of a pacemaker.
Pregnancy, particularly in the first trimester or without specialist medical supervision.
Infections in the area to be treated, open wounds or acute inflammation.
Active cancer, without express medical authorisation.
Before starting any treatment at our clinic we carry out an individual medical assessment to confirm that the patient is suitable and to avoid any risk.
Pressotherapy and plastic surgery: an effective combination
One of the most valued applications of pressotherapy at our centre is its use after cosmetic surgery. Following procedures such as liposuction, a body lift or abdominal surgery, the accumulation of lymphatic fluid or the appearance of fibrosis is common. In these cases pressotherapy helps to:
Reduce swelling quickly
Avoid accumulations of fluid or seromas
Speed up the reabsorption of bruising
Encourage tissue regeneration
In our experience, combining pressotherapy with manual lymphatic drainage or with other treatments such as radiofrequency or carboxytherapy markedly improves the quality of the recovery and the aesthetic results.
All three move fluid, but they are not interchangeable. Manual lymphatic drainage does it by hand with gentle, slow, repetitive pressure, following the route of the lymphatic system towards the nodes; it is the one indicated in lymphoedema and after plastic surgery. The Renata França method is also manual, but with firm pressure and its own protocol of 97 manoeuvres that adds contour reshaping to the drainage. Pressotherapy is not applied by a person but by a machine: a pneumatic suit that compresses sequentially from the limbs towards the centre of the body. The machine compresses, but it does not choose the route, so it does not do the same as trained hands; even so, in lymphoedema there are randomised trials in which decongestive therapy carried out with pneumatic compression and bandaging alone was not inferior to therapy that includes manual drainage. Diagram by the Instituto de Cirugía Plástica del Mediterráneo, simplified for explanatory purposes.
What the published evidence says
Intermittent pneumatic compression — the technology behind pressotherapy — has been studied above all in lymphoedema, and the results draw a distinction worth knowing:
As a complete decongestive therapy, it stands on its own. A randomised non-inferiority trial with 194 patients with stage II–III lymphoedema concluded that treatment carried out with intermittent pneumatic compression and bandaging alone is not inferior to the trimodal therapy that includes manual lymphatic drainage, and without increasing adverse effects (PMID 34514891).
Adding it on top of what is already being done contributes less. A meta-analysis of 7 randomised trials with 287 patients found no significant difference when pneumatic compression was added to the usual management of lymphoedema (PMID 24732640).
Read together, it is simple: pressotherapy is not a decorative extra on top of another treatment, but a tool that performs when it is part of the plan and indicated with judgement.
And there is a third review that is particularly useful in practice, because it is about dose. Across 16 studies, the significant results were obtained with sessions of 45 to 60 minutes and pressures of 30 to 60 mmHg in sequential programmes. That is no small detail: a good part of the differences between what is done in one place and another lies exactly there, in how long and at what pressure the work is done.
At the Instituto de Cirugía Plástica del Mediterráneo, every pressotherapy treatment is integrated into a complete clinical approach, with:
Individual medical supervision
The latest generation of equipment
Practitioners with specific training in lymphatic physiology
Programmes adapted to the diagnosis, the aesthetic goals and how the patient progresses
We do not carry out generic treatments. We believe firmly in individual care, safety and scientific evidence, values we apply to every session we offer.
Our commitment to complete care also includes active follow-up, nutritional advice and, where necessary, integration with other medical or aesthetic treatments.
Visible results and real wellbeing
The patients who have had pressotherapy at our clinic single out, above all, the immediate feeling of lightness, the visible reduction in volume in the legs or the abdomen, and the relief of discomfort such as heaviness or pain from fluid retention.
Within a healthy routine, pressotherapy becomes a key ally in improving the silhouette, easing the feeling of heaviness and bringing an overall sense of wellbeing that has a positive impact on quality of life.
Pressotherapy is much more than an aesthetic treatment. It is an effective, scientifically supported tool for looking after vascular health, reducing swelling, improving the silhouette and speeding up recovery after surgery. At our clinic in Valencia we not only apply the technique with professional rigour: we integrate it into an individual health plan aimed at real, lasting results.
If you are looking for pressotherapy in Valencia, put your trust in a medical centre with experience, training and individual care. Your wellbeing starts with a good decision. We are here to help.
You can book your own appointment. Pick the day and time from the free slots in the diary, in a panel that opens right here, without leaving this page.
Pneumatic boots or a girdle inflate and deflate air chambers in sequence, pushing the fluid in the legs upwards. What it does is move fluid, and that is why its clearest effect is on swelling and the feeling of heaviness.
That effect is not a subjective impression. In medical terms it has been measured: a 2025 systematic review with meta-analysis, covering 14 randomised trials and 1,397 patients, found that intermittent pneumatic compression significantly reduces the appearance of lymphoedema after breast cancer surgery, probably by improving lymphatic return and reducing the accumulation of fluid between the tissues.
What it does not do is remove fat. Losing centimetres straight after a session is not having slimmed down: it is having drained fluid, and it comes back.
Is it better for preventing or for treating?
For preventing and acting early, and this is the most useful conclusion in all the available evidence. That same 2025 review concludes that compression works well in prevention and in early stages, and that its efficacy is limited in established chronic swelling, where the structural damage to the tissue is hard to reverse and combined therapies are needed.
In practical terms: the sooner you start, the more it delivers. And with swelling that has lasted years, it is better to expect an improvement in comfort than a transformation.
Does it work for cellulite?
Not as a treatment for cellulite itself: the structural component — the septa that pull on the skin — does not respond to a pneumatic massage.
What it can improve is the fluid-retention component that accompanies many legs, and with that the skin looks better for as long as the effect lasts. It is a real improvement, it is temporary, and telling it that way is what makes it credible.
Does it work after surgery?
It is one of its most reasonable uses, and the one that best fits what the evidence says: after body-contouring surgery the goal is exactly what compression does well — helping with swelling in the early phase.
When to start, at what pressure and for how many sessions is decided by the surgeon who operated, because it depends on the technique, on the drains and on how healing is going; and like any regimen, they individualise it according to how each case progresses. Starting on your own at an aesthetic centre, without the person who operated on you knowing, is not a good idea.
One detail that shows this is not just pressing a button: in the studies, pressure matters. The best volume responses were obtained with pressures of 40 mmHg or less and with treatments lasting more than two weeks. More pressure is not better.
When should it NOT be done?
It is a comfortable treatment with contraindications that genuinely matter, precisely because it pushes fluid into the circulation: active venous thrombosis or suspicion of it, decompensated heart failure, acute infection or inflammation in the leg, open wounds, and certain neuropathies or changes in sensation. In pregnancy and in cancer patients, individual assessment.
That is why a pressotherapy session should start with some questions about your health, and not straight on the couch.
Sources
Shao Y, Qi K, Zhou QH, Zhong DS.Intermittent pneumatic compression pump for breast cancer-related lymphedema: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Oncol Res Treat. 2014;37(4):170-174. PMID 24732640 — seven trials and 287 patients: pressotherapy relieves lymphoedema, with no demonstrated difference against usual management when added to it.
Phillips JJ, Gordon SJ.Intermittent Pneumatic Compression Dosage for Adults and Children with Lymphedema: A Systematic Review. Lymphat Res Biol. 2019;17(1):2-18. PMID 30339493 — 16 studies: the significant results are obtained with sessions of 45–60 minutes and pressures of 30–60 mmHg in sequential programmes.
Forner-Cordero I, Muñoz-Langa J, DeMiguel-Jimeno JM, Rel-Monzó P.Physical therapies in the decongestive treatment of lymphedema: A randomized, non-inferiority controlled study. Clin Rehabil. 2021;35(12):1743-1756. PMID 34514891 — 194 patients: pneumatic compression with bandaging was not inferior to trimodal therapy, with no more adverse effects.
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