Emil Vodder

Emil Vodder ( born February 20, 1896 in Copenhagen, † February 17, 1986 ) was a Danish philologist and physiotherapist. Together with his wife Estrid Vodder (* 1898, † January 15, 1996 ) he developed the Manual Lymphatic Drainage.

Life

Ph.D.

After graduation Emil Vodder studied in addition to art history and comparative linguistic studies also eight semesters medicine. However, this study he could not finish because of malaria and turned then on the physical therapy. Early on, he was interested in the lymphatic system and read the writings of Bartholin, Carrel and Cecil Drinker. 1928 him from the University of Brussels due to an art historical dissertation of the title of Doctor of Philosophy ( Ph.D. ) was awarded. In 1929 he went with his wife Estrid, the medical practitioner in Berlin in 1923, to France.

The birth of manual lymph drainage

Manual lymphatic drainage (ML ) is a specialized form of medical massage, by the accumulated fluid in the tissues ( lymph) should be encouraged to drain. It is applied in the case of injury or operation-related swelling or joint disease. In its broad lymphatic drainage has been used end of the 19th century by Alexander von Winiwarter and Johann von Esmarch first time. Vodder had developed a precise technique of this idea in the 1930s.

1932 Vodder worked as a massage therapist on the Côte d' Azur in France, where many Englishmen at that time were staying with swollen neck lymph nodes for a cure. Saw Vodder and his wife Estrid and felt in patients with chronic catarrhal infections of the upper respiratory tract congestion in the subcutis and the associated lymphatics. Against all rules of medical theory of the time ( lymph nodes were allowed under any circumstances, and especially not if they were swollen, touch ) they could this congestion abdrainieren with pumping, circling and stroking movements. This success prompted Vodder lymph nodes to treat other areas of the body. 1933 the couple moved to Paris Vodder. Vodder met, among others, with the significant Lymphgefäßanatomen Rouvière Henri (1876-1952) and acquired the book " The Anatomy of the lymphatic vessels " by Marie Philibert Constant Sappey ( 1810-1896 ). The Vodderschen lymphatic drainage grips with their order and their pressure towards the heart, right up to today Sappeyschen these representations.

For a long time to authenticate his new technique of " non-medical " Vodder big trouble. Manual lymphatic drainage was attributed to the so-called alternative medicine and therefore not accepted by many doctors and scientists. 1936, Vodder his method the first time at the world exhibition " Exposition de Beauté " in Paris. In the same year he secured through publications in the "Revue d' hygiène individual" and in the Danish magazine " Ny Tid og Vi " the priority. 1939 at the outbreak of World War II, the couple Vodder France had to leave and went back to Denmark. Only years later - in the 1950s - traveled Emil Vodder in many European countries and lectured. He formed together with his wife Estrid from therapists who continue to spread the technology. It has also established a school in Austria, were formed on the lymphatic drainage therapist. In 1958 Germany was a first course in manual lymphatic drainage according to Dr. Vodder instead.

Acquaintance with John Asdonk

1963 met the German physician Johannes Asdonk know the manual lymphatic drainage by his future wife Christa Bartetzko. Bartetzko was a beautician and employed at that time in Asdonks practice as a medical assistant. She had attended a ML Course at Emil Vodder. Asdonk even learned the handles of these gentle manual therapy that Vodder had published in 1936, but had not yet found a way into mainstream medicine, 1964 at Vodder in Copenhagen. Asdonk could operate much research and helped so accompanied by the scientific elements, which also give the medical interior for this treatment technique. In its general practices in food Asdonk put the manual lymphatic drainage in connection with the practice of chiropractic him with great success. In 1966 Asdonk led by Vodder in Essen first week lymphatic drainage courses, where both physiotherapists and beauticians (eg cellulite and slight blemishes should be able to be controlled by ML) were trained.

Introduction to traditional medicine

1967 founded the "Society for manual lymphatic drainage according to Dr. Vodder " among other things by Emil Vodder, John Asdonk and Günther Wittlinger, a massage therapist from Walchsee. The Company adopted annually by scientific and practical workshops with the aim to prove the efficacy of manual lymphatic drainage. From it opened in 1976 the " German Society of Lymphology ." In 1969, Asdonk in eating the first real school for the training of physiotherapists in manual lymphatic drainage, which also includes the couple Vodder was employed as a teacher. The increasing number of lymphedema encouraged Asdonk 1972 in the Black Forest to create the first lymphological specialist clinic in the world. Due to its outstanding success in the treatment of lymphedema manual lymphatic drainage therapy was common funds from 1974 and thus covered by health insurance. The inclusion of manual lymph drainage in conventional medicine was primarily a credit to the doctors Asdonk John and Michael Foldi, both former close associates of Emil Vodder. They promoted the proliferation of manual lymph drainage, especially by their schools for aspiring lymph therapists. Against fierce opposition today a well-established treatment method had been introduced into medicine.

The first book Textbook of Dr. Vodder manual lymph drainage was written by Gunther and Hildegard Wittlinger at the suggestion of Emil Vodder and published in Haug Verlag Heidelberg 1978.

In the 1990s, manual lymphatic drainage, bandaging, Ödemgymnastik and skin care as part of the so-called complex decongestive therapy (KPE ) for the treatment of lymphedema of the arm and leg were introduced.

Award

On 13 November 1984 Emil Vodder was awarded the Wilhelm -Rohrbach Medal. This award is ( VPT ) awarded by the Physical Therapy Association in recognition of outstanding achievements in the field of physical and massage therapy. Emil Vodder was the eighth recipient of this medal.

Personal

Emil Vodders Estrid woman who had supported him all these years and accompanied on a series of lectures, died ten years after her husband, shortly before her 100th birthday. Their son Arne Vodder ( born 1926 ), architect, lives in Copenhagen.