MANUAL LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE
How does a light, soothing alternative to massage sound, one that helps to reduce bloating and rid the body of harmful toxins at the same time. A technique called Manual Lymphatic Drainage may be what you’re looking for. While its name might sound imposing, MLD is actually a very comforting way to treat problem cellulite and reduce swelling of the face, ankles and legs.
Manual Lymphatic Drainage is also a necessary post-operative treatment for those who have recently undergone plastic surgery, including breast augmentation or breast reduction, breast reconstruction, facelifts, tummy tucks, and liposuction. Many of our clients are patients of plastic surgeons that do not have their own MLD specialists on site. Recovery is often painful and swelling and bruising can be unsightly. If this is your case, please contact us for immediate attention!
Lymph massage, also known in variations as Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) or Lymph Drainage Therapy (LDT), is a gentle, relaxing form of massage that helps the body's lymphatic system get moving again while reinforcing immune function. To fully understand the benefits of lymph massage, let's first take a quick look at how this lesser-known system works.
Lymph's Life
As a vital component of the body's immune function, the lymphatic system is comprised of several organs (thymus, tonsils, spleen, adenoids), hundreds of lymph nodes, and a multitude of vessels that run throughout the body similar to our circulatory system of veins and arteries. These lymphatic vessels carry a clear fluid, known as lymph, which circulate around the body's tissues, absorbing fluid, waste products, dead cells, bacteria, viruses, fats, and proteins from the tissue as it goes, while also giving passage to immune cells as they're needed.
Lymph nodes are found throughout the body -- including most notably the neck, armpits, and groin -- and have the job of filtering the lymph fluid and removing damaging elements they've picked up along the way, such as bacteria and cancer cells. When the lymph nodes detect these foreign elements in the fluid, they begin producing additional infection-fighting white blood cells, and become enlarged in the process, hence a swollen gland.
If the system gets overtaxed because of ill health, surgery, stress, or poor diet, it can get sluggish and not do its job as efficiently. As a major player in the body's immune process, it makes sense that by waking up the lymphatic system you dramatically improve your chances for staying healthy.
A Massage That is Barely There
With lymph massage, the system gets a wake-up call through delicate means. Lymph massage is extremely gentle and slow, not just as an aspect of its healing nature, but by necessity. Most of the lymphatic vessels are just below the skin and are stimulated by .5 to 8 ounces of pressure per square inch. That light, slow pressure mimics the pulse and rhythm of the lymphatic system itself and gets the vessels to respond as they should. Each stroke slightly moves the skin in the direction of the lymphatic flow to encourage the drainage of fluid and waste.
The delicate nature of each stroke as it carefully glides across the skin can sometimes make it feel as if nothing is happening, especially for those who are used to deep bodywork. But it's exactly that noninvasive quality of lymph massage that makes it work. The results can be profound.
Depending what your issues are, the focus of a lymph massage for general immune stimulation is typically on the upper body, including the face, neck, and arms. The massage always has fluid moving toward a healthy lymph node, and while most therapists don't work directly on the breast, they do address the tissue surrounding the breast.
If your primary complaint is swelling, scar tissue, or inflammation, therapy should focus on the part of the body where that occurs. For anyone wanting to address issues of musculature, as well as lymph, 20-30 minutes of deep tissue massage, followed by 20-30 minutes of lymph massage is recommended.
Today or Year-Round
During the often-stressful holidays and the viral barrage of the cold and flu season, it's especially important to pay attention to your body. If you're feeling tired or run-down, getting a lymph massage can help. It will help charge your batteries, so to speak, and prep the immune system for the road ahead.
A good lymphatic work over is also recommended when the seasons change. Two to three sessions, preferably all in one week, but at least over a few week's time, is what the body needs to recharge itself.
On a year-round basis, lymph massage is a good treatment for edema (or swelling), any kind of inflammation (such as tendonitis), or a recent injury (like an ankle sprain), and is really helpful with sinus conditions and a general sense of congestion. It also helps to reduce scar tissue and stimulate the circulation and production of white blood cells.
Lymph massage can also get you moving on a deeper level. It's not only relaxing, but very hypnotic. Mimicking the natural pulsation of the lymph system, lymph massage can create a sensation not unlike listening to the ebb and flow of the ocean's waters. It's like feeling the waves flow over you, like being bathed in the ocean.
What to expect from a MLD session
Manual lymphatic drainage is performed similarly to a massage. MLD treatments can be targeted toward a certain part of the body (for example the face and legs), or be general in nature as an overall relaxing, stress-reducing and detoxifying massage.
The treatment is usually performed bare skin, with no oil. Draping of clients according to established industry guidelines is practiced.
You can expect an increased need to urinate soon after a treatment and for several hours thereafter, as excess fluids that were moved from the tissues are now ready to be excreted as urine. We recommend that you drink water after an MLD session to replenish fluids mobilized during this treatment.
After your lymph massage, it's important to drink plenty of water as things get moving again. You could feel some mild, flu-like symptoms, depending on how toxic your body is (i.e., what environmental pollutants you've been exposed to, what sort of diet you've been following, what types of medications you're taking, and how much sugar or alcohol you consume). While most people come out of a typical lymph massage feeling nothing but relaxed, some people may feel a little off-kilter afterward, the best solution is to drink plenty of water, including electrolytes, watch your salt intake, and get up and move.
