The lymphatic system is one of the body’s lesser known systems – you’ve heard of the respiratory and digestive systems, but how well do you know the workings of your lymphatic system? And what do you know about Lymph Drainage Massage, and what to expect if you come for one? Below are the answers to these questions – I hope you enjoy learning about it all.
WHAT IT IS:
Your lymphatic system is your body’s primary immune system. It is a system of vessels full of fluid sitting a little under the skin, designed to transport wastes and fluids from your body’s cells to your body’s expulsion systems. It helps you to remove swellings and fluid build ups, it fights infections and bacteria, and it even transports some nutrients from your small intestine to your blood.
The vessels of your lymphatic system cover your body, and are joined by small bumps, called nodes. These nodes house white blood cells that are able to consume and disable any infectious or dangerous particles collected by the lymphatic vessels. After passing through these nodes, waste is taken to two lymphatic ducts (near your collarbones), where it is passed to your kidneys to allow your body to dispose of it.
Should your lymphatic system become blocked or slowed or diverted, you may experience swelling, lessened mobility, pain, or become infected with a virus or similar infection. Maybe not as well known as your respiratory or digestive systems, but certainly as important!
LYMPH DRAINAGE MASSAGE
Lymph Drainage Massage is designed to stimulate, unblock, and speed your lymphatic system (the word “lymph” is the name given to the fluid of the lymphatic system). Lymph Drainage Massage is a very specialised massage style, often used in hospitals to assist fluid movement in patients with poor fluid circulation.
Lymph Drainage Massage is one of our gentlest pressure massage styles. Because the vessels sit just under the skin, gentle pressure is applied to move fluid without squashing vessels into muscles. This doesn’t mean that it is unfelt – often as fluid drains from an area (particularly if that area has been blocked or had poor drainage) it is not only something where you will feel the fluid moving, but often (particularly on the first few strokes) fluid movement is visible under the skin. In extreme cases, you may even hear the fluid enter into the lymphatic ducts!
With this style of massage, because of the effects of draining the system, it is common for receivers to need to empty their bladder immediately following the massage. Also, it is worth drinking more water than usual for the remainder of the day, in order to replace what has been drained and expelled with the wastes.
Our usual Lymph Drainage Massage clients include people with poor lymphatic circulation, people with healed injuries but remaining swelling, pregnant women (particularly those with swollen ankles), and people wanting to detoxify their system and generally “flush out” any wastes or foreign bodies they are carrying. This is a great massage if you are feeling run down and sluggish, or if you are on a health kick and trying to treat your body well.
