Your lymphatic system is a network of tissues and organs that help rid your body of toxins, waste, and unwanted materials. There are numerous structures involved, but the two primary types are the lymph vessels and the lymph nodes. The lymph vessels carry the lymph, a fluid containing white blood cells and other materials used to fight infection and keep the body healthy and operating as it should. The lymph nodes filter the lymph of any pathogens like bacteria and viruses and help to fight them even more, protecting the body from these infectious invaders.
While all this normally functions without a thought from us, there are times when the lymphatic system may not be working as well as it should. This could be due to an injury or damage to the lymph structures or an underlying health condition. This can cause swelling in your arms and legs, and sometimes even throughout the entire body. While a little swelling around an injury, like a torn muscle or sprained ankle, is perfectly normal and acts as a protective mechanism, areas of swelling that won’t clear on their own within a few days or those without an associated injury can pose a problem. This swelling can become quite uncomfortable and put you at risk for other issues down the line. For example, when your lymphatic system isn’t working correctly for a period of time the lack of oxygen from the bloodstream to the tissue’s cells can interfere with wound healing.
So, when the lymphatic system is sluggish, it may need a little help to work out that swelling and moving fluid as it should. That’s where manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) comes in. MLD uses a series of gliding, compressing, stretching, and cupping motions over the skin to stimulate the lymphatic system and get it flowing again. The goal is to manually stimulate the lymph nodes to clear any blockages as well as manually get the lymph flowing through the vessels so your body can get back to using its natural line of defense. The pressure used in this massage is very light, usually much lighter than most people expect, and involves very specific strokes and directions of movement. We have several therapists who specialize in this type of work and have a deep understanding of the lymphatic system and how to get it functioning again.
If you notice that you’re retaining fluid or have swelling in your arms and legs, we can help. We’ll also utilize this technique when doing some injury rehabilitation to help decrease the localized swelling and allow the injury to heal faster and more efficiently.