Lymphatic Drainage Massage

Whether you have recently decided that your health regimen needs to be shaken up a little, or you have been pointed in this direction by a friend or a colleague, you may have some questions about lymphatic drainage massage.

Manual lymphatic drainage massage is a therapy that has been practiced as early as the 1930's, and after more than seventy years, we are seeing a great revival when it comes to this practice.

Many people feel that this massage is instrumental to their well-being and their health, and if you are interested in seeing if this can do good when it comes to your own system, take a look at some information to get you started.

The Basics

The first thing that you need to take a look at is your lymphatic system.

Much like your circulatory system, your lymphatic system is a large and complex system that works to make sure that almost every cell in your body is functioning properly. You'll see that along your lymph vessels, you'll find that there are the lymph nodes, which essentially act as filters as the lymphatic fluid travels through them. These nodes help the fluid by cleansing it and by boosting its effectiveness. Among this system's responsibilities include the generation and storage of white blood cells as well as the separation of nutrients from problematic pathogens.

While keeping this information in mind, it is important to understand that lymphatic drainage massage will directly affect this system through the use of light and highly precise hand motions to affect the direction and the speed of the lymphatic flow.

As might be guessed from the intricacy of the system describe above, a massage therapist who practices this form of massage needs to be highly trained regarding the right motions to use as well as the location of the 600 to 800 lymph nodes that occur in the average human body. Keep in mind that though the general location of each of the clusters and chains of lymph nodes are generally known, the exact space that they inhabit will differ from person to person.

What to Expect

Before you begin, you will have a consultation with your massage therapist involving what you hope to get out of the sessions and what problems that you might be experiencing. When your lymphatic massage session starts, you'll see that your neck is first worked in such a way as to prepare it to hold more lymph.

You'll find that the touch of your massage therapist should be fairly light and deft. After the neck area has been properly drained, you'll see that this procedure will vary from person to person depending on what is the desired outcome.

Lymphatic drainage massage You will see that your massage therapist is encouraging the flow of lymph that is situated in the skin itself, and this is why the touch needs to be so light.

Keep in mind that while other massages will offer a lymph drainage massage that this in an incidental effect.

During Swedish massage, for example, which utilizes a fairly heavier touch, you'll find that the lymph will in fact move due to the increased blood circulation.
This type of movement is not as effective as the use of manual lymphatic drainage due to the fact that the area behind the neck has not been “cleared out” in advance.

Essentially, the point of this therapy is to make sure that your body is more balanced, and that the flow of lymph will be more equal and regulated. Some people have compared this procedure to the eastern practices of hot stone massage and shiatsu, both of which will improve the lymph drainage flow.

You'll find that many people feel this type of massage lets them feel a great deal more energetic and relaxed and that their metabolism is, in general greatly improved. This can be a powerful tool for people who suffer problems with toxins in their systems, or from an overload from an earlier viral or bacterial infection. The use of this massage can leave you feeling much more at ease.

Lymphatic Massage and Cancer

Cancer seems to be an epidemic in today’s society, almost a way of life. Chances are everyone sitting around you right this moment has been touched by the disease personally, through a loved one or at least knows someone who has.

The number of women diagnosed with breast cancer has gone up every year for the past 50 years, and more than 13 percent of women will develop the disease at some point in their lives. The good news is there are several effective treatment options. Lymphatic massage may be one of them.

Under normal circumstances, our bodies only produce cells as we need them, for things like closing up a wound or the never-ending process of skin renewal and turnover. Cancer occurs when cell production gets out of control and the abnormal cells begin to take over. There are several factors thought to possibly kick off the process. One of them is the build-up of toxins in the body.

The lymph system is your body’s built-in self-cleaning system, but cancer can cause it to malfunction, allowing waste to accumulate in the lymph nodes, glands located throughout the body that produce cleansing fluid. It’s thought that massage of the nodes near the breast can keep debris moving efficiently moving so that it can be expelled from the body.

In addition to acting as the body’s personal garbage man, lymphatic fluid also functions as a sort of meals-on-wheels deliverer bye carrying much needed vitamins, minerals and other nourishment to each and every cell. If the lymph system is gunked up with waste, cells can’t get the good stuff they need to aid in fighting the disease, promote healing after surgery and help your body be as strong as it can be during tedious chemotherapy or radiation treatments.

If you are curious about lymphatic drainage massage can do for you, take a look at your local spa, wellness spa or destination resort and see if there is any one there offering it, chances are most of them do.
This may become an important way for you to look after your health. You should consider making lymphatic massage a part of your wellness routine.