In a sense, the lymphatic system is the body’s cleaning system. The lymphatic system is composed of vessels, nodes, and organs that help the lymph flow properly, remove waste products from it and direct them to organs responsible for flushing them out. Without a functional lymphatic system, lymphatic fluid and toxins can build up in your tissues, putting your body at risk of certain diseases.
Massages and long, gentle, and rhythmic strokes help restore the lymphatic system’s optimal function in lymphatic drainage.
Discover which conditions can benefit significantly from lymphatic drainage massage and how to tell if you need one.
What You Need to Know About Lymphatic Drainage Massage
If some or many of the following conditions occur on a chronic basis, it could signify that your body is accumulating toxins, and you may need a lymphatic drainage massage.
- Sensitivities to foods or allergies
- Sinus infections
- Digestive problems
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Excess weight
- Bloating
- Brain fog
- Chronic lethargy (persistent tiredness)
- Skin problems/dry and or itchy skin
- Swelling in your fingers/rings fitting more tightly
- Constipation
- Depression
- Increased susceptibility to colds and flu
Lymphatic drainage massage is beneficial for specific conditions
Multiple studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of lymphatic drainage massage in treating numerous health problems, including:
Lymphedema
Lymphedema is a chronic, debilitating condition caused by a blockage in the lymphatic system that causes fluid to accumulate in the soft tissues.
As part of lymphedema treatment, lymphatic medicine specialists employ decongestive lymphatic therapy, which incorporates compression bandaging and lymphatic drainage massage.
Researchers examined six trials involving lymphatic drainage massage and women with lymphedema after mastectomy (surgical removal of the breast done to prevent cancer from spreading). A lymphatic drainage massage improves the effectiveness of compression bandages in treating lymphedema following mastectomy.
Insufficiency of the venules chronically.
Insufficiency of the leg veins is referred to as chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). It prevents the blood from the legs from flowing back into the heart, causing it to pool in the legs.
CVI is also treated with lymphatic drainage massage, and its therapeutic effect has been touted. In 2017 studied 57 adult patients with CVI to determine whether lymphatic drainage massage could improve the flow of blood in the femoral artery and other vessels in the leg.
