At e-Vita Wellness you can receive lymphatic drainage manually or via compression therapy ( by Normatec technology).
Lately, lymphatic drainage has become a popular health procedure due to its numerous health benefits.
So, we like to think of it as a legendary process because of how it works, and the benefits it brings to the table. This specialized and gentle process works on the lymphatic system.
On the surface, lymphatic drainage massage appears to only help the lymphatic system and enhance proper lymph circulation. However, the lymphatic drainage massage benefits are more than this. Your body will love you right back for booking that professional lymphatic drainage massage.
Book your Appointment
Contact our scheduling department today to make an appointment.
Please, contact us for scheduling your consultation or Lymphatic Drainage Treatment today.
Here is all you need to know about manual lymph drainage and what it brings to your health table.
What is Lymphatic Drainage?
To understand the science behind lymphatic drainage, you may need to understand the functioning of the lymphatic system.
The lymphatic system is made up of lymph nodes and lymph vessels full of lymph. (1) The lymph is a mixture of:
- water
- waste products
- proteins
- immune system elements
The system is all through the body. The prominent lymph nodes are located in the armpits, neck, and groin. And their role is to filter debris. They work to ensure that clean lymph is transported towards the heart. This is how the system works on the normal.
However, sometimes the system may become sluggish for whatever reason. Some of the popular reasons behind a sluggish lymphatic system include:
- surgery (your doctor has probably told you to have lymphatic drainage after a surgery)
- medical conditions
- damages in the lymph system
- lack or minimal movements of muscle tissues (the reason why many middle-aged sedentary women need to get frequent lymphatic drainage massage therapy)
In these cases, the ideal resort is manually having the fluids move, and that is having lymphatic drainage massages.
How Does Lymphatic Drainage Massage Therapy Work?
From looking at the lymphatic system and how it works, we can easily deduce that lymphatic drainage massage helps eliminate toxins from the body.
But what is there beyond that? What more can your body enjoy from this gentle pressure massage?
What Happens During a Lymph Drainage Massage?
Ensure you get your massage from a professional massage therapist. The massage is delicate, and anything could happen, such as redirecting the lymph fluids towards the wrong direction in the lymph vessels. This is why you need to ensure you are getting it from a professional.
During the massage, the techniques used will include:
- stretching
- gliding
- compressing
- cupping
All these motions will be gentle and rhythmic. The rhythmic pressure ensures the lymphatic fluid is moving without getting trapped anywhere.
Types of Lymphatic Drainage Massage
There are four types of massages used by doctors, massage therapists, and physical therapists.
The four types are:
- Vodder: this is widely considered the foundational technique. It uses various sweeping motions over and around the area of interest.
- Foldi: This is considered an extension of the Vodder technique. In the Foldi technique, the massage therapist alternates between circular hand motions and short periods of relaxation.
- Casley-Smith: This approach uses the palms and the side of the hands to facilitate circular motions on the area being treated
- Leduc: Leduc uses hand motions to collect lymph fluid from different locations of the lymph nodes before redirecting it to the larger lymphatic system
Lymphatic Drainage Massage Benefits
The health benefits of lymphatic drainage massage are so many.
Your body will enjoy these benefits when you get a lymphatic massage:
- Stimulate tissue regeneration and blood circulation
- Minimizes swelling and water retention
- promotes faster elimination of excess interstitial fluid
- immune system boost
- reduces the amount of fluid pressing against the skin fibers
- boosts mental and body relaxation
- promotes lightness in the limbs and the body
- energizes the bodies
We love to categorize these as the direct benefits of manual lymphatic drainage. In one way or another, these benefits will help in treating health issues that affect many people. Here are some popular health issues that lymphatic drainage massages can help fix.
Treating Lymphedema
Lymphatic drainage massage is used to treat people with lymphedema. (1) Lymphedema is a condition caused by the accumulation of lymph fluid in one of the limbs, which results in swelling.
The accumulation of the fluid in the limbs is caused by:
- genetic disorders
- infections
- surgery
- injuries
- cancer treatment
The symptoms of lymphedema include:
- pain
- skin discoloration
- tissue swelling
- heaviness in the limbs
- weakness
- hardening or thickening of the skin
- recurring infections
In some cases, lymphatic drainage massage is used to complement compression bandages to treat lymphedema. In some cases, lymphatic massage is used as a stand-alone treatment to enhance lymph flow.
After a mastectomy(removal of breast tissues to prevent breast cancer progression), enhancing lymphatic circulation can help ease post-surgery symptoms. This may also be useful in treating breast cancer-related lymphedema.
Orthopedics
Manual lymphatic drainage is super effective in orthopedic surgery or for people recovering from an orthopedic injury.
If you have had knee surgery, you know how much pain and swelling can be involved. The chronic swelling is normal after an orthopedic surgery due to the inflammation following the tissue trauma. Chronic swelling is referred to as edema.
Prolonged periods of edema prolong the rehabilitation process from orthopedic surgery. A lymphatic massage will help:
- ease the pain
- heal the wounds by supporting quick wound closure
- minimize the risk of infections on the wounds
Manual lymphatic drainage is a great asset when treating post-operative swelling. It is a critical component in the rehabilitation process while and after undergoing orthopedic surgery.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
In the early stages of rheumatoid arthritis, lymph circulation is impaired. As the disease progresses, it erodes the joints. At a more advanced stage, you will notice symptoms such as:
- joint pain
- change in skin color
- loss of joint function
Lymphatic massage helps relieve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. The massage relieves the symptoms temporarily. You will, therefore, need to have it frequently.
Chronic Venous Insufficiency
Chronic venous disease is a condition that affects the veins and valves in the legs. The condition makes blood circulation difficult since it hinders the transportation of blood from the legs back to the heart.
Lymphatic massage is a conservative treatment for chronic venous disease. The light pressure massage has proven to almost instantly increase the velocity of the stuck blood.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is characterized by severe inflammation of the nerves in the skin, which show as skin discoloration and tissue swelling.
Lymphatic drainage massage was found to be better than other massage techniques in improving people’s life quality with fibromyalgia.
Enhanced lymphatic flow does the following to the people with fibromyalgia:
- reduces stiffness
- reduces the depressions
Lymphatic Drainage and the Immune System
This specialized massage promotes a healthy movement of the lymphatic fluid through the body.
How does lymphatic drainage help boost the immune system?
It:
- helps maintain fluid balance in the body
- removes bacteria and other toxins alongside the lymphatic fluid
- increases blood flow and circulation (read as more transportation of white blood cells to needed)
If you have a sedentary lifestyle, you may realize that you constantly have infections such as colds and flu. And if they hit you, they stay for longer before your system fights them.
This is why I recommend you visit a physical therapist if your work or daily life involves minimal movements.
Lymphatic Drainage and Skin Appearance
Many people go for radical and intensive treatment for their skin problems when a simple and gentle massage that involves circular hand motions could quickly get you flawless skin.
Lymphatic drainage enhances the circulation of the lymphatic fluid in the subcutaneous tissue. The massage helps drain the wastes and toxins from the body. This will help the body eliminate the wastes quickly. (2)
Issues such as acne often arise when there is an accumulation of toxins. Clearing them out could help reduce acne breakouts.
Lymphatic drainage has also proven to be effective in reducing cellulite appearance. Water and sometimes fat bags press on the skin surface from the soft tissues in the body. Decongestive lymphatic therapy releases the water and fat bags in the larger lymphatic system. This helps reduce the bumpy effect, making your skin more flawless.
Who Can Benefit From Lymphatic Drainage Massage?
Lymphatic massage can benefit people with the following health problems:
- skin disorders
- insomnia
- stress
- digestive problems
- migraine episodes
Who Should Not Have Lymphatic Massage
In fact, if you have a history of the following conditions, you shouldn’t have lymphatic drainage massage:
- blood clots
- heart failure
- kidney problems
- circulation problems
Ensure you talk to your doctor before booking your lymphatic drainage massage therapy.
Frequently Asked Questions
We answer some lymphatic drainage FAQs to help you understand more about the massage. Of course, you need to understand how manual lymph drainage works before booking your massage appointment.
How do I drain my lymphatic fluid myself?
Yes, it is possible to perform your lymphatic drainage massage at home. However, it would be ideal if you learned it from a professional therapist.
Massage therapists will help learn the proper motions, pressure, and directions to take during the massage.
What does lymphatic drainage feel like?
The lymph drainage is gentle. It involves gentle movements and is not painful at all.
Some people describe it as soothing.
Is lymphatic drainage dangerous?
This massage is safe.
However, it may be dangerous if you have some health conditions such as kidney and heart problems. This is the reason you need your doctor to provide medical advice before booking your appointment with physical therapists.
If there is pain during the lymphatic massage, it is a sign of possible underlying health conditions such as deep vein thrombosis.
What are the symptoms of poor lymphatic drainage?
You need to know how to measure the performance of your lymphatic drainage. If your lymphedema keeps worsening even after having massages regularly, then something is wrong.
How Do You Prepare For A Lymphatic Drainage?
Drink lots of water two days before the scheduled massage. Your body has to be well hydrated to enable proper movement of the waste and toxins.
On the surface, it may appear like lymph drainage will only unclog the lymph nodes and vessels. However, the health benefits that come with it are way more than that. If you have lymphedema or signs of chronic swelling, talk to your doctor concerning the lymphatic massage. You will enjoy long-term health benefits as well as simple relaxation and better sleep at night.
Our parting shot would be to tell you to ensure you have your lymphatic drainage from a professional and licensed healthcare provider. You do not want to mess your lymphatic system up; you want to enjoy the full health benefits of the process.
Also, check out other Wellness Services
SEE WHAT OUR FRIENDS HAVE TO SAY
After having knee surgery, my knees still hurt and the swelling made even walking difficult. My surgeon was confident that the surgery was a success, my pain and swelling made me look up the Internet. And that’s how I learned about lymphatic drainage. I found e-vita on the web and it seemed like a professional place, which it turned out to be. The people are amazing, and after my third drainage session, I feel much lighter and the swelling’s 70% gone
– Timothy Dickinson, Business Owner
I took my mother for a lymphatic drainage session at e-Vita after she heard its benefits from her friend. I don’t believe in alternative therapies but after seeing my mom bending to pick things up, I went like WOWW! She had severe back pain which pretty much blocked her back movements. I’m happy with Evita’s expertise and precision!
– Leticia Elmers, Attorney
I’ve had around 7 Lymphatic Drainage sessions, and have loved the Leduc technique out of all that I tried. e-vita knows the best, and the technicians have never given me a chance to complain. Great place, and definitely trustworthy!
– Kevin Davis, Retail Business
Evita’s the go-to place to get lymphatic massages for my husband and me. We travel a lot for our business and those long sedentary hours make our legs feel like lead. The place is always clean, that’s a great plus for me!
– Melissa Allen, Co-founder
Book your Appointment
Contact our scheduling department today to make an appointment.
Please, contact us for scheduling your consultation or Lymphatic Drainage Treatment today.
Sources:
1 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21392372/
2 https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/324694-overview