Lymphatic Drainage Massage

What is Lymphatic Drainage Therapy?

Similar to your circulatory system moving blood throughout our bodies, we also have a lymphatic system that moves/drains lymph fluid from our tissues and organs. Lymphatic drainage helps recirculate lymphatic flow, activate the fluid circulation, and stimulate the functioning of the immune and parasympathetic nervous systems. It combines the whole body: organs, all tissue, and the fluid in the body. There is a rhythm, direction, and quality of movement for this system under a person's skin.

Unlike the circulatory system, there isn't a pump to move fluids along the lymphatic system, it's a vacuum system, so as we activate one area the whole body is affected.

Woman receiving a neck massage at Posture by Julie

I have been working with a client who had tongue cancer and ended up with lymphedema in her neck because of it. Over time we helped her neck drain and become more like its regular size. She learned how to drain her tissues and got it to where her neck stays drained even if we miss a week of treatments. Our purpose is to work with clients and teach them techniques to help their bodies heal. We pride ourselves in helping people to better understand their own bodies and to relieve many of their own symptoms. This helps people to feel better progressively over time and between visits. By working the lymphatic system, we have been able to clear anything that the body does not need anymore and drain swelling.

If you've had surgery where you were intubated, I can help relax the muscles to help clear up neck and throat tightness and possible memory in the tissue.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MOUTH WORK

The Importance of Lymphatic Drainage

The proper functioning of the lymphatic system is critical to our body’s ability to drain fluids, detoxify, regenerate tissues, filter out toxins and foreign substances, and maintain a healthy immune system. It’s a complex system comprised primarily of lymph vessels and nodes working in cooperation to accomplish these tasks.

The lymph uses suction rather than a pump to move fluid. The movement of the body and deep breaths help clean out your organs and bring in the new fluid to detox and flush the area. Many things can affect the lymph, such as: fatigue, stress, lack of physical activity, emotional shock, cold temperatures, infections, substantial swelling, age, chemicals or food additives. When the lymph circulation stagnates, fluids, proteins, cells and toxins accumulate and you look puffy. We can help you get this entire system moving and happy again.

Health Benefits of Lymphatic Drainage

THERE ARE SO MANY BENEFITS!! Any and all inflammation can go away! This is great for preventative health, as well as for any new stresses or issues that you notice in your body.

We will activate fluid circulation and stimulate the immune system and parasympathetic nervous system to aid in the following:

Reduction in swelling
Relief of chronic and sub-acute inflammation and conditions such as sinusitis, acne, eczema, and allergies
Immune system stimulation for preventive and therapeutic effects
Regeneration of tissue from burns and scars (pre- and postsurgical) See our blog about Surgery and Lymphatic Drainage
Cancer Recovery, See our blog about Lymphatic Drainage and Cancer Recovery
Detoxification of the body
Relief of chronic pain
Deep relaxation to aid insomnia, depression, stress, loss of vitality, and loss of memory
Muscles are softer/ relaxed
Reduction in the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia
Anti-aging effects
Advanced technique for fascia, viscera and joints

How Should I Prepare for My Session? What Should I wear?

Starting a few days before your session, it is good to drink a lot of water to hydrate your tissues and organs. On the day of the session, please drink be sure to drink at least 48 oz of water a couple hours before your session.

Wear loose fitting clothing or something comfortable. Avoid wearing jeans if possible. Your Lymphatic Drainage massage session will be clothed.

What to expect during your lymphatic drainage massage session

You'll lay on the table in loose clothing and through light touch, we will find the blockages or slow areas in your lymph systems and get them moving again. Scar tissue is loosened using the lymph (the water in the body) and other blockages are cleared to allow proper flow and draining. The neck, armpits, belly, and legs are all areas of congestion that will get cleared. I will teach you, if you are interested, in how to work on yourself too. There are many ways to get the lymph moving, even jumping on a trampoline, deep breathing, stretching, and sleeping all help.

The more hydrated you are the easier it is to work in the lymph system, so please drink your water! Drinking half of your body weight in ounces daily is ideal. Going to the bathroom is how your body dispose of what the lymph has cleared, so you will be going to the bathroom often after the session. If you feel achy or sick, please drink water, as your body is moving things out. It's like if you declutter your house and leave everything at your front door, you need to bring it out the curb to really clear it out so your house is nice and clear.

What are the results?

When your lymph is drained from an area you can expect some, if not all, of the following:

Less swollen appearance of your tissues. This can be dramatic, especially in areas like the neck, face, hands and arms, and also if you have not had any lymphatic drainage massage in the past
One of the fun parts of my job is having clients look in the mirror after our sessions
Many clients begin having a taller, slimmer and straighter appearance
A reduction in inflammation
A reduction in pain
An increased feeling of lightness and fluidity
An increase in breathing capacity and energy
An improved ability to handle life's stresses and curveballs with ease
Clearer thoughts and better cognition
An increase in mobility
Improved flexibility and balance
Faster Healing - For those who are post-op/post surgery or healing from an injury, lymphatic drainage can help the tissues to expel their wastes and accelerate your healing.
A necessity to urinate soon after the massage Lymph drains somewhere and that place is to your bladder! All a healthy and normal process.
A reminder from my to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Rivers in real life as well as in your body do best when they have plenty of water to flow through their channels!

Schedule an Appointment by clicking the blue "Schedule an Appointment" button below.

Text (203) 358-7422 if you have questions.