Benefits of Lymphatic Massage

Lymplex Lymphatic Detox

Lymphatic System Health

As massage therapists, we spend our days caring for others and often arrive home too tired to take care of ourselves. What if there was a simple self-care protocol that you could do in 15 minutes, while you lay in bed at night, one that was relaxing as well as healing? Lymph drainage is just such a therapy.

The majority of lymph nodes are located on the front of the body, making them easy to reach. It's gentle work, so it doesn't strain over-tired hands and you can cleanse the main lymph nodes in just 15 minutes, which is plausible at the end of a long workday. The results are relaxation, detoxification and healing on many levels. I use this self-care sequence myself and have taught it to both clients and colleagues.


The Effects of Lymph Drainage

By manually stimulating the lymphatic system, you:

Increase the carrying capacity of the lymph system, allowing it to process up to 10 times more fluid than normal.

Increase the flow through the lymph nodes, filtering out waste products, dead cells, excess proteins and toxins from the tissues.

Increase the production of lymphocytes, thereby increasing the body's ability to fight infections.

Activate the parasympathetic response, producing a body-wide relaxation effect.
So how do these broad changes specifically affect the body? The most famous application for lymph drainage is its effectiveness in treating edema and lymphedema. However, this therapy is profoundly effective for supporting our health overall. The Chikly Health Institute lists more than 100 indications for lymph drainage, from relieving pain to regulating digestion to treating skin conditions. "The curriculum has evolved, since we started," says Dr. Bruno Chikly. "We have seen over 10,000 students and have developed both a lymphedema and non-lymphedema certification." Their training includes applications for organs, joints, trigger points and fascial restrictions.

Isabelle Mender, a massage therapist in Eugene, Ore., gives herself a lymphatic boost seasonally. "During hay fever season, I usually treat myself twice a day. The treatments help to alleviate my sinus congestion, runny, itchy eyes and overall inflammation in my head." David Doubblestein, a Lymph Drainage Therapy Instructor, uses lymphatic self-care to prevent illness and treat injury. "At the first sign of a cold, I do lymph drainage on myself and typically avoid the illness," said Doubblestein. "I've also smashed my fingers more than once. (I admit I'm not the most graceful with tools.) Draining the area gets rid of the pain and throbbing sensation, and quickly too." However, Doubblestein stresses that you don't need to be sick or injured to practice lymphatic self-care. "I personally love the neck sequence anytime. In particular, it's an excellent finish to yoga practice. You can do the neck sequence when you're relaxing in corpse pose, and it puts your body in a parasympathetic state." Mender agrees, "it's a great way to simply chill out!"


Self Care Protocol

The lymph nodes are the powerhouses of the lymphatic system, and you have more than 500, located at pivotal points along your lymphatic vessels. The majority of your lymph nodes are located in the neck, armpits, abdomen and groin. These are the areas we'll be addressing in this simplified self-care protocol. Stimulating the main lymph nodes of the body has a global effect on the lymphatic system, increasing lymph flow body-wide.

Lymph drainage is very different from traditional massage therapy. Here are some things to know:

Your touch needs to be very light, so light your mind will tell you it can't possibly be effective, especially if you're used to deep massage. However, 70% of the lymphatic vessels are located just underneath the skin. If you use too much pressure, you bypass these vessels. The lighter the touch, the more powerful the effect on the lymphatic system.
You're not gliding across the skin. Rather, you're very lightly stretching the skin. The lymphatic vessels are attached to the skin with small elastic fibers. When you stretch the skin, you're manually pumping the lymphatic vessels simultaneously.

The stretch will always be in the direction that the lymph flows normally, and it's important to lift your hands off the skin at the end of the stretch. Otherwise, you're simply moving the lymph back and forth.

The lymphatic rhythm is slow. Take three full seconds to stretch the skin. Release your touch completely for three seconds. Then, repeat.

This self-care protocol is based on the Chikly Method. Techniques taught by other schools may vary slightly.


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