Before describing the work of Manual Lympatic Drainage, it’s important to understand what the Lymph System is and how it functions in our bodies.
The Lymphatic System is one component of our circulatory and immune systems. This system of tissues and organs helps fight infection and disease, and contributes to healing tissue. Lymph fluid works with our blood, infiltrating all our tissue and organs. It plays an important role in maintaining healthy fluid levels in the body, removing cellular debris and toxins, and assisting the bodies absorption of certain fats and other molecules.
The system includes the lymph nodes, lymph vessels (thin tubes that carry lymph and white blood cells), bone marrow, spleen, thymus, tonsils and adenoids, and lymph tissue in the small intestine and other parts of the body. It is important to understand that the lymphatic system has two components: the Superficial Lymphatic System which lies just below the surface of the skin; and the Deep Lymphatic System which is embedded more deeply, encompassing organs, muscles and blood vessels.
The superficial system primarily drains lymph fluid from the skin and subcutaneous tissues, including fatty tissues. The superficial lymphatic vessels are smaller and more delicate than their deep counterparts, and they play a significant role in managing the body's response to infections and injuries on the skin's surface. In contrast, the deep lymphatic system is responsible for draining lymph from muscles, joints, and internal organs. This system includes larger lymphatic vessels and nodes, often situated near major blood vessels and within body cavities.
Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage (MLD) is a technique developed by the Dr. Emil Vodder and his wife Estrid, in Paris in the 1930s, working with patients with swollen lymph nodes. This technique of manual therapy is effective in moving lymph fluid, assisting the immune system in healing throughout the body, and it promotes healing of muscle tissue after injuries and surgery. It is especially helpful when recovering from joint surgeries.
The technique itself is performed with the patient in the lying position, and can be done with the patient wearing lightweight clothing, or with clothing removed and covered by a sheet:
The strokes are slow and rhythmic, that lightly stretch the skin
Beginning with “opening” strokes to the lymph nodes associated with a particular region of the body, the practitioner moves from close to the lymph nodes (proximal) then to further from the nodes, to drain the affected areas
Manual Lymphatic Massage (MLD) uses very gentle pressure, which is essential to address the superficial lymph system
A session of Manual Lymph Drainage is not like a typical session of Massage Therapy
Generally a session addressing both the anterior (front) and posterior (back) of the body is about an hour in length, and the fee is $100. If the patient needs more site-specific work (ie: recovering from joint surgery) the fee is dependent on the length of time of the session
MLD can be combined with Craniosacral Therapy for a deeply supportive session