The Lymphatic system, and how Lymphatic massage can help

WHAT IS THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM?

THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM IS A NETWORK OF TISSUES, VESSELS AND ORGANS THAT WORK TOGETHER TO MOVE A COLORLESS, WATERY FLUID CALLED LYMPH BACK INTO YOUR CIRCULATORY SYSTEM (YOUR BLOODSTREAM). IT CLOSELY MIRRORS YOUR CIRCULATORY SYSTEM, EXCEPT IT DOSEN’T HAVE A PUMP (HEART)TO PUSH THE FLUID THROUGH THE SYSTEM, BACK TOWARDS THE HEART

SOME 20 LITERS OF PLASMA FLOW THROUGH YOUR BODY’S ARTERIES AND SMALLER ARTERIOLE BLOOD VESSELS AND CAPILLARIES EVERY DAY. AFTER DELIVERING NUTRIENTS AND OXYGEN TO THE BODY’S CELLS AND TISSUES AND RECEIVING THEIR WASTE PRODUCTS, ABOUT 17 LITERS OF PLASMA ARE RETURNED TO THE HEART VIA THE VEINS. THE REMAINING THREE LITERS SEEP THROUGH THE CAPILLARIES AND INTO YOUR BODY’S TISSUES. ONCE IN THE BODIES TISSUES THIS FLUID IS CALLED EXTRACELLULAR FLUID. IT SURROUNDS THE CELLS AND CREATES HYDRATION IN THE TISSUES. IT ALSO COLLECTS METABOLIC WASTE, BACTERIAS, CANCEROUS CELL, FATS, PROTEINS AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT DOESENT BELONG IN OUR BODIES TISSUES

IN A PERFECTLY FUNCTIONING THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM THIS EXTRACELLULAR FLUID, ALONG WITH WHATEVER IT PICKED UP IN THE TISSUES, IS REABSORBED INTO THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM, NOW CALLED LYMPH, WHERE IT IS RETURNED TO YOUR HEART, REOXYGENATED, AND RECIRCULATED INTO THE BLOODSTREAM, WHERE THE WHOLE PROCESS STARTS AGAIN

ALONG IT’S JOURNEY BACK TO THE HEART, THE LYMPH AND EVERYTHING IT’S PICKED UP FROM YOUR TISSUES, ARE FILTERED THROUGH THE LYMPHNODES. HIDING IN THE LYMPH NODES IS YOUR IMMUNE CELLS. THESE CELLS RECOGNIZE ALL THE BAD STUFF IN YOUR LYMPH, AND DESTROY THEM, KEEPING YOU NICE AND HEALTHY. THEY ALSO LET THE GOOD STUFF THROUGH, LIKE FAT AND PROTEIN, SO THEY CAN BE DELIVERED TO THE HEART AND TRANSPORTED THROUGHOUT THE BODY, VIA YOUR CIRCULATORY SYSTEM , FOR ENERGY

IN SUMMARY YOUR LYMPHATIC SYSTEM HAS MANY FUNCTIONS. ITS KEY FUNCTIONS INCLUDE:

• MAINTAINS FLUID LEVELS IN YOUR BODY: AS JUST DESCRIBED, THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM COLLECTS EXCESS FLUID THAT DRAINS FROM CELLS AND TISSUE THROUGHOUT YOUR BODY AND RETURNS IT TO YOUR BLOODSTREAM, WHICH IS THEN RECIRCULATED THROUGH YOUR BODY.
• ABSORBS FATS FROM THE DIGESTIVE TRACT: LYMPH INCLUDES FLUIDS FROM YOUR INTESTINES THAT CONTAIN FATS AND PROTEINS AND TRANSPORTS IT BACK TO YOUR BLOODSTREAM. ONCE IN YOUR BLOODSTREAM THE FATS AND PROTEINS CAN BE DELIVERED TO THE VARIOUS CELLS OF THE BODY AND USED FOR ENERGY
• PROTECTS YOUR BODY AGAINST FOREIGN INVADERS: THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM IS PART OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM. IT PRODUCES AND RELEASES LYMPHOCYTES (WHITE BLOOD CELLS) AND OTHER IMMUNE CELLS THAT MONITOR AND THEN DESTROY THE FOREIGN INVADERS — SUCH AS BACTERIA, VIRUSES, PARASITES AND FUNGI — THAT MAY ENTER YOUR BODY.
• TRANSPORTS AND REMOVES WASTE PRODUCTS AND ABNORMAL CELLS FROM THE TISSUES OF YOUR BODY

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR LYMPHATIC SYSTEM SLOWS DOWN AND BECOMES CONGESTED?

SINCE YOUR LYMPHATIC SYSTEM DOES NOT HAVE A PUMP TO PUSH THE FLUID AROUND, IT RELIES ON MUSCLE CONTRACTION, AND PRESSURE TO MOVE THE LYMPH FROM THE TISSUES, INTO THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM AND BACK UP TOWARDS THE HEART. BECAUSE OF THIS IT IS COMMON FOR THE LYMPH FLOW TO SLOW DOWN. THIS SLOWDOWN OF FLUID BEING ABSORBED FROM YOUR TISSUES, INTO THE LYMPH SYSTEM, CAN CREATE EXCESSIVE FLUID RETENTION IN YOUR TISSUES.

THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM IS STILL PUMPING FLUID INTO YOUR TISSUES, BUT THE LYMPATIC SYSTEM CAN’T KEEP UP WITH THE REABSORPTION! THIS CAUSES PUFFYNESS, “WATER RETENTION, EDEMA, AND BLOATING.

THIS ALSO MEANS ALL THAT METOBOLIC WASTE, BACTERIA, CANCEROUS CELLS AND ALL THE OTHER BAD STUFF THAT THE LYMPH SYSTEM USUALLY FILTERS, ALSO HANG OUT IN OUR BODY LONGER THAN IT SHOULD. THIS CAN EVENTUALLY LEAD TO A DECLINE IN HEALTH AND WELLBEING

A SLOW LYMPHATIC SYSTEM CAN ALSO AFFECT HOW THE BODY STORES FAT. IF THE FAT AND PROTEINS, COLLECTED FROM THE SMALL INTESTINE, CANNOT REACH THE HEART, VIA THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM, IT CANNOT BE USED FOR ENERGY. THIS MEANS IT WILL BE STORED IN THE TISSUES FOR LATER USE, ROBBING YOUR CELLS OF ENERGY AND CREATING THE ACCUMULATION OF FAT STORAGE IN THE BODY

CONGESTION IN THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM CAN ALSO LEAD TO CHRONIC PAIN. EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF FLUID AND METABOLIC WASTE IN THE TISSUES CAN CAUSE COMPRESION AND STIMULATION OF THE PAIN RECEPTORS, CALLED NOCICEPTORS, WHICH WILL SEND THE PAIN MESSAGE TO YOUR BRAIN. THIS IS WHY THE SWELLING AFTER AN ANKLE SPRAIN OR INJURY CAUSES SO MUCH PAIN. IF THE ENTIRE BODY IS CONGESTED OR SWOLLEN, THE PAIN CAN BE FELT GLOBALLY OR IN THE AREAS WHERE THE CONGESTION IS WORSE

HOW CAN LYMPHATIC MASSAGE AND VACUUM THERAPY HELP WITH SLOW LYMPHATIC FLOW AND CONGESTION SINCE THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM IS LOCATED UNDER THE SKIN, IN THE SUPERFICIAL FASCIA, A DEHYDRATED AND RESTRICTED FASCIA CAN COMPRESS THE SENSITIVE LYMPHATIC VESSELS AND CAUSE CONGESTIONS AND BLOCKAGES IN LYMPH FLOW.

VACUUM THERAPY, WHICH IS A DEVICE THAT SUCKS THE SKIN UPWARDS (SIMILAR TO CUPPING) AND WORKS TO RELEASE THE SUPERFICIAL FASCIA. IT ALSO HELPS TO DRAW DEEPER CONGESTED FLUID UP TOWARDS THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM SO IT CAN BE RECIRCULATED TOWARDS THE HEART.

AFTER THE VACCUM THERAPY, A SPECIFIC MANUAL LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE MASSAGE IS PERFORMED. IT INCLUDES PUMPING THE CONGESTED LYMPHNODES AND MANUALLY PUSHING FLUID THROUGH THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM BACK TOWARDS THE HEART.

THIS MANUAL PUMPING OF LYMPH SPEEDS UP LYMPH FLOW, WHICH HELPS DECREASE THE FLUID CONGESTION IN THE TISSUES. IT ALSO PUSHES ALL THE BAD STUFF THROUGH THE LYMPHNODES SO THEY CAN FILTERED AND ELIMINATED.

BENEFITS OF VACUUM THERAPY AND LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE

• ELIMINATION OF PUFFYNESS, BLOATING AND EDEMA UNDER YOUR SKIN. LEAVING YOU WITH A MORE CONTOURED AND LEAN LOOKING FIGURE
• IMPROVED IMMUNE SYSTEM AND WELLBEING
• DECREASE IN CONGESTION RELATED PAIN
• IMPROVED ENERGY AND VITALY DUE TO FATS AND PROTEINS REACHING THE CELLS FOR ENERGY
• REDUCTION OF SWELLING IN LIMBS, HANDS AND FEET
• DECREASE IN SINUS CONGESTION AND PRESSURE HEADACHES
• DECREASE IN THE APPERANCE OF CELLULITE

IS VACUUW THERAPY WITH LYMPHATIC MASSAGE SAFE FOR EVERYONE?

UNFORTUNATLY THERE ARE SOME CONTRAINDICATIONS TO THIS TYPE OF TREATMENT

• ACTIVE CANCER
• ANYONE WHO HAS HAD LYMPHNODES REMOVED DUE TO SURGERY OR CANCER ( MORE ADVANCED TREATMENT IS REQUIRED FOR THOSE WHO HAVE HAD LYMPH NODES REMOVED)
• CROHNS DISEASE
• THE TREATMENT MUST BE MODIFIED IF THERE ARE OPEN WOUNDS OR SKIN IRRITATION

AT MYOCARE, OUR VACUUM THERAPY AND LYMPHATIC MASSAGE TREATMENTS ARE PERFORMED BY RMT’S. THIS ENSURES YOUR TREATMENT WILL BE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE, AS OUR RMT’S ARE HIGHLY EDUCATED ON ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY AND TREATMENT MODALITIES. SO PLACE YOUR HEALTH IN EXPERIENCED, KNOWLEDGABLE HANDS AND BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY

IN THE MEAN TIME HOW CAN YOU HELP YOUR LYMPHATIC SYSTEM FLOW BETTER?

MOVING YOUR BODY AND DRINKING LOTS OF WATER ARE THE 2 BEST WAYS TO ENSURE YOUR LYMPH FLOWS WELL. REMEMBER, THE LYMPH SYSTEM RELIES ON MUSCLE CONTRACTION AND PRESSURE TO PUSH THE LYMPH UP TOWARDS THE HEART. SO REGULAR FULL BODY MOVEMENTS TO CONTRACT THOSE MUSCLES, AND LOTS OF WATER TO MAINTAIN A GOOD PRESSURE IN THE CIRCULATORY AND LYMPH SYSTEM. PROPER HYDRATION IS ALSO KEY TO MAINTAING A FLUID AND HEALTHY FASCIA