Lymphatic Drainage Massage

Lymphatic drainage massage has become a popular form of massage due to its potential health benefits. It's a gentle form of massage that focuses on the lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system.

Your lymph system includes organs, vessels, and tissues that move or drain a water-like fluid called lymph from other parts of your body into your bloodstream.

Lymphatic drainage massage is especially helpful if you have lymphedema, which happens when lymph fluid doesn't go back to your blood the way it should and stays in other parts of your body.

Lymphedema happens most often in your legs or arms. Many things can cause lymphedema, including:

Genetic disorders
Injury
Infection
Cancer treatment
Surgery

Massage is a way to help move the lymph fluid and make the swelling it causes go away.

If you're otherwise healthy, lymphatic drainage massage may feel relaxing, but it isn't likely to improve your health a lot.

The Lymphatic System

Your lymphatic system is an important part of your immune system. It keeps fluids in your body balanced and protects you against infections.

Your lymphatic vessels, collecting ducts, tissues, and organs drain extra lymph fluid that leaks into your tissues from tiny blood vessels (capillaries). If your lymphatic system doesn't work right or is blocked, you'll end up with extra fluid in your tissues.

Your lymphatic system also includes:

Bone marrow. This soft, spongy tissue in your bones makes blood cells.
Thymus. Immune T cells mature in this organ in your chest.
Tonsils and adenoids. These structures in your throat and nasal cavity trap germs in food you eat and air you breathe.
Spleen. This large lymphatic organ under your ribs and above your stomach filters old or damaged cells from your blood.
Lymph nodes. These glands in your neck, armpits, and groin filter viruses or bacteria from your lymph fluid is it moves through them.
Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT). The thin mucous membrane lining your tonsils, airways, small intestine, and appendix helps to find and rid you of germs.

Benefits of Lymphatic Drainage Massage

‌Lymphatic drainage massage can help move trapped fluid when you have lymphedema. Your lymphedema specialist may use manual lymph drainage along with other techniques, including:

Exercises
Cupping
Hot & Cold stones
Infrared, Red-light therapy
Essential oils that moves the lymphatic system

Many people get lymphedema during recovery from breast cancer surgery. If you have lymphedema after a mastectomy, which involves the removal of breast tissue to treat or prevent breast cancer, lymph drainage massage can help ease mild to moderate symptoms after surgery.

Treating Other Health Conditions

Lymphatic drainage massage may help treat other health problems, too. Some conditions may improve more with the massage than others. Studies have found some lymphatic massage benefits for conditions including:

‌Rheumatoid arthritis. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, you may have poor lymph flow as the disease gets worse. Along with tissue swelling, pain in the joints increases, joints lose their function, and the skin changes color. Lymph drainage massage can help ease these later-stage rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.
‌Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Chronic venous insufficiency is when the valves or walls of the veins that are in the legs don't work well. This makes it hard for the blood to flow back to the heart from the legs.‌ Lymphatic drainage massage can help increase the speed of blood flow in people with CVI.
The massage can make the femoral artery – the large artery in the thigh – perform better right after the session. It's unclear how long this impact lasts or whether the massage provides long-term relief from pain and swelling. Further research in this area would help shed more light on how well this massage technique works on CVI.
‌Fibromyalgia. Lymph drainage massage may help people with fibromyalgia. This condition causes inflammation of the skin nerves, discoloration of the skin, and tissue swelling. The massage has been shown to be better than connective tissue massage in treating depression, stiffness, and improving quality of life for those living with fibromyalgia.
Lipedema. This is the name for when you have lymphedema from fat in your lower body that blocks lymph from draining through your lymphatic system.

Types of Lymphatic Drainage Massage

There are four types of lymphatic drainage massage commonly used by massage therapists, physical therapists, and doctors. These include:

*Vodder. This technique uses various sweeping motions around the area your therapist is treating.
Foldi. An extension of the Vodder technique, Foldi requires your massage therapist to alternate between circular hand motions and moments of relaxation.
Casley-Smith. This approach to lymphatic massage also involves circular hand motions, mainly using the sides and palms of the hands.
Leduc. This technique relies on hand motions to collect lymph fluid before redirecting it into the larger lymphatic system.

All these techniques work about the same way. They use gentle movements to stretch and move the skin in the direction of lymph flow. The strokes must start at the part of the limb nearest to your torso and move outward. Your massage will usually last1 hour or 1.5 hours.

What Happens During a Lymphatic Drainage Massage?

Talk to your doctor before getting a lymphatic drainage massage, and make sure you're seeing a trained and certified professional. Your massage therapist will follow a particular sequence, using a series of massage techniques, including stretching, compressing, gliding, and cupping motions. They'll start with the main lymph drains. These include lymph nodes in your:

‌Neck
Groin
Armpits

Light movements stimulate your lymphatic system without pressing hard on your vessels. They make the lymph fluid move easily through your nodes and tissues, making sure the fluid doesn't get trapped anywhere.

Lymphatic drainage has two steps. They are:

Clearing. During this step, your tissues will release lymph fluid.
Reabsorption. Your lymph fluid moves into your lymph nodes.

How Can I Drain My Lymphatic System Myself?

Ask your lymphedema specialist if there are things you can to do help with your lymphatic drainage at home. Your doctor can help you decide whether it's a good idea to try do-it-yourself lymphatic drainage massage, perhaps along with seeing a massage therapist skilled in lymphatic drainage. When in doubt, see a certified lymphedema therapist.

You can try other things to help your lymphatic system, too, such as:

Deep breathing
Exercise
Moving a brush in circles on your skin
Swimming
Tapping your skin right above your collarbones
Herbal support
Aroma Acupoint Therapy

How Can I Tell if Lymphatic Drainage Massage Is Working?

Massage might not help with your lymphedema right away enough to notice. If it's working, you should start to get relief from your symptoms of lymphedema in time. Your swelling should go down. You'll feel less heavy or tight. It will be easier to move, too. You may notice your clothes fit you better.

If you've had a few massages and aren't seeing any difference, ask your doctor about other things to try.

Risks of Lymphatic Drainage Massage

Lymphatic drainage is usually safe and can help with lymphedema. It might not be a good idea for you if you have other conditions, including:

Heart problems
Kidney failure
Blood clots
Infection

Most people tolerate lymphatic drainage massage well. But it sometimes may cause:

Headaches
Nausea
Fatigue

If you aren't feeling well after your massages, ask your doctor for advice. If you're thinking about trying massage but are worried about the risks, talk to your doctors or a certified lymphedema specialist about it.

When to Get a Lymph Drainage Massage

Lymph drainage massage is a useful way to treat lymphedema and may help with certain other health conditions. If you have symptoms of trapped lymph fluid in your body, talk to your doctor about whether massage could help.

Symptoms of lymphedema to watch for include:

Pain
Skin discoloration
Tissue swelling
Heaviness in the limbs
Weakness
Hardening or thickening of the skin
Recurring infections

If you have these signs and think you may have lymphedema but aren't sure, see a doctor to find out what it is and how to treat it.

Common Lymphatic Drainage Therapy Questions

What are the benefits of a Lymphatic Drainage Therapy?

There are a huge list of benefits when considering our lymphatic treatments. If a lymphatic system has any blockages it can cause an equal amount of all sorts of health issues. Our bodily cells rely on lymphatic fluid which is full of disease-fighting white blood cells, to transport substances, communicate with other cells, and help them carry out their main functions.

Through the technique of our lymphatic drainage session, we manually help to re-educate your body by opening up the detox channels to flow with more ease. This helps to reduce fluid retention, get rid of inflammation, encourage hormonal balance, improve digestion, speed up healing and surgery recovery, assist muscle recovery, boost immunity, improve blood circulation, detox the body, and much more!

How can a post-surgery lymphatic drainage therapy benefit me after liposuction, post-tummy tuck recovery, and help aid in Brazilian butt lift recovery ?

Post-liposuction lymphatic massages can help reduce swelling and improve the overall contour of treated areas, aiding in faster recovery and more satisfactory results.

Lymphatic massages are particularly beneficial for tummy tuck recovery. They can help minimize post-operative swelling and improve skin tightness in the abdominal area.

Lymphatic massages can help maintain the shape and appearance of your newly enhanced buttocks after a BBL by promoting proper blood circulation and lymphatic drainage.

How Does Manual Lymphatic Drainage Work?

Normally, the lymphatic system collects lymph fluid and returns it to your heart through the lymph vessels and nodes. But when there’s a disruption to your lymphatic system’s process, such as the removal of lymph nodes during surgery for breast cancer, the fluid can collect in your arms and legs, which leads to swelling. The medical term for swelling is edema, so the condition is called lymphedema.

Certified therapists commonly use MLD to relieve swelling by coaxing lymph fluid from your tissues to your functioning lymph nodes. Unlike traditional massage, lymphatic drainage massage uses light pressure to mobilize the lymphatic system, which lies directly beneath the skin.

MLD follows a specific sequence, starting with the main drains in the body, including the lymph nodes in the neck, groin and armpits. The idea is that by massaging an area where there is no swelling, the congested lymph fluid will have somewhere to go because you’ve created space for it.

Can lymphatic massage help speed the recovery time post-op?

Recovery after plastic surgery procedures like liposuction, tummy tucks, Brazilian butt lifts (BBL), and others can be challenging, but post-surgery lymphatic massages can make a significant difference in the healing process. Provided you have a medical referral, we recommend starting your lymphatic drainage treatment as soon as possible. We normally advise having a mild first treatment 3 days after your surgery as it hugely reduces the symptoms of bruises, swelling, stiffness, scars, lumps and soreness that is quite common after post-op. However, you may also start our post-operative treatments as early as 1 day later with your doctor’s recommendation/clearance. For quickest recovery, come in once or twice a week for three to four weeks (this could vary depending on how your body reacts to the treatment and if you have already developed fibrosis).

What should I do after my lymphatic drainage massage?

We recommend rest, light exercise, 2-4 glasses of water and eat well. Avoid drinking caffeine, alcoholic beverages, and eating heavy meals for the next 3-6 hours. If you include an infrared sauna treatment as well, please do not expose your skin to the sun until six hours after your treatment, as the products are still in effect.

Can post-surgery lymphatic massages help with scar management?

Yes, lymphatic massages can aid in scar healing by promoting proper circulation and tissue regeneration.

What are the side effects of our lymphatic treatments?

It is possible to experience headaches, nausea, and fatigue after a lymphatic drainage massage through the detoxification process. If this happens, we recommend rest and drinking plenty of water to help flush the toxins out. Don’t hesitate to call us if you have any concerns or questions.

Are there any restrictions or precautions I should be aware of?

Your specialist will provide you with specific instructions and precautions tailored to your surgery and recovery needs.

Who cannot have this treatment?

We cannot perform our lymphatic treatment on anyone with blood clots or DVT. If you are currently undergoing chemo therapy for cancer, we are also unable to massage you, however for clients in remission and with your doctors clearance, we are able to carry out lymphatic treatment. Some conditions will need a referral from your doctor such as edema that is the result of kidney failure, heart failure, or liver disease.

How many treatments do you recommend post surgery or if I am doing a detox LDM?

Since everyone’s body reacts differently to Lymphatic drainage massages, we customize our treatments to suit each individual clienteles needs. Generally speaking, we advise booking in a series of sessions. If you are Post-Op for injury surgery or corrective surgery, then we advise booking 10-20 massages (2-4 massages per week for 3-10 weeks), or however many you were instructed to receive from your Surgeon. If you are looking to have LDM for improving body functions as well as detox we advise, one lymphatic drainage massage treatment per week for 3 weeks and then continue treatment once a month for upkeep. If you experience a high frequency of common colds, allergies or headaches, one or two lymphatic drainage sessions every three months is very beneficial.

Does the lymphatic drainage massage hurt?

During a lymphatic drainage massage, your qualified therapist applies a combination of soft and hard pressure in key areas to unblock the lymphatic flow. This technique is completely painless!

How long before a special occasion should you get the treatment to best see the results?

Having a lymphatic massage before an event or wedding is very popular as it not only helps to de-bloat the body to look your best, but can also improve deep sleep and stress levels. We recommend that you come in frequently for up to a month leading up to the event. As every body reacts differently to this treatment, we urge our clients not to have your first lymphatic treatment within a week prior due to possible side effects.

Can you have this treatment during your menstrual cycle?

Yes, our signature treatment can actually help relieve the symptoms of menstrual cramps. Through our Lymphatic drainage technique, we help to remove excess body fluids, decrease swelling and improve the menstrual flow. This relaxes the muscles of the abdomen, minimizing pain and discomfort. Having said that, it is ideal to come in before and after your cycle to be proactive in treating these symptoms. However, if you come in during your cycle that is absolutely ok as well.

Does lymphatic drainage help improve fertility? Especially in women undergoing IVF treatment?

There is large evidence to suggest that massage therapy increases your chance of falling pregnant. This is due to the direct effect lymphatic drainage massage can have on a hormone imbalance. Women’s hormones are best known for controlling their menstrual cycle. As the lymphatic system circulates blood flow and hormones through your body, it is very important that it works functions properly to deliver your reproductive hormones necessary for your fertility. Because of this, medical experts may recommend a lymphatic drainage massage to assist conception methods like IVF. For best results, when booking, please let us know if high fertility is your main goal, so we can sync your menstrual cycle with the treatment.

Is there an age restriction for this treatment?

If you are under the age of 18 you will need authorization from a parent or guardian to have this treatment.

Which complaints and clinical pictures can be treated with a lymph drainage therapy?

Medical lymph drainage is recommended for:

Venous insufficiency,
Carpal tunnel syndrome,
Raynaud’s syndrome (vascular disease with seizure-like vascular spasms)
and neuropathy
chronic edemas
Gout
Arthrosis
Post-traumatic care (burns, resorption, scar care)

*In addition, a manual lymph drainage on the thigh or a mechanical lymph drainage of the legs relieves swelling and pain.

Is it possible to submit the lymph drainage massage treatment to the health insurance company?

With a prescription from your doctor, it is possible to submit this to your health insurance company with the invoice after prior payment to us. Reimbursement varies depending on the health insurance company, which we have no influence on. In addition, the costs of treatment are covered by many private insurances.

Is it possible to do a manual lymph drainage for cancer?

The gentle pressure therapy promotes your well-being and at the same time provides relaxation. For this reason, a oncology medical massage or lymphatic drainage is recommended as a complementary treatment for cancer, but only after clarification and approval by your treating physician. After node resection, radiotherapy, or after the removal of body tissue or body parts, it is particularly important to regain harmony with the body. The treatments carried out by our trained Savvi Body Inc experts provide valuable support.

When can the first positive results be expected?

Depending on the degree of severity, even small successes can be seen after each initial lymph drainage massage. To treat lymphedema, one needs up to about 10 lymph drainage treatments.

Can I Do Lymphatic Drainage Massage Techniques on Myself at home, after I'm done with my lymphatic drainage massage treatment sessions?

Yes, and the technique is simple. The idea is to use very light pressure to massage the area and push fluid that’s causing swelling back toward the heart. Move your fingers in a motion that creates the letter “C,” gently massaging tissues that are NOT swollen.

Since lymphatic drainage massage acts on the skin, it’s important to avoid using oils or lotions during the massage.

There are other ways to pamper your lymphatic system, too, including:

Deep breathing: Breathing slowly and deeply can help move fluid through the lymph vessels and nodes. Place both hands on your belly and focus on expanding your belly as you inhale and contracting your belly as you exhale.
Physical activity: Exercise helps move fluid throughout the body. Even a 15- to 20-minute stroll can help your body shift fluid around and eliminate waste. A short jog while focusing on deep breaths also does the trick.
Dry brushing: Dry brushing has gained popularity in recent years for its ability to keep the lymphatic system healthy while exfoliating the skin. Just move the brush in circular motions starting at the extremities and working your way toward the trunk of the body.
Swimming: Moving through water provides built-in compression for your body, so swimming is a great way to get your lymph fluid moving.
Tap your skin: Tapping the area just above the collarbones with light pressure can activate the lymph capillaries beneath the skin.

If you think that your lymphatic system may be compromised, talk to your doctor before attempting to do MLD on your own at home.

If you have lymphedema, it’s important to work with a certified lymphedema therapist who is specially trained in lymphatic drainage massage and can teach you how to do the proper techniques. It’s also important to note that lymphatic drainage techniques are not recommended for people who have a heart condition or kidney problems.