While there seems to be a wide array of natural therapies for the health and well being of your body, Manual Lymphatic Drainage or MLD may be an alien term to many. Some have been pointed in this direction by doctors or friends. Others have already wondered what Manual Lymphatic Drainage can do for them from personal research. Although the term may sound intimidating, this technique has gained popularity due to its effective treatment of Lymphedema as well as various other health benefits. Basically, MLD is a gentle and unique skin massage that promotes and encourages the flow of lymph fluid throughout your body which in turn can help cleanse, detox and heal the body.
What Does the Lymph System Do?
Most people don’t give much thought to their Lymphatic System, unless they have a health issue that directly affects it. You can think of your Lymphatic System as a giant cleansing arrangement that works throughout your body. It goes as deep as your bones, around your organs and even millimeters below your skin! This arrangement is made up of little vessels, pretty much like blood vessels. However, instead of transporting blood, these vessels carry “lymph”. This clear colorless liquid moves through the vessels as well as the lymph nodes and kidneys to help remove toxins and cellular waste.
This “waste removal” system also works hand in hand with your immune system to fight off diseases and infections. Special white blood cells called T cells are stored in the lymph nodes. This is where they are busy breaking down damaged cells, cancer cells and bacteria! Without this amazing system it would be very difficult for us to stay healthy for long periods of time.
If This System is So Great, Why on Earth Does it Need Help?
So here’s the deal. The difference between the cardiovascular system and the lymphatic system is pretty huge. The Lymphatic System doesn’t not have a large heart shaped muscle pumping the fluid through the vessels. In turn, in order for that lymph fluid to be moving effectively, your body needs exercises such as yoga or swimming as well as other full motion activities. Even so, the lymph fluid only moves at about 10-12 beats per minute. Without those exercises you could be putting your body at risk of breeding toxins and other bacteria.
Here is where MLD comes into the picture. The gentle rhythmic massage is able to speed up your lymph movement to nearly 10x it’s normal pace. This not only increases the the production of those amazing immune boosting white blood cells, but also speeds up healing. In turn, this cleanses the lymph of all the unwanted waste. Excess fluid is then flushed, which reduces swelling. Think of it as a full body detox! The delicate balance of moderate pressure and rhythm is vital so as not to overly compress the lymph vessels. This also ensures that the lymph does not become pooled during the massage.
Is This Treatment Enjoyable?
Now I’m sure there is serious concern whether this treatment will be either be painful or enjoyable to experience. Fortunately, as explained above, MLD is immensely enjoyable due to the soothing rhythmic pumping motions. These massages leave you feeling revitalized and relaxed. Even post-surgery clients feel the pain-relieving and tranquil effects. At Amare Healing Arts, each Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage is tailored to fit your individual needs. Every surgery, ailment and healing period is unique and is treated as such. This personalized full-body experience will be yours and yours alone. The following may be experienced after receiving a MLD treatment:
- Increased thirst and hunger
- Frequent urination
- Itchiness
- Relaxation
- Weight loss
Are There Particular Lymph System Problems that Benefit From MLB Treatment?
The answer is yes! Manuel Lymphatic Drainage is a great treatment for quite a few medical conditions!
- Cancer patients can experience severe swelling or Lymphedema after certain treatments due to the removal of lymph nodes or simply damaged tissue. This in turn disrupts the flow of lymph and causes it to pool in the surrounding tissue. The pooled lymph causes stagnating toxins and dead tissue.
- Any kind of autoimmune disease, which is when your body is attacking its own cells, can also benefit from from MLD. Treatment can work along with traditional modern medicine. Many of the prescribed medications will keep symptoms under control, but also can result in toxic lymph fluid pooling, causing Edema in some cases. Edema is swelling caused by excess fluid being trapped in surrounding tissues
- Surgery is already a scary time, but recovery is just as daunting since most people cant wait to get back to their daily lives. MLD offers a holistic approach that can speed recovery and decrease post-op pain.
Amare Healing Arts is here to Help
In each one of these scenarios Manual Lymphatic Drainage massages at Amare Healing Arts can help! With cancer and autoimmune disease patients, the gentle massage results in guiding and moving the lymph out of the swollen areas into the areas with properly working lymph vessels. This results in reduced swelling, less discomfort, a detoxing effect and quickened healing speeds. This process also helps in post-op recovery by reducing swelling and bruising. In turn white blood cell count is boosted to prevent infections before and after surgery.
Amare Healing Arts provides high quality MLD treatments that are tailored to each persons individual needs for every type of treatment and situation. To find out more about using Manual Lymphatic Drainage for either lymphedema treatment, post-op recovery and autoimmune detoxing, you can book an appointment or consultation HERE.
About Amare Healing Arts, The Author
Amare Healing Arts Plastic Surgery Recovery Center and Holistic Clinic was founded in 2017 and is located at 24 N 3rd Ave Highland Park, NJ and 433 N Broad St, Elizabeth , NJ. We specialize in the European Vodder style of Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) for everything from post-op surgery recovery to cancer, autoimmune, and many other medical conditions resulting in side effects of edema, inflammation, and swelling. Amare’s Plastic Surgery Recovery Center not only offers MLD treatment for all surgeries, but provides full support for our clients through their post-op journey. Our Holistic Clinic offers natural healing modalities like medical massage, yoga, and Ayurvedic life coaching.