Light, wave-like touch that activates fluid circulation, eases congestion and swelling, and supports the immune system.
Lymphatic Drainage Therapy activates the fluid circulation of the body and supports the immune system — most of the immune cells live in the lymph nodes.
Because so many lymph vessels sit just under the skin, the system can be treated by tugging very lightly on the skin in specific directions. When the lymph system gets sluggish it can bring on sinus headaches, reduced immunity, and swelling. I’ve found it an especially helpful way to decongest the membranes of the head — helping the brain clean itself more effectively — and I’ve seen it work wonders for people with sinus congestion and post-concussion syndrome. Because the technique is simple, I often teach clients how to do it for themselves.
Practitioners are trained to detect the specific rhythm, direction, depth and quality of the lymph flow anywhere in the body. Working with flat hands and all the fingers, we make gentle, wave-like movements directly on the skin to map circulation and find the best pathways to drain stagnation. These subtle maneuvers activate lymph and interstitial fluid circulation and stimulate the immune and parasympathetic nervous systems. The method was developed by the French osteopathic doctor Bruno Chikly.
Every time your heart beats, blood carries oxygen and nutrients out to your cells, and the cells trade back their waste. Two “sanitation crews” clean it up: the veins and the lymph vessels. The veins can only pick up about half — their openings are small, to keep viruses and bacteria out. The lymph system is the hero that picks up the rest. Its vessel walls have larger openings, so it can carry the bigger particles — which means it also has to be ready for anything.
Most of what we know as the immune system lives in the lymph nodes. As waste passes up through them, immune cells scan everything before the fluid returns to the heart. When there’s a threat, a battalion of new cells is made to deal with it — that’s why your nodes swell when you’re sick. When all is well in the lymph system, you don’t even know it exists.
When something goes wrong, fluid builds up in the affected area — like a sanitation crew going on strike. That can range from mild swelling to lymphedema, a serious problem where the system backs up so badly that a limb can swell far beyond its normal size. Common causes include inflammation, damage to the vessels, or the removal of lymph nodes (a standard step in many cancer treatments).
I’m trained to perform Lymphatic Drainage on mild cases of lymphedema only — the earliest, zero-to-first-degree stages. Anything beyond mild cases needs compression bandaging, and I am not trained in bandaging. I’ll always be honest with you about what this work can and can’t do.
If you’re dealing with sinus congestion, post-surgical swelling, or lingering post-concussion symptoms, write to me and we’ll see whether this can help.
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