Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage

Benefits

+  Reduces swelling and puffiness in the face and around the eyes

+  Revitalizes dull, lackluster skin, creating a radiant healthy glow

+  Detoxifies the skin, greatly reducing breakouts

+  Promotes healing & increases cell renewal to rejuvenate the skin

+  Restores fluid balance & improves hydration

+  Promotes deep relaxation by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system

+  Immune system boost

+  Reduce headache and congestion

What is manual lymphatic drainage?

Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) is a gentle yet powerful type of massage developed to improve the function of the lymphatic system.  Picture the plumbing system in your kitchen (your body's lymphatic system) and when you don’t run the garbage disposal (MLD) often enough things start to back up and become stagnant!

What is the lymphatic system?

This large network of vessels and nodes is responsible for managing fluid balance between the tissues and the cardiovascular system & is intrinsically linked to our immune system.  As one of our primary defense systems, it circulates lymphocytes, breaks down & removes bacteria, cell debris, toxins, & other waste products, moving them out of the tissues, through a network of lymph vessels and nodes and back into circulation for elimination.  This reduces inflammation, and prevents infection.  The great radiologist & lymphologist, Prof. Dr. Horst Weissleder said, “It has to be assumed that the majority of our diseases originate from microedems in the loose connective tissue.”

Our circulatory system, uses our heart as its central pump, but our lymphatic system requires external stimulation to flow & function properly.  So if we are not physically active, or if the system is damaged by surgery, trauma, or disease, it can become sluggish.

What is a treatment like?

This is not your typical massage.  The light pressure, and circular stretching of the skin is what makes the Vodder technique so unique. There are between 600-800 lymph nodes in the body, with over 200 of them in the neck.  The massage pattern over the head and neck follows the direction of drainage pathways towards the heart. The average healthy person has 2L of fluid flowing through each node and this powerful massage can increase that flow to 15-20 Liters/day!!!  This amount of stimulation enhances your body’s ability to regenerate and repair tissue, increase mobility, minimize bruising, swelling, and scarring. MLD turns on your on your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) which in turn turns off your sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and allows deep relaxation.

How MLD came about

In 1912, Alexis Carol won the nobel prize for his work in vascular suturing and tissue and organ transplant.  Originally unsuccessful at creating an environment in which human cells could survive outside of the host, until he discovered that the cells were suffocating in the acidic environment of their own metabolic waste.  He then created an irrigation system, which allowed the cells to live for 20+ years outside the host. This discovery sparked the interest of Dr. Emil Vodder who wanted to know what the human body’s mechanism for waste removal was and how to maximize it.  

Here is what I think

I believe our skin is fully capable of reversing any damage that has occured over time via sun, environmental, toxins, etc. However, the true challenge is really in the nutrients that are missing.  These nutrients are supplied to the epidermis via the blood supply in the dermis which decreases at a rate of about 1% per year starting around age 25.  By the age of 50 you have about lost about 25% of the blood supply.  MLD improves circulation which then allows the nutrients to reach the tissues and begin healing the underlying signs of aging. This fact alone is what prompted me to get Vodder certified! 

Manual Lymphatic Drainage is great for:

• Acne, eczema
• Puffy eyes
• Ulcers/Wounds/Burns
• Soften scars
• Sinusitis Hay fever
• Lymphedema (post mastectomy/hysterectomy/post surgical procedures)
• Post radiotherapy/chemotherapy treatment
• Post surgical cosmetic surgery
• Tinnitus/Meniere's Disease (hearing/balance)