The Lymphatic System And Why It Needs Draining
- Vital Shift Therapies
- Jun 7
- 3 min read
Great question! Let's explore the answer.
The easiest way to think of the lymphatic system is to see it as your body’s waste removal system. As waste is created by the cells the lymph (waste fluid) makes its way to the channels of the lymphatic system. The channels are like tubes that are made of flaps. As the lymph presses against the flap it makes its way into the tube pushing the rest of the lymph along.
Once the lymph is inside the channels it is moved up to a lymph node for its first "cleaning" to remove pathogens and other harmful stuff. These nodes are found mostly in the groin, arm pits and neck area. If you feel a tender swollen area in one of these locations then it is possibly a swollen lymph node.
After making its way through the nodes the lymph leaves the lymph tubes through dump sites near the collar bones and enters the cardiovascular system. The last step in the process is for the body to either excrete the excess fluid or turn it into blood plasma.
If the body is moving the lymph fluid through the system then why do I need a lymphatic massage? This is another great question because we do not always know when we could use some help moving our lymph along.
For the most part the lymphatic system does a great job of keeping up with the demand of waste removal but sometimes it does get overloaded. Some examples of this are when you have swelling in the body from an injury or a surgery, or you have too much toxicity.
This can show up as swelling and puffiness in parts of the body or all over. The swollen lymph nodes mentioned earlier can also be a sign of the lymphatic system needing to be "drained".
In my practice I have seen more lymph system issues in recent years because we are bombarded with so many toxins in our daily lives it is difficult for your lymphatic system to keep up. In fact, recent studies show that 1000 new chemicals are created every hour of every day which means that our body has that many new variations of toxins to possibly deal with.
If you feel like you are suffering from a lymphatic system issue I definitely recommend going to see a therapist that is certified in Manual Lymphatic Drainage. Even if you are not suffering from any of the issues that I mentioned in this blog it is always a good idea to help move the waste out of the body to maintain optimal health.
Here are some directions for where to go next:
If you want to learn more about MLD from Vital Shift Therapies please go here or from the Cleveland Clinic here
If you cannot get in to see a professional or if you are in between sessions you can do lymphatic massage on yourself. You will find it under Lymphatic Self Massage and Dry Brushing. This is a full body video you can follow along with.
There are diet choices that help your lymphatic system as well as movements that help keep your lymph system moving
We all know that what we put into our body is important which is why we eat healthy foods and drink clean water. But what most people don’t realize is that what we remove from our body is just as important as what we put into it, so keeping a healthy flowing lymphatic system is imperative for optimal well-being.
Comentarios