There has been a lot of hype for lymphatic massage over the years, as it has been considered to be extremely beneficial in relieving pain and in making your skin glow. Because of the effects that lymphatic massage has on your skin, it has been considered to be some beauty treatment that will always keep you looking young.
But what exactly is the scientific background of lymphatic massage and what benefits does it have on your health?
This is exactly what we are going to discuss in this article so that you will know the importance of including lymphatic massage in your clinical massage therapy sessions. Let’s get right into it.
How does Lymphatic Massage work?
The Lymphatic system is one of the important systems of the human body that should function effectively for the body’s immune system to work efficiently. This system plays an important role in the body’s immune defenses.
Lymphatic system consists of lymph vessels that are connected to the lymph nodes. They form the passage through which lymph fluid flows and drains harmful particles like bacteria.
There are a number of diseases that can affect your natural lymphatic system and can therefore lead to a lot of unpleasant consequences. One of the most common causes of disturbance in lymphatic drainage is the treatment of cancer. In such cases, it becomes necessary to manually drain the lymph nodes to avoid further health problems.
Lymphatic massage, which is also called as manual lymphatic drainage MLD is a useful technique that can effectively encourage fluid to move through the lymphatic vessels and assist lymphatic drainage so that the swelling caused by improper lymphatic drainage is reduced.
Lymphatic massage is not the same as deep tissue massage, wherein lymphatic massage is comparatively light and gentle so that the skin is stretched and lymphatic flow is improved. This has been hacked by many scientific studies.
One important fact to keep in mind is that lymphatic massage is supposed to feel light, so if you don’t feel much pressure on the skin, don’t worry, you are still getting all the benefits from the massage.
As the lymph system is the most affected after cancer treatments, it is recommended the most to cancer patients for the well-being and overall health improvement of the individual.
Benefits of Lymphatic massage
Now that you know how lymphatic massage works, it is time that we go through the benefits that it has on your health. Below are some of the important benefits of lymphatic massage that makes it an important part of clinical massage therapy.
1. It boosts the body’s immune system
With improved lymphatic drainage, the waste particles and harmful bacteria from the body are drained. This in turn helps to boost the immune system of the body and make the individual healthy.
2. Helps to reduce swelling
Like the blood continuously flows through our blood vessels, lymphatic fluid also continuously flows through the lymph vessels. If there is any blockage to this flow due to any reason, it may lead to congestion of the fluid in one place. This leads to swelling, which is commonly termed as lymphedema.
3. It is highly beneficial for your skin
Studies have shown that improved lymphatic drainage will give a natural glow to your skin and will make you look younger, happier and healthier. This is why facial lymphatic drainage is often made part of beauty treatments.
4. Reduces the heaviness in the limbs
The accumulated fluid and swelling in the lower limbs cause a lot of heaviness in the limbs that will make activities painful and difficult. Incorporating lymphatic massage in such cases can be extremely beneficial as by reducing the swelling, it will also reduce the heaviness in the limbs and alleviate the discomfort.
Final thoughts
All in all, it can be said that lymphatic massage can be really beneficial to the body and hence is an important part of clinical massage therapy. Whether it is lymphatic massage or manual lymphatic drainage, it helps a great deal in treating lymphedema and can therefore be beneficial to the people who have risks of developing it. With many benefits to the body, lymphatic massage can improve the overall health of an individual.
