What is Manual Lymphatic Drainage & How It Works

Massage techniques are always at the top of health trends, and manual lymphatic drainage massage (MLD) is among the most popular of these wellness modalities.

Initially created as a way to relieve lymph system problems and lymphedema, this type of massage is also usually recommended as part of a specific therapy plan, or as part of an oncological treatment, or for post-operative cancer patients.

Apart from its use in the medical industry, this massage technique has now become popular as a way to reduce cellulite, sculpt the jawline of the face and boost the functions of patients’ immune systems.

Beauty influencers are promoting this type of massage to those who want to look thinner and take advantage of the therapy’s promoted beauty benefits, often with doubtful claims. So, is this “popular kid” bandwagon only good as a passing trend like what they currently say about using a percussion massager, or does manual lymphatic drainage actually have merit based on science?

Lymphatic drainage massage: what is it good for?

Manual lymphatic drainage is based on the theory that blocked lymph nodes in specific areas of your body can be cleared by doing different types of compressive and rhythmic strokes along the areas where lymph nodes are located.

Physical therapists say that it helps reduce swelling, as well as any type of inflammation from lymphatic related ailments or physical trauma.

Generally speaking, all types of massage use some type of therapeutic technique. Unlike traditional types of massages like deep tissue and Swedish massage, manual lymphatic drainage employs very light pressure as well as circular movements no harder than the amount of pressure it’d take for your finger to lightly tap the skin.

It is also different from conventional types of massage since it targets the body’s lymphatic system rather than the joints or muscles or the skin. These conventional massage types make use of movements as a full body massage, the manual lymphatic drainage massage is done in a targeted and focused manner to one part or one area of the body.

What does the lymphatic system do?

Scientific research on the lymphatic system has greatly improved compared to early observations of this “clear fluid” that continuously flows in a person’s body. To find out whether or not manual lymphatic drainage actually helps, we all need to first understand how the body’s lymphatic system actually works.

Your lymphatic system has three main functions:  maintains your body’s fluid balance between blood and tissue, plays a part in the overall immune system and helps in digestion through absorption of fat-soluble nutrients and of course – fat.

There are three parts in the lymphatic system:

The lymph fluid, which pretty much shares the same qualities as blood plasma, flows throughout a person’s body the same way as blood and is an important part of a person’s immune system.

Lymphatic vessels work by carrying this fluid away from tissues. The lymph capillaries are the small vessels found in the majority of the body, except for tissues that don’t have blood vessels, bone marrow and central nervous system. The tiny capillaries all form bigger vessels that become even bigger lymphatic trunks which drain lymph fluid from larger body areas.

Your body has a couple of major lymphatic ducts, the right duct, which drains lymph fluid from your upper right body, and the thoracic duct, that drains lymph fluid from the rest of your body.

Your lymphatic system does not have a pump – like the circulatory system. This means your lymph fluid moves only through pressure coming from muscle contractions, through breathing and skeletal muscle.

The organs that make up your lymphatic system include connective tissue fibre as well as lymphocyte clusters. Lymphocytes start from red bone marrow and then are carried with the blood to the organs. These organs include your spleen, adenoids, tonsils, lymph nodes, and the thymus gland.

When a foreign substance gets into your body, your immune response gets triggered, then the lymphocytes that multiply are then sent to the affected body area to fight the foreign substance. If there is a more serious type of infection, your lymph nodes can enlarge and swell, and this is the reason doctors first check this for first symptoms of any illness.

You have around 700 bean-like lymph nodes in your body whose function is to cleanse and filter the flowing lymphatic fluid. The locations of your lymph nodes are: at the center of your chest and abdomen, your groin, your neck and your armpits.

Your lymphatic system not just transports nutrients, it also keeps the fluid balanced all throughout the body. Every day, your body moves 20 liters of fluid through your capillary system. However, only 17 liters of this is reabsorbed through a venous return. The rest – the 3 liters turn into lymphatic fluid, that has eventually flowed back to your bloodstream.

Now in the event that this 3 liters of lymphatic fluid does not return to your circulatory system, there would be an accumulation of cellular waste, your blood pressure will drop and oxygen delivery to vital organs will drop.

Also the backup of fluid can cause edema which then restricts the flow of blood. This restricted flow will then result in complications, often serious. It is this potential for fluid flow restriction and backup that appeals to most people that get manual lymphatic drainage.

How is manual lymphatic drainage massage supposed to work?

Manual lymphatic drainage is all about making the most out of lymph fluid circulation. In a healthy system, this fluid goes around the body in a one-way trip. The fluid is transported by the lymph capillaries, which is then collected by the bigger lymph vessels, and finally circulated to veins near your collarbone.

And since the lymphatic system does not have its own pump (your circulatory system has the heart that does this job), lymph fluid is moved up against pressure made by joint and muscle movements. The lymph valves make sure that there’s zero fluid backflow.

Within this circulation,your lymph nodes filter the fluid as it goes through them and travels up toward the base of your neck. When this filtered lymph fluid reaches the subclavian veins, it flows back to your bloodstream.

The purpose of manual lymphatic drainage is to help the flow of lymph fluid through your body, which activates your lymph nodes and cuts down the chances of fluids to pool or stagnate in certain areas of the body.

While there are different methods that have expanded the original lymphatic drainage techniques, most of these methods are focused on four main strokes.

Every one of these strokes is done with very light pressure, and is often described as the amount of pressure you would apply when you’re massaging a newborn baby’s head. The goal is to stretch the tissue enough to activate lymphatic structures, but not apply too much pressure that will close lymphatic valves or to manipulate any of the muscular structure under the skin.

All of these strokes start at the farthest point of your body toward your heart. Each of these strokes also got a working as well as a resting phase that can be done using one hand or both hands.

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