Manual Lymph Drainage Massage

Manual lymph drainage is a massage-like treatment. This treatment stimulates and reroutes lymphatic fluids towards healthy, functioning vessels and nodes. We understand the profound effects of this treatment on your health and well-being and offer this to our patients as a private pay service. Insurance does not cover this service.

Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD) has a profound yet subtle effect on the body. It can help reduce swelling. By stimulating microcirculation and lymph vessel motility, MLD can be successfully employed in edematous conditions, such as lymphedema and certain types of venous edema.

It can help with pain management and recovery. MLD affects the nervous system by lowering sympathetic tonus. In so doing, MLD can have an effect on smooth muscles innervated by the sympathetic system, for example in blood and lymph vessels as well as intestinal motility. It can also help a patient to recuperate from chronic illness by allowing their parasympathetic nervous system to predominate.

MLD is calming and relaxing to receive and patients often feel a sense of well-being after treatment. Manual Lymph Drainage massage stimulates the contraction of smooth muscles in lymph vessels, helping to move the lymph forward and drain the connective tissue.

Manual Lymph Drainage massage can be utilized in the treatment of many different conditions including:

• Primary and Secondary Lymphedema
• Venous insufficiency
• Non-infected inflammatory conditions (e.g. sprains and strains)
• Ulceration
• Dermatological conditions
• Circulatory disturbances
• Sports injuries
• CRPS (RSD- Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy)
• Burns
• Pre- and post- plastic surgery (minimizes bruising and itching)
• May affect the immune system by bringing pathogens quicker to the lymph nodes where they can be neutralized (eg: Lymes disease)

Contraindications:

• Congestive heart failure
• Renal failure
• Acute infections (eg: cellulitis is a bacterial infection and must be treated with oral antibiotics for at least 24 hours)
• DVT (Deep vein thrombosis)

References:

J. Douglas, L. Kelley-Hope. Comparison of Staging Systems to Assess Lymphedema Caused by Cancer Therapies, Lymphatic Filariasis, and Podoconiosis. Lymphatic Research and Biology 2019 Vol. 17, 5