Everyone’s talking about lymphatic drainage - so what is it, and does it even work?
In Hollywood it’s known as the “no-diet, no-exercise, get-slim-quick hack”, while Hailey Bieber hails it the “completely underrated” beauty treatment that forms the basis of her wellness routine.
Lymphatic drainage is the wellness trend everyone’s talking about, and chances are you have some questions around what it is, how it works and what the benefits are.
Hailey Bieber is "obsessed" with lymphatic drainage, and she's not the only one talking about it. Time Magazine
“[I am] obsessed with lymphatic drainage anything, but the massages specifically,” Bieber told TIME Magazine in April when her beauty brand Rhode was named one of the publication’s 100 most influential companies.
“It is really crazy how much water we hold on to in our bodies. And also, the lymphatic system is so important for just detox in general and overall health, so I think [it’s] completely underrated.”
What, exactly, is lymphatic drainage?
To understand lymphatic drainage, we have to first understand lymph nodes and their roles in our bodies.
Lymph nodes are small lumps of tissue that contain white blood cells, and are situated all throughout the body, mostly in the neck and back (cervical lymph nodes), armpits (axillary lymph nodes), chest, stomach, and groin.
They are part of the body’s immune system, and help to fight off infection by filtering lymph fluid, which is composed of fluids and waste products created by all the body’s tissues.
“If there are any bugs and bacteria in that [lymph] fluid, the lymph nodes will identify it,” lymphoedema mentor Stacey Bradshaw, who is an accredited practitioner and former Vice President of the Australasian Lymphology Association, told nine.com.au.
Stacey Bradshaw is an accredited lymphoedema mentor and former Vice President of the Australasian Lymphology Association. Supplied
“They will basically trigger an immune response to go and target that and to reduce the load ... in your system.”
This is a process that occurs naturally in our bodies, but lymphatic massage – as well as increased physical activity – can help speed it up.
“So we’re not necessarily releasing anything into the body when we’re doing [a] lymph node massage,” Bradshaw continued.
“What we’re doing is helping any fluid that’s in the lymph nodes to circulate back into our deeper system, and then once it’s all cleaned, it goes back into our bloodstream to do it all over again.”
The “waste” that remains exits our body through the usual methods, i.e. our kidneys and urination.
Who benefits from this?
While manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) can be done on anyone, those with a dysfunctional lymphatic system benefit from it the most.
For those with a healthy lymphatic system, the treatment consists of a gentle massage that helps people feel lighter in their bodies, and can reduce swelling, which can make people look slimmer.
There are two variations of manual lymphatic drainage. mapo
This can be done at home by yourself, having become a wellness trend in the past few years, with many products like suction cups and body brushes being marketed to target the lymphatic system.
Some massage therapists even offer services for it, but this can be detrimental to someone with a dysfunctional lymphatic system.
How do I find the right treatment for me?
While a gentle massage can make someone with a healthy lymphatic system feel slightly better, if someone with a dysfunctional lymphatic system were to go for the same “lighter” treatment, the lymph fluid could potentially continue to get stuck in their limbs.
In extreme cases, it could swell so much they lose function in their limbs.
Instead, those with a dysfunctional lymphatic system need a massage delivered by an accredited lymphoedema practitioner.
“It’s a different technique, it’s a much firmer stroke, and often it goes in different directions to what other MLD does,” Bradshaw said.
“[People] really do need to follow the advice of their lymphedema therapist in terms of pressure, direction, speed of the massage because all of that is very different to other types of MLD. They’re much slower.
“There are definitely some advertisers out there that are very fast-paced, and again, a healthy system can keep up with that and that’s perfectly fine.
“But for lymphoedema, it needs to be a very targeted, very specific pressure that’s designed for that individual person, and how they’re draining.”
Many celebrities get a massage right before hitting the red carpet or other events. GC Images
What is a dysfunctional lymphatic system?
There are many ways the lymphatic system can become dysfunctional.
Often, it happens post-surgery, as nodes can become damaged or removed altogether. This can happen after cancer surgery, particularly breast cancer surgery, as that is where many nodes are situated.
It can also occur due to obesity, venous disease or other medical conditions where the body has been in an inflammatory state for a long time.
In these situations, inflammation around the lymphatic vessels means they don’t work as well as they should.
“Manual lymphatic drainage in that circumstance actually helps to push the fluid either up to those lymph nodes, or out of the limb via different lymph nodes, to make sure that all of that fluid is getting filtered the way it should be and it’s not getting stuck in the limb,” Bradshaw said.
MLD delivered by a licensed professional usually includes educating the patients on how to do their own massage at home so they can get the fluid leaking into their tissue space to distribute through their lymphatic system.
Moreover, patients are advised to undergo medical compression therapy to help maintain circulation in the body, “because when swelling is starting to build up … the lymphatic system is struggling.”
Regardless of which type of lymphatic system you have, Bradshaw says it is important to remember lymphatic drainage “is something that is temporary.”
It is important for those with a dysfunctional lymphatic system to see a licensed professional. Toa55
“It might be something celebrities do before they walk down the red carpet, but the body is always circulating fluid through our tissue spaces, so that fluid will return to that space anyway. It is a very temporary treatment.”
So whether you’re doing it for medical reasons or as part of your wellness routine, consistency is key.
Please note the information in this story is general in nature. Please always consult your GP or health professional for advice that is tailored to your specific health concerns.
