Lymph Drainage Therapy

By Pam Hauser, RN, LMBT

In November, Stephanie Stanton and I went to Charlotte and took a course on Lymph Drainage Therapy (LDT) that was presented by the Upledger Institute. Founded in 1985 by John E. Upledger, DO, OMM, the Upledger Institute, in my experience, upholds the highest standards for their instructors and assistants, and I have been attending continuing education courses for over 30 years. Attendees come from all health professions to include massage therapy, doctors, nurses, physical therapist, speech pathologists, and chiropractors, to name some. Both Stephanie and I have attended their courses before and I always find the information to be timely and the skills applicable to my practice. This particular course was developed by Dr Bruno Chikly, a graduate of St Antoine Hospital in France. His studies in traditional medicine, osteopathy and lymphology, all impacted his creation of Lymph Drainage Therapy. In 1994, he earned the prestigious “Medal of the Medical Faculty of Paris VI” for his exhaustive research on the lymphatic system and lymph drainage technique.

First, I’d like to tell you a little bit about the lymphatic system before I talk about the practice of LDT.

History of Lymph

Historically speaking, the presence of milky fluid has been known about since ancient times. Hippocrates (460-377BC, Greece) spoke of “white blood”, and listed the “lymphatic temperament” as part of his 4 temperaments, but there was no real understanding of lymph. Olof Rudbeck (1630-1708, Uppsala, Sweden) discovered that it was a complete system, with all lymphatic fluid flowing to join the venous circulation at the base of the neck.

We now know that the lymphatic system is a circulatory system, parallel to the one that carries our blood throughout our body. Everywhere that there is blood supply, there is also lymph. This system is composed of lymph vessels which carry lymphatic fluid, as well as lymph nodes. Unlike the circulatory system, it does not have a pump (the heart), but is a slow rhythm, low pressure, low velocity system. The lymphatic system depends on our movement to stimulate its flow. The lymph fluid compares to blood, but without red blood cells and platelets, and along with blood, is formed in the bone marrow. It is usually a clear, transparent or yellowish fluid, and is mostly composed of water (96%).

What does our lymphatic system do for us?

What does our lymphatic system do for us, anyway? If we did not have a functioning lymphatic system, we would most likely die within 24-48 hours. One of its biggest functions is to remove excess fluid and proteins from around our cells. A large portion of protein escapes from the blood circulation and is transported in the lymphatic vessels. If this protein were not recovered, massive swelling, auto-intoxication and death would quickly occur. Additionally, lymphatic fluid carries components which are responsible to a large degree for our immune system. The immune system protects our bodies from substances (bacteria, viruses, antigens, etc) that it identifies as foreign or antagonistic. When the lymph circulation stagnates, fluids, proteins, and toxins accumulate and cellular functioning is significantly compromised. This opens the way to many physical ailments and may hasten the aging process.

Every day, our bodies circulate 1.5 to 3.5 liters of lymph through the thoracic duct (which is the largest lymphatic vessel), dumping fluid directly into the venous circulation. There are two parts to the lymphatic circulation:

• The superficial lymphatic circulation which is just under the epidermis. This accounts for about 70% of all lymph flow in the limbs, and is not directly stimulated by exercise. (Lymph Drainage Therapy helps here.)
• The deep circulation of the muscles, which is stimulated by exercise.

Some of the factors related to promoting the flow of lymphatic fluid are:

• Respiration: The movements of the diaphragm during inhalation and exhalation, as well as the thoracic cage and the negative pressure in the chest have a strong influence on the flow of lymph in the thoracic duct. A “respiratory pump” exists that is influenced by the depth of inspiration and the overall breathing rate. Laughter can stimulate lymph drainage.
• Skeletal muscle contractions: Exercise promotes lymph flow.
• Peristalsis of the visceral smooth muscles: Movement of waste products through the colon promotes lymph flow while constipation slows it down.
• Contractions of adjacent arteries
• External compression: External pressure used in LDT or the pressure of water during swimming or the external counter pressure exerted by bandages, all promote lymph flow.

Some of the things that can negatively affect lymph flow are:

• Fatigue
• Stress
• Lack of physical activity
• Emotional shock
• Cold temperatures
• Infections
• Substantial swelling
• Age
• Chemical
• Food allergies

What are some of the positive results that can be achieved using LDT?

OK, so what does LDT do for us, anyway? Through the techniques we learned at this course, some of the possible positive results of LDT include the following:

• Stimulation of fluid circulation to improve edemas (swelling) of numerous origins
• Absorption of toxins and deep cleaning of the body to promote detoxification, regeneration of tissues from burns and scars (pre- and post-surgical), rejuvenation, anti-aging effects, reduction in the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia and alleviation of wrinkles
• Stimulation of the immune system for preventive health maintenance as well as relief of chronic and subacute inflammations and conditions such as sinusitis, acne ,eczema and allergies
• Absorption of fat molecules to alleviate adiposis and cellulite
• Deep relaxation and rhythmic effects to help in cases of insomnia, stress, depression, loss of vitality and loss of memory (sympatholytic effects)
• Stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system to relive chronic pain
• Antispastic actions (spasm relief) for conditions such as muscle hypertonus or constipation

What is an LDT session like?

I won’t go into how LDT works because I don’t want to bore you to tears. I figure you were there already during the history of lymph! If you really want to know, please email me at pam@phoenixmassageofasheville.com and I’ll tell you personally! What I WILL tell you is what happens in a session of LDT.

• First of all, the first session is never longer than 30 minutes.
• Be sure to arrive well hydrated and eat lightly the day of the session.
• The work is done very gently, with no more pressure than the weight of a dime.
• You may remain fully clothed if only the face and neck are to be worked on.
• The work is extremely relaxing and often clients leave the session in an altered state. Please allow enough time for you to fully return to your body before getting on the road!
• Talking is discouraged during the session to allow the therapist to concentrate on feeling the direction of the flow of lymphatic fluid.
• “Healing reactions” can occur. This is a result of an immune system which is functioning at a higher level and is actually a good sign. Initially, this toxin release can look like sluggishness, muscle aches, tiredness, more frequent urination due to the fluid moved out of the tissues and into the blood circulation, sleepiness or it may even feel like a cold or a rash or a brief increase in whatever your symptoms were before the session.
• If your face will be worked on, please wear little or no makeup.
• Your session may result in your feeling very refreshed, alert and energized!

Contraindications to LDT:

Because LDT boosts the immune system and can dump up to 10 liters of fluid into the general circulation, it is not for everyone! If you have any of these conditions, please let your therapist know. Receiving LDT can aggravate these conditions, resulting in illness or even death.

• Acute infectious/inflammatory illness in development. What makes you feel badly when you have an acute infection are the death viruses/bacteria in your system. Since LDT boosts the immune system, killing off more of the offending agent, you will feel worse before you feel better! On the plus side, the duration of your illness may shorten.
  • Bacterial infections
  • Influenza
  • Fever
• Removal of any lymph nodes. Once you have had lymph nodes removed, the flow of the lymph changes. You absolutely would benefit from LDT, but you need to see a more experienced therapist than either Stephanie or I.
• Serious circulatory problems
  • Thrombosis
  • Venous obstruction
• Major cardiac problems
  • Acute angina
  • Coronary thrombosis (heart attack)
• Hemorrhage (bleeding)
• Acute anuresis (absence of urination): Because the blood volume increases after LDT, more blood circulates through the kidneys resulting in an increased urinary output.
• Active cancer
  • Chemotherapy
  • Radiation
• Lymphedema. Again, you would absolutely benefit from LDT, but lymphedema is beyond the scope of our practice.

Relative Contraindications:

There are some relative contraindications to your receiving LDT. These are precautions. We need to know about these conditions before you receive LDT. Depending on your current condition, you may or may not be able to receive LDT from us.

o Thyroid problems

o Carotid stenosis/carotid thrombosis

o Asthma or allergies (during the acute state)

o Burns, fresh scars, skin hypersensitivity, bruises, eczema, moles, etc.

o Abdominal surgery, aortic aneurysm, abdominal radiation, tumor, bleeding or pain of undetermined origin

o Removed spleen

o Major kidney problems

o Menstruation

o Gynecological infections, cysts, IUD

o Known pregnancy

o Chronic infection/inflammation

o Medication, chemotherapy

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008 at 2:20 pm and is filed under General Massage. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.