What is Manual Lymphatic Drainage?

Described as "One of the best secrets on the health and beauty scene" Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) is a very gentle, light, rhythmic form of massage based on precise techniques and pressure. MLD's intensively relaxing effect masks the strength of the treatment itself. Specific and gentle movements of the skin stimulate and increase the rate of removal of waste products, toxins and excess fluids from body tissue. 
​MANUAL LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE CAN HELP WITH:

- Lymphedema, Lipoedema
- Pre and Post Liposuction
- Pre and Post orthopaedic surgeries 
​- Pre and Post Plastic Surgery and breast reconstruction 
- Long COVID-19 symptoms, post-viral fatigue
- Detoxification of mould, heavy metals and other environmental toxins 
- Water retention (perimenopause, menopause/HRT)
- Inflammatory conditions: RA, OA
- Oedema as a result of cancer (palliative care)
- Pregnancy (swollen ankles, legs,  arms, puffy face)
- IBS, SIBO, Crohn’s & Ulcerative Colitis
- Chronic conditions such as MS and Fibromyalgia
- Hay Fever, Sinusitis, Migraines, Head injuries, brain fog
-Natural Anti-Aging 
                                                       The Lymphatic System
The lymphatic system is an important part of our immune system and is designed to assist in the removal of waste products from the cells. Unlike the circulation of the blood, there is no pump (the heart); instead the lymphatic system has to rely on muscular movement to assist circulation. This system can become very sluggish, not least because of our sedentary lifestyles, resulting in a build-up of stagnant lymph.  As the lymphatic system is part of the immune system, improved health and increase energy is one of the most important benefits of MLD massage.

  • MLD helps to drain excess fluid from the tissues of the body
  • MLD can help to reduce pain by its action on the nervous system
  • MLD aids relaxation by its action on the nervous system and muscles
  • MLD renews, nourishes, strengthens and regenerates the cells, removes waste products, and strengthens the immune system
What Manual Lymphatic Drainage can help with:
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Post-viral Fatigue syndrome may result from damage to olfactory sensory neurones, causing an increased resistance to cerebrospinal fluid outflow and further leading to congestion of the glymphatic (glial lymphatic) system with subsequent toxic buildup within the central nervous system.          
National Institute of Health suggests that a specific manual lymphatic drainage intervention may help to reduce fatigue symptoms related to Long COVID and other viral infections. 
MLD has been shown to increase lymph flow, affect autonomic tone, reduce systemic inflammation, and alleviate pain. Usually applied to the skin and superficial fascia, MLD can be applied to vessels and organs in the deep system (under the deep fascia), including the organs of respiration and the central nervous system.
MLD can assist in recovery from respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and pneumonia and drainage of the head and face is used for cerebral oedema and neuroinflammation. 
Lymphoedema: MLD therapists treat lymphoedema using Complex 
Decongestive Therapy (CDT); an intensive treatment that combines Manual Lymphatic Drainage, compression garments,
exercise and skin care.
The therapist uses a range of specialised and gentle rhythmic pumping techniques to move the excess fluid into an area with working lymphatic vessels. This stimulates them and helps move the fluid away from the swollen area so that it can
drain away naturally.
The MLD treatment can be followed by bandaging or the fitting of compression garments to reduce limb size. The therapist will also discuss how to minimise the risk of infection and the importance of regular gentle exercise to encourage efficient lymph flow. 
Lipoedema: Lipoedema is a condition that causes abnormal fat buildup in the legs and sometimes in the arms. It occurs almost exclusively in women and can be painful to touch. Unlike normal weight gain, lipoedema looks and feels different from ordinary fat. Other signs of lipoedema include easy bruising, pain and tenderness, painful joints ​
Detoxing/weight loss: Detox support will become the norm for optimizing vitality and make our bodies more resilient to aging induced oxidative stress.
​Specific and gentle movements of the skin stimulate and increase the rate of removal of waste products, toxins and excess fluid from the body’s tissues resulting in clearer and cleaner skin, reduced puffiness around the eyes, reduced cellulite, reduced fluid retention, improved skin tone, has a tonic effect on intestinal peristalsis, which in turn aids digestion.
​Post cosmetic surgery swellings - speeding up recovery

A downside of cosmetic surgery (breast augmentation, eyelid, face and neck lifts, liposuction, rhinoplasty, etc) is the initial after effects, such as swelling and bruising, which are experienced by patients post surgery. The time it takes for the skin to recover can differ from person to person due to many factors such as age, general health, lifestyle etc, however, a course of MLD treatment makes the healing process MUCH faster.

Treatment pre and post surgery is often recommended to get the lymphatic system in peak condition to help reduce the swelling and bruising, keep it operating at optimum levels to accelerate the healing process, encourage better scar formation and ultimately reveal the new you in less time.
Pregnancy: If you are suffering from tired feet, heavy legs, bad circulation, fatigue, high blood pressure or water retention, manual lymphatic drainage  during pregnancy can be extremely helpful. 
In the second and third trimester of the pregnancy some circulatory problems start to affect arms and legs, causing swellings, heaviness and cramping. 
The poor circulation is the consequence of two main factors generating poor blood return and water retention:
  1. The first one, mechanic, is the result of the compression of the inferior vena cava (IVC) by the uterus that expands with the baby and compresses the main vein carrying the blood up from the legs
  2. The second factor is hormonal and linked to the high concentration of oestrogen and relaxin secreted by your body during pregnancy. Indeed, these two hormones decrease the tonus of your veins.
As your veins become hypotonic and are compressed by your womb, it becomes more difficult for the blood to flow back to the upper body; thus it stagnates in the lower limbs. This, together with the water retention, causes your legs to swell and makes them feel heavy and tired. The circulatory disorders can sometimes continue after the pregnancy, so postpartum lymphatic drainage is also highly recomended
​Fibromyalgia

Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) is a form of a massage when lymph vessels are gently massaged to mobilize lymphatic fluid. It stimulates the lymphatic system, helps regulate the immune system and clears blockages, eliminates metabolic waste and toxins from the body, and reduces excess fluid. 
MLD stroking techniques reduce fibromyalgia pain. Slow skin-stretching, pumping techniques returns pooled blood and interstitial fluid back into the circulatory system, thus increasing blood flow to the body.  The receptors in the skin send the impulses to the brain. When inhibitory cells in the brain receives the impulses, they passes this on as an inhibition. That causes an inhibition of the pain and pain transmission.
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Skin disorders: acne, eczema, rosacea

Acne is a distressing condition suffered by many and influenced by many factors, such as hormones, bacteria, pollutants, poor skin nutrition and many others. MLD can help to reduce symptoms of acne by promoting the balance in the environment of cells. Dr Vodder method of Manual Lymphatic Drainage nether ‘bring out’ the offending toxins in a flurry of sebaceous activity nor force them back into the blood circulation. By stimulating better lymphatic activity toxins and inflammatory mediators  are drawn away from the tissue and into lymph nodes where they are processed before being recirculated. 
Effective interruption of chronic inflammatory cycles can deliver permanent results.  By increasing the ability of the lymphatic system to quickly remove hormones, toxins and inflammatory mediators from the dermis MLD restores the correct balance of elements in the connective tissue bath. ​
Varicose veins

MLD is an adjunctive method of chronic venous disease (CVD) therapy and significantly decreases the degree of disease severity and foot and lower limb volume as well as improving patients quality of life. MLD before surgery of varicose veins improves the effect of the surgical treatment and decreases anxiety and depressive states caused by varicose veins.
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