Lymph drainage massage has become a popular form of massage due to its potential health benefits. This specialized approach focuses on the lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system.
This type of massage aims to help the body maintain proper blood circulation, body fluid balance, and immune functions.
Understanding the Lymphatic System
The lymphatic system contains vessels and nodes with lymph, a mixture of proteins, water, waste products, and immune system elements. Located throughout the body, lymph nodes filter all this debris.
The largest nodes are in the neck, groin, and armpits. They all work together to make sure “clean” lymph is transported back to the veins that carry blood toward the heart.
Lymphedema
Lymphatic drainage massage has been used for people with lymphedema, which involves swelling, generally in one of your legs or arms.
The swelling is caused by lymph fluid that’s collected in the soft tissues, due to genetic disorders, injury, infection, cancer treatment, or surgery. Symptoms of lymphedema include:
- Pain
- Skin discoloration
- Tissue swelling
- Heaviness in the limbs
- Weakness
- Hardening or thickening of the skin
- Recurring infections
Benefits of Lymphatic Drainage Massage
Lymphedema can be treated with tight compression bandages or stockings, but a manual lymphatic drainage massage can help enhance the benefits.
If you experience lymphedema after a mastectomy, which involves the removal of breast tissue to treat or prevent breast cancer, lymph drainage massage can help ease mild to moderate symptoms post-surgery.
Treating Other Health Conditions
Aside from lymphedema, lymphatic drainage massage can help treat several health problems. Some conditions can benefit more from the massage than others.
Studies have found that lymphatic drainage massage may be beneficial for the following:
Rheumatoid arthritis. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, you may experience poor lymph flow as the disease progresses. Along with tissue swelling, pain in the joints increases, joints lose their function, and the skin changes color. Lymph drainage massage can help ease these later-stage rheumatoid arthritis symptoms.
Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Chronic venous insufficiency is when the valves or walls of the veins that are in the legs don’t work correctly. This makes it hard for the blood to flow back to the heart from the legs. Lymphatic drainage massage can help increase the speed of blood flow in people with CVI.
The massage can make the femoral artery — the large artery in the thigh — perform better immediately after the session. It’s unclear how long this impact lasts or whether the massage provides long-term relief from pain and swelling. Further research in this area would help bring more light to the effectiveness of this massage technique on CVI.
Fibromyalgia. Lymph drainage massage may help people with fibromyalgia. This condition causes inflammation of the skin nerves, discoloration of the skin, and tissue swelling. The massage has been shown to be better than connective tissue massage in treating depression, stiffness, and improving quality of life for those living with fibromyalgia.