What is manual lymphatic drainage and how can it help me?

Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) is a gentle therapeutic technique that reduces swelling and inflammation, supports the nervous system to increase relaxation, decreases pain, and boosts the immune system.

Immediately after an acute injury or post-surgery, your tissue responds with an inflammatory reaction, which is part of its natural healing process. While the inflammatory stage is important, MLD can help reduce some of the swelling and inflammation to help decrease pain, promote faster healing, and increase range of motion.

Part of what makes MLD so effective is that it enhances your para-sympathetic nervous system (the part of your nervous system that signals rest and digest), which results in lower stress and increased relaxation. Not only does MLD leave you feeling very calm, but promoting the para-sympathetic nervous system can also help reduce pain. The more stress we experience, the more our nervous system perceives danger, and the more our brains respond with pain signaling to our bodies. This process is cyclical and through repetition the brain and central nervous system can become wired to make the body feel continuous pain, even in the absence of tissue damage. The brilliant folks at the Neuro Orthopedic Institute, who are the leading experts in pain research, focus their teachings on working with nervous system input to affect change in chronic pain patterns.

Lastly, MLD boosts the immune system as it increases the efficacy of the lymphatic system, which is responsible for producing and releasing lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) and other immune cells that look for and destroy invaders (such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi) that may enter the body.

If you just experienced an acute injury, have had a recent surgery, or are in chronic pain or continual stress, contact me and learn more about the ways Manual Lymphatic Drainage can be a powerful tool to bring you relief and enhance healing.

*Please note, there are some contraindications to MLD, including congestive heart failure, cellulitis, deep vein thrombosis, liver or kidney disease, certain cancer stages, and fever. Before booking, we will have a brief discussion about whatever medical conditions you may be experiencing to make sure MLD is appropriate for you.