The Importance of Good Lymphatic Drainage

What is the Lymphatic System?

The lymphatic system is one of the most vital systems in the body and it is essential for good health. It is a vital network of vessels and nodes responsible for regulating fluids, distributing proteins and filtering out poisons in the fluid between the cells. Fluids (lymph) are drained from your tissues and emptied back into your bloodstream.

The main roles of the lymphatic system include managing the fluid levels in your body, filtering out bacteria and housing white blood cells. Lymph is filtered through your spleen, thymus and lymph nodes before being emptied into the blood.

What is Lymph?

Lymph is found between the cells in your body. It enters the lymph vessels by filtration through pores in the walls of capillaries.

The lymph then travels to at least one lymph node before emptying ultimately into your right or the left subclavian vein in your neck, where it mixes back with blood.

What is the purpose of Lymph?

The purpose of lymph is to bathe the cells with water and nutrients.

How does Lymph form?

Blood vessels tend to seep fluid into surrounding tissue. The lymphatic system drains off any extra fluid to stop the tissues from puffing up. The feet in particular are prone to puffiness due to the fact that the lymphatic drainage system is working against gravity and the legs are mostly down.

What are Lymph nodes?

Lymph nodes are found at various points around your body, including your throat, armpits, chest, abdomen and groin. All lie close to arteries. Bacteria picked up from the tissues by the lymph are trapped in the lymph node. White blood cells called lymphocytes can then attack and kill the bacteria. This is why your lymph nodes tend to swell if you have an infection. Viruses and cancer cells are also trapped by lymph nodes.


Where are my Lymph Nodes?

While the lymphatic system extends all over your entire body, there are regions where lymph nodes are concentrated and act as ‘debris collection centres’. They are located in the collarbone region; the armpit region; and in the groin region of your body.

Where are my Lymphatic Vessels?

Lymphatic vessels criss-cross your entire body, except for the central nervous system. Some lymphatic vessels have valves (similar to the valves in veins), which stop the lymph from running back the wrong way.

How does the Lymph move around my Body?

The lymphatic system is not a closed system and the movement of the lymph fluid is due to functions such as peristalsis, valves, and the milking action of skeletal muscles. Lymph fluid only ever travels in one direction.

As the lymph fluid moves through your body, it collects waste products and toxins and disposes of them through your bladder, bowel, lungs, and skin. The lymphatic system is vital for both detoxification and for your immune system.  If it is not working properly, then a wide range of illnesses can develop.

After lymph flushes through your system, sucking and collecting all of the pollutants, it flows through these regions to allocated channels for cleansing/metabolism (liver) or filtering/excretion (kidneys). If an area of tissue becomes infected, the lymph transports germs and tissue chemicals to the adjacent lymph nodes, which react by producing cells, which are released into the circulation to fight the infection.

When you have a sore throat and get swollen glands (lymph nodes) on the sides of your neck, this is a signal that the lymphatic system has been activated to fight the infection. When a cancer is present in the tissues, it can be transported to the lymph nodes. That's why doctors often check lymph nodes for the presence of cancer cells.

What happens if my Lymphatic Drainage is not working properly?

Signs that the lymphatic system is not functioning properly include swelling, swollen glands, a tendency for infections or viruses, recurring tonsillitis or sore throats, skin lesions and constipation.

Some common problems associated with lymphatic drainage include:

                           Glandular Fever--symptoms include tender lymph nodes

                           Hodgkin’s Disease--a cancer of the lymphatic system

                          Oedema--swelling caused by too much fluid in the tissues

                          Tonsillitis--infection of the tonsils in the throat

Things to remember:

1.     The lymphatic system maintains fluid levels in your body.

2.    Bacteria and other microbes are taken up by the lymph and delivered to the lymph nodes for destruction.

3.    The spleen and thymus are organs, which filter your blood.

4.    Unlike the cardiovascular system, the lymphatic system is not closed and has no central pump. Lymph transport, therefore, is slow and sporadic, relying upon muscular contractions.

5.     Lymph, which enters the lymph vessels from the interstitial space usually, does not flow backwards along the vessels because of the presence of valves. However, if excessive hydrostatic pressure develops within the lymph vessels, some fluid can leak back into the interstitial space and contribute to the formation of oedema.( puffiness around the ankles)

What can I do to improve my Lymphatic Drainage?

 

You have to move!

Exercise is vital for a healthy lymphatic system. Regular exercise creates vigorous motion in your body and this is necessary for stimulating waste disposal and the flow of lymphatic fluid.

The more you move, the livelier your lymphatic system will become. An added benefit is that exercise makes you breathe more rapidly and more deeply.

There are some great leg exercises in the kit especially for lymphatic drainage.

Breathe efficiently!

You should breathe using your diaphragm. Other than circulating more oxygen to your tissues, deep, diaphragmatic breathing helps in the circulation of lymph fluid. When you breathe efficiently using your diaphragm, you are actually massaging your abdominal organs and lymphatic vessels so that the lymph fluid can flow generously.

Put your feet up!

Putting your feet up after a long day is for a reason! You are draining the lymph, which has collected there as a result of spending so much time on your feet. Spending some time during the day with your feet up is a good idea so that you don’t get the build up at the end of the day.

Drink plenty of water!

Lastly, remember to drink plenty of fresh, filtered water to keep your body optimally hydrated and to help your kidneys flush out toxins.

Consult your physiotherapist!

If you still have symptoms of a sluggish lymphatic system then you might need to consult your physiotherapist about having some lymphatic drainage.

 

Summing up

You can see why the human body needs to move and why we all need to understand what this amazingly well organized system does. It is an extraordinarily well-designed defence system against infection, viruses, bacteria, fungi, and disease. When the lymphatic system is working well and not overloaded, your health is maintained with nature's own detoxification design. However, if the lymphatic system is sluggish and there is too much waste, a blockage in the lymphatic network happens, leading to symptoms like chronic fatigue, water retention, skin conditions, infections, ear or balance problems, arthritis, headaches, excessive sweating, obesity etc.