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Lymphatic Drainage Therapy
Your lymphatic system is constantly working in the background moving fluid through your tissues, supporting immune function, and helping maintain balance within your body.
When lymph movement becomes less efficient, you may experience swelling, heaviness, congestion, or a feeling that your tissues simply aren't moving or recovering the way they normally do. What is the lymphatic system?The lymphatic system is a network of vessels and lymph nodes that helps regulate fluid within your tissues and plays an important role in immune function.
Lymph moves through lymphatic vessels partly because the vessels themselves have intrinsic rhythmic contractions. Specialized smooth muscle in the larger collecting lymphatic vessels contracts spontaneously, creating a pumping action that moves lymph forward. Lymph movement is also influenced by breathing, muscle activity, movement, and the autonomic nervous system . Lymphatic Drainage Therapy (LDT) is a gentle, hands-on approach that supports the body's natural movement of lymph and fluid. LDT uses very gentle, specific touch to encourage and support lymph, rather than forcing fluid in a particular direction. LDT uses palpation to assess how the tissues are responding and follow the pathways that appear most appropriate for your body. This makes each treatment individualized rather than following a one-size-fits-all routine. |
The Chikly approach |
My training is based on the work of Bruno Chikly, MD, DO, and the Chikly Institute's approach to Lymph Drainage Therapy. One of the things that makes this approach unique is the emphasis on feeling and following the body's fluid dynamics. Through gentle palpation, I assess the rhythm, direction, depth, and quality of movement within the tissues. I may also use principles of lymphatic mapping to understand how fluid may be moving through your body and where alternate pathways may be available. Rather than applying the same sequence to every person, I allow the treatment to be guided by what I feel in your tissues.
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How lymphatic therapy can help |
Lymphatic Drainage Therapy may be appropriate for people experiencing:
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What does a session feel like? |
LDT uses very light, specific touch. Most people find the work deeply relaxing.
You may notice subtle movement beneath the skin, a sense of softening or spaciousness, changes in pressure, or simply a greater awareness of your body. Lymphatic therapy may be offered as a stand alone treatment or incorporated into a broader physical therapy session, depending on your needs. |