Lymph drainage massage is a unique technique first developed in Europe by Dr. Emil Vodder. Because of his lack of medical credentials, because his work was largely intuitive, he first found an audience in the beauty industry rather than the medical industry. However, his work was eventually accepted as a form of physical therapy used for the treatment of lymphedema disease.
Experience has shown that lymph drainage massage is not only for patients with lymphedema disease; lymph drainage massage is also a perfect technique for helping clients to maintain health and improve the beauty of the skin. Lymph drainage massage also affects the connective tissue, which means it combines well with deep tissue massage to release chronic muscle contracture and pain. Lymph drainage massage is profoundly relaxing, which helps the body turn off the stress chemicals (fight or flight nervous system) and turns on the part of the nervous system that allows the body to renew and heal itself.
Benefits of lymphatic drainage massage therapy:
- reduces edema, local puffiness
- stimulates a sluggish immune system
- enhances immunity on a cellular level
- enhances the beauty and health of the skin
- nurturing and soothing
- promotes deep relaxation and stress reduction
- speeds healing of injuries
- reduces scar tissue
Lymphatic drainage massage can be combined with other techniques:
- with cellulite massage
- with sports massage to speed the healing of injuries
- with deep tissue massage to reduce post-session soreness and swelling
- with facials to enhance the skin from the inside and outside
- with body-mind work to produce a deeply relaxed state for inner work
Lymph Drainage Massage is very slow, so in an hour massage the therapist will typically massage just the face and neck, or part of the trunk and extremities. To cover the entire body, please schedule a series of five sessions. If you want to have only one session, schedule a lymph drainage massage for the face and neck.
Manual lymph drainage is the third most common type of physical therapy in Europe and is widely used in the health and beauty industries. It is a lovely, gentle technique that imitates the pumping action of the lymphatic vessels, stimulating lymphatic contraction. The effect of manual lymphatic drainage is to mechanically move fluid through the tissues, reducing edema.
Since the lymphatic system is in effect the waste treatment system of the body, floating away microscopic debris from cells, manual lymphatic drainage also cleanses the tissues, removing microscopic organisms, microscopic particles, and metabolic waste. It stimulates the growth of new lymph capillaries through scar tissue, mobilizes connective tissue, stimulates the reproduction of white blood cells, reduces swelling, assists in the most efficient healing of scar tissue, and more.