Manual Lymphatic Drainage


The concepts of manual lymphatic drainage were founded in 1930's and first presented in 1936 in Paris by Dr. Emil Vodder, together with his wife Dr. Estrid Vodder. The promotion of this method in the Czech Republic was gratefully done by the founder of Czech lymphology MUDr. Miroslav Bechyně, CSc., who was also teaching it for year himself.

How Does the Lymphatic System Work?

The lymphatic system is an integral part of the human immune system and information system. It is actually the only system buffering and removing of harmful substances, that er either produced during various processes in the organism, or entering to the body from air and food. Since this system is the main factor of the body immunity, it has a crucial impact on all illnesses nowadays.

Lymph circulation is very similar to blood circulation. Larger lymphatic vessels are similar to veins, lymphatic capillaries are spread all over the human body. Lymphatic nodules and organs (bone marrow, spleen, thymus) are also parts of this system. The major influence on the production, quality and circulation of lymph have organs such as stomach, pancreas and spleen. These organs directly affect the feeding of muscles, i.e. the system which mainly helps the lymph to circulate. Therefore, healthy nutrition and good performance of these organs play an important role in the overall immunity of the human body.

The main function of the lymphatic system is absorbing the body liquids and releasing them back into blood, binding fats and a participation on the immune system performance. Nodules are catching junk substances present in our bodies. Under normal conditions, approximately 4 litres of liquids is a daily volume streamed through the lymphatic system. The contents are water, proteins, fats, salts, dead cells, bacteries, and by-products of metabolic processes.

How are the Irregularities of the Lymphatic System Expressed?

Each higher toxic load, scars after injuries and operations, old infections on tonsils, and sinuses of head or around the teeth in jawbones (aka. focuses) are disturbing the organism and can slow down the lymph stream, cause edemas, stress, pain, toxin accumulation and further inflammatory changes in the closest neighbourhood as well as far away from the spot.

Excessive load of the lymphatic system by toxins, stress, or damage of lymphatic vessels by injury, surgery, infection etc. is expressed at first by "common" tiredness in legs, later in the whole body, by psychic irritation, foot edemas especially near ankles, mostly in the evening and after high physical effort, further edemas in stomach area or even in face (often supposed to be signs of obesity), lymphedemas, edemas of eye lids, lymphatic nodules, by breathing problems without any obvious reason, inclination to infection diseases resulting from immune system insufficiency and last but not least by formation of tumour diseases.

Manual Lymphatic Drainage

Massage is a proper treatment for especially those parts of the human body, which are sensitive to lymphatic system insufficiencies and the adjacent tissues along the lymph stream direction. Remove cellulite, relieve your swollen feet, speed up your metabolic processes, detoxify your organism - this all can be achieved by the manual lymphatic massage! It can reduce the healing time of haemorrhage, fractures, traumatogenic and post-operative moods by orders of magnitude!

What is the Secret of Manual Lymphatic Drainage?

This special kind of massage intends to renew and speed-up lymph circulation. The lymphatic system namely does not have its own pump. When it does not work or it works slower, some metabolic residues retain in body tissues. The fat cells grow, fat pillows are built up, as well as orange-like skin and various edemas. Using a targeted massaging pressure and direction, it is possible to activate the lymph and accomplish the expulsion of toxins out of the human body. The therapist unblocks by massaging the main lymph nodules and forces the drained liquids to be eliminated out of the body. This method is natural and medically justified. It is not only efficient, the more it is very pleasant and relaxing!

Who Needs the Manual Lymphatic Massage?

According to experts, the manual lymphatic massage is suitable as a prevention for those who are keep staying long hours. It also helps for regenerating after physical stress, touring, sports. On the one side, it is used for healing edemas, on the other side, it helps make the skin better, to speed up metabolic processes, to detoxify the body, and it is also ordained for recovery after liposuction, to prevent varicose veins or cellulite. In order to reach the best possible results, it os recommended to attend the lymphatic massage (lymphatic drainage) twice a week, but at least once a week. A recommended number of massages is 10. After that, a massage once a month should follow as a maintenance treatment.

What All May Be Stimulated by the Manual Lymphatic Massage?

The most wanted lymphatic massages are those of legs and shoulders. Apart from cellulite symptoms it can remove edemas, the feeling of heavy legs, muscle pain etc. Though it is recommended to do regular sports as well, e.g. cycling, swimming or longer walks. Popular are lymphatic massages for smoothing edemas in human face, edemas on eye lids, to reduce the "pockets" underneath the eyes and the "dew-laps". It is also useful when healing acne vulgaris or smoothing face-lines. For those suffering by often migraines and headaches, edemas on hands and fingers, muscle pain, the lymphatic massages is helpful as well. However, it is not a suitable method for persons with implants, serious heart weakness, high blood pressure, when undergoing feverous diseases, influenzas and colds, when having ulcerous injuries, stomach aches of unknown origin, malignant diseases, apoplectic strokes and it is also not recommended up to the fifth month of pregnancy and during the child-bed. After first sessions one can feel a pronounced relieving, sometimes appears an elevated mucous excretion (nasal cavity, intestine etc.), sometimes one gets more thirsty, hungry (in a healthy way) and yawning.

Cellulite Healing

Cellulite, a.k.a. "orange-like skin", is a source of suffering for majority of women. The main reasons are toxins and harmful substances being concentrated in the human body, as well as insufficient performance of the lymphatic system, which is mainly responsible for removal of harmful substances from tissues. Common reasons for that are bad lifestyle, and lack of body movement. Hence the stream of the lymph goes slower. Therefore, for cellulite treatment, it is primarily important to activate the lymph so that it is streaming faster and removing the toxins from the body. Old well-known recommendations are: more jogging, adapting meal habits, taking care of water drinking (2-3 litres of liquids daily) and going for lymphatic massages.