What to Expect When You Book a Lymphatic Massage or Body Rub

The lymphatic system is crucial to overall health, yet it’s too often overlooked. This system is a network of tiny tubes throughout your entire body. These tubes drain fluid, known as lymph, that leaks from blood vessels into other tissues. They send it back into the bloodstream through the lymph nodes.

This helps manage the fluid levels in your body and even helps deal with cancer cells and other harmful diseases and disorders. It also helps your body react to bacteria, viruses, and other issues that may stem from dead or abnormal cells.

These functions are essential and must be managed and maintained. Regular lymphatic massages and body rubs are a great way to be consistent and ensure your lymphatic system stays in top-notch working order. If you’re unsure what these treatments look like, read on to learn what to expect when you book a lymphatic massage or body rub.

What is a Lymphatic Massage?

A lymphatic massage or body rub is a procedure done by a healthcare professional to help manually drain your lymph nodes.

This type of massage was created to treat a condition called lymphedema. This is caused when the lymphatic system is blocked or damaged. It can be hereditary but is also common after surgical procedures, physical trauma, or infection. Anyone can get a lymphatic massage or body rub done, but it’s most often recommended for people with this condition.

Other signs that it may be time for a lymphatic drainage treatment include things like frequent headaches or sinus infections, chronic fatigue, ongoing skin conditions, or trouble losing weight. These are all things affected by poor lymph drainage that can improve once treatment starts.

If you’re unsure how to proceed, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our experts are ready to answer all your questions and help you figure out the right treatment path.

What to Expect

Lymphatic massages are performed by many different practitioners including doctors, nurses, and physical therapists. Our technicians specialize in therapies like lymphatic massages and have extensive experience, so you can rest assured you’re getting top-notch treatment from an expert.

A lymphatic massage is similar to a regular massage but tends to involve lighter pressure and more stretching of the skin. It’s a very gentle procedure and should not be painful.

The massage will focus on the areas that house the main lymph nodes, such as your neck, armpits, and groin. Light pressure is applied in long strokes, moving the lymph fluid so that your organs can effectively remove the toxins.

Once your therapist is done with drainage, they will focus on restimulating your lymphatic system to improve the flow in your body. This helps prevent future issues and blockages. It’s normal to feel very relaxed for this part of the session.

Once finished, you may need to rest for a little before leaving. You’ll also feel much better right away, with symptoms improving further for an hour or so following the appointment. Swelling will be reduced and you’ll probably feel rejuvenated and refreshed. This feeling can last for several hours.

Lymphatic Massage Benefits

A lymphatic massage has a simple objective: to help drain lymph fluid and ensure the lymphatic system is working properly. The biggest and perhaps most immediately noticeable benefit is a significant reduction in pain and swelling. However, a lymphatic massage or body rub comes with many additional benefits:

• Helps reduce water retention
• Helps reduce and remove toxins from the body
• Provides deep relaxation and helps relieve symptoms of anxiety depression, insomnia, and more
• Faster regeneration and healing of burns and scars
• Visibly decrease skin puffiness
• Improved circulation
• Can help with weight loss
• Can help relieve fibromyalgia and arthritis pain

Lymphatic drainage treatments also help to increase the effects of our VelaShape and Lipomassage treatments. These treatments focus on skincare and cellulite reduction, both of which benefit greatly from proper lymphatic drainage and maintenance.

Lymphatic Massage Frequency

Because a lymphatic massage or body rub is so gentle, you can be treated pretty frequently. While you shouldn’t have a massage done more than once a day, you can go multiple times a week if needed. Depending on the severity of your condition, highly frequent treatments may be necessary in the beginning.

Generally, our recommendation is to start with 10 consecutive lymphatic drainage treatments three to four times a week. Beyond that, you can come in for maintenance as needed. This will vary from person to person – your practitioner will recommend a frequency that they think works best for you!

After the Lymphatic Massage

Once you’re finished with your initial round of lymphatic drainage treatments, you must do your part to maintain the proper function of your lymphatic system. While regular massage may be necessary to keep things in tip-top shape, there are a few things you can do on your own to help keep things working:

• Dry brushing. Also known as “skin brushing” this promotes lymph flow as you brush in the same direction that the lymph travels. For best results, brush up from your hands and feet towards the collarbone.
• Exercise, stretching, and yoga. Unlike the circulatory system, the lymphatic system doesn’t have a pump. It relies on your movement and muscle contractions to keep flowing.
• Eat a cleaner diet. Avoid packaged and processed foods when possible, and opt for fresh, natural, whole foods. This reduces toxins coming into your body, therefore making the job of the lymphatic system easier.
• Avoid tight clothing. Tighter clothes can restrict the movement of lymph fluid, especially when worn for long periods. Wear loose-fitting clothes whenever possible.

Book Your Treatment Today

The lymphatic system has a huge impact on so many parts of your body and poor drainage often affects more than most people think. It can cause ongoing issues and painful symptoms that won’t go away until lymph drainage is improved. This is where a quality lymphatic massage or body rub regimen can save the day.

Reach out today for more information and to get a free quote. We’ll help you create a personalized plan for a healthier body and a healthier life!