Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD)

An efficiently functioning lymphatic system is fundamental to good health. It is our body's drainage system. When our lymphatics are not functioning properly the resulting problems are comparable to the problems we experience when we have blocked drains in our homes. We find excess fluid flooding our tissues or stagnation of fluid movement creating a focus for disease.

During the 1930s Dr Emil Vodder, a Danish physical therapist, devised a system to clear chronic catarrh and facial acne. He later went on to develop the system further so it could be used on any part of the body.

During a treatment small, gentle, rhythmic, circular movements of the skin stimulate our lymphatics into action clearing accumulated debris and tissue fluid, cleaning it and returning it to the blood stream to be excreted by the body. These accumulations can cause toxicity and swelling and may lead to a wide variety of symptoms. For this reason MLD may provide relief for a diversity of conditions. Other benefits of this method include pain relief and profound relaxation. It is an excellent preventative, improving our resistance by speeding up the movement of foreign bodies and disease producing substances to the lymph nodes, where they can be neutralised.

MLD may:

• Improve sleep patterns, relieve constipation, aid digestion.
• Alleviate fluid congestion eg puffy eyes, swollen ankles, fluid retention pre-menstrually and during pregancy, painful breasts.
• Improve chronic inflammatory conditions eg sinusitis, arthritis, acne and rosacea.
• Promote healing of wounds and burns.
• Improve the appearance of old scar tissue.
• Accelerate healing of broken bones, torn ligaments and sprains.
• Benefit post operative or traumatic bruising and swelling.
• Assist in conditions arising from venous insufficiency.
• Be an effective component in the treatment of lymphoedema along with bandaging, exercise and skin care.

Some conditions that have responded well to MLD in my own practice are:

• Miniere's Disease, Tinnitus, Labarynthitis, Vertigo.
• Rheumatoid Arthritis and inflammatory joint problems.
• Sinusitis and Rhinitis.
• Recurrent sore throats.
• Residual pain following stroke.
• Frozen shoulder.
• Menstrual pain.
• Varicose veins.
• Acne and other spotty skin conditions.
• General detoxification.