The Lymphatic System
Many of us rarely, if ever, think of our lymphatic system. Occasionally, when our immune system is fighting a virus or a bacteria, we may notice that our ‘glands’ are swollen. Those are actually lymph nodes, an integral component of the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system serves many purposes, but in a nutshell it is a drainage and transport system. The body is always working to keep various things in check and one of the biggies is fluid levels. We all know that blood is flowing through our veins and arteries and that the heart is responsible for pumping that blood. Working very closely with the veins and arteries are lymph vessels which take up the fluid that is produced by various functions happening in the body at all times. Once this fluid is ‘mopped up’ by the lymphatic system, it is called lymph. Each day 4-8 litres are picked up by the lymphatic system! And it doesn’t stop there; there is also an important immune function. Remember those swollen ‘glands’? That is the lymph nodes filtering out viruses and bacteria and other unwanted stuff. It is also where part of our defense system occurs, namely immune cells recognizing things they’ve seen before so that they can attack quickly.
So what happens when our lymphatic system isn’t working properly? Like many other systems in our body, there are safety checks in place so that it can still work even if it isn’t at optimal level. But if those safety checks aren’t enough, or if the system is damaged, lymphedema can develop.
Lymphedema
Edema is the fancy way of saying swelling. Lymphedema is the swelling that occurs because the lymph fluid is unable to drain from an area. There are two types, primary and secondary. Primary is when the lymphatic system was not developed properly either in the developing fetus or early in life. Secondary is when damage occurs to a lymphatic system that was functioning normally before. Many people are familiar with lymph nodes in the armpit being removed as a part of the treatment for breast cancer. That can lead to lymphedema in the arm and/or chest. Unfortunately, lymphedema is a life-long condition.
Treatment
Lymphedema can be treated with combined decongestive therapy which is a combination of manual lymph drainage, bandaging/compression, exercises, and skin care. I have been taking courses with the Dr. Vodder School International and am very excited to say that I can now treat people with lymphedema. I can also do manual lymph drainage on people without lymphedema. It can be very beneficial post-surgery, post-injury, for headaches and for digestive discomfort. The treatment looks and feels very different from a typical massage. I will walk you through the assessment and treatment process prior to your first appointment. Rest assured that it is a very relaxing treatment.
Resources
Lymphedema Association of Ontario, www.lymphontario.ca
Canadian Lymphedema Framework, www.canadalymph.ca
Lymphology Association of North America, https://www.clt-lana.org/
References
Weissleder, H. and C. Schuchhardt, Lymphedema Diagnosis and Therapy, 4th ed. Essen 2008.
Wittlinger, H., D. Wittlinger, A. Wittlinger, and M. Wittlinger, Dr. Vodder’s Manual Lymph Drainage A Practical Guide, 2nd ed. 2019.
https://youtu.be/I7orwMgTQ5I