Because of the effect the massage has on puffiness, it also makes for a great facial too.
You will find it described differently according to where the therapist has trained, but you can be confident that massage described as manual lymphatic drainage, MLD, Vodder Technique, Combined Decongestive Therapy or Casely Smith Method of Lymphatic Drainage are all good. If you are not sure which to pick, ask the therapist if they are trained to work with the issues you want help with.
What happens?
Once you have given your therapist a medical history and gone through the issues you want addressing, they will be able to advise on lifestyle changes, teach you self-massage and other exercises that will help to manage your symptoms.
The touch is a very slow and light stroking on the skin; this opens up the lymph vessels, which are close beneath the surface. The work isn't just confined to the problem area but treats the whole of the lymphatic system, usually starting at the chest; the rhythmic movement of the skin moves the lymph back towards the heart.
Combined Decongestive Therapists also use special bandages or compression garments after the treatment, which move the lymph between treatments and prevent the lymph from accumulating again.
You will usually be recommended to have a weekly course of treatments, depending on the severity of the issues you want to address.
Who should get this massage?
Anyone with the sort of symptoms listed above will benefit; despite the gentle touch, lymphatic drainage works effectively on swelling which deep tissue or Swedish massage cannot. However there are still some times when lymphatic drainage might be harmful, for example if you have:
- An infection or inflammation in the swollen area
- A blood clot
- Heart problems
- Active cancer in the area
- Deep vein thrombosis
