What is lymph?

The lymphatic system – rivers of the body! Lymphatic vessels run right alongside blood vessels. They carry lymphatic fluid, or “lymph,” all through the body, making pit stops at the lymph nodes. Lymph carries water-soluble waste away from cells, and also delivers precious immune cells wherever they are needed. Lymphatic troubles appear when the system gets blocked or overloaded. If a certain body part is swollen, that means it’s full of lymphatic fluid!

Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD)

MLD is a gentle yet powerful technique to assist the flow of lymph throughout the body. The soothing circular movements often produce a parasympathetic and deeply relaxed state.

I have studied MLD with the Dr. Vodder school, and am a certified lvl. 3 practitioner.

As a student of Iyengar Yoga, I can also demonstrate which poses will be helpful to assist lymphatic flow in your particular situation.

What does MLD treat?

• Acne
• Eczema
• Allergy symptoms
• Auto-immune conditions
• Sinus problems
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Swollen ankles and feet
• Generalized leg pain
• Bruising / black eye
• Some skin conditions
• Lymphedema
• Clearing toxins after excess drug / alcohol use
• Reducing toxic effects of pharmaceutical drugs
• Pre-surgery (to prepare the site for enhanced outcome)
• Post-surgery (to ease swelling and bruising)
• Spinal fusion or other sites stabilized by hardware
• Amputation sites
• Liposuction post-treatment
• and more!

When should you not receive MLD?

Whenever you have an untreated infection. Infectious bacteria has some risk of traveling through the lymphatic system to other parts of the body. In that case, increasing lymphatic flow is not a good idea for the affected body part. If in doubt, you may contact me or ask your doctor.

How long should I wait after a surgery to get MLD?

24 hours should be fine. MLD is very gentle and can be done with no risk to the incision site. It can reduce swelling and hasten healing of affected tissues.

Is MLD helpful for obese clients?

Very much yes! Most people with obesity also suffer from inhibition of lymphatic flow. When lymphatic flow is hindered, exercise becomes difficult or even painful because the body has a harder time removing the with lactic acid naturally produced by the muscles. This can cause soreness and muscle fatigue. I have had good success with obese clients to improve stamina, general comfort and ease of motion.

Is MLD good for cancer patients?

Yes, in many cases! Many of the side effects of cancer treatment can be treated with MLD. If you have cancer, please get pre-approved from your doctor before receiving MLD. To hear more about contra-indications for cancer patients, give me a call.

As a brain-cancer survivor myself, I can provide not only somatic but also emotional support to other patients.

MLD can be useful to deal with symptoms of:

• Surgery
• Radiation
• Chemotherapy
• Drug side-effects
• Lymph node removal

Reviews

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

Rebecca is the first massage therapist I have met who could be called a “bodywork” practitioner. Upon meeting her I quickly realized that her approach to her massage practice aligned perfectly with that of other wholistic healers in my life like my doctor, my physical therapist and my Taoist Studies teacher with whom I study Qui Gong and Tai Chi. She understands energetic pathways in the body equally to our physical structures. Over the past months, she has worked out the subtle relationships between these in order to restore health across both. In particular her therapy has helped reduce swelling and increase lymphatic drainage in my leg and these results have proved long lasting, and reduced pain greatly throughout the whole length of my leg and all its joints. In addition Rebecca has also taught me simple techniques I can do on my own to continuously manage my own health. All of this has made a great difference in my life. I consider her a skilled and invaluable healer.

– Hubbard Benedict

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

Rebecca is a true master and healer in bodywork and I cannot recommend her enough in the art of massage. She has excellent hands-on and technical skills, with an intricate understanding of the connections between muscle and tendon within the body. I felt she was a true artist in this respect, as her feel for massage was so focused and detailed oriented. She has expertise in multiple techniques and is a mentor and collaborator in her field. Rebecca is also empathetic and a great listener in building a close and harmonious relationship her clients. I fully trusted Rebecca with my body and mind. I have seen dozens of massage therapists and always felt like I was seeing the best when I saw Rebecca. I am happy to recommend Rebecca to anyone!

– Johnny Ku-Wen Mao