LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE MASSAGE · SOUTH SURREY
Lymphatic Drainage Massage
Gentle, individualized treatment that supports your body’s natural lymphatic system.
Your lymphatic system, and what it does all day
Your lymphatic system is part of how your body handles fluid and supports your immune system. It collects the extra fluid that sits around your tissues, moves it along a network of vessels and lymph nodes, and returns it to your bloodstream.
It does that without a pump. Your heart moves blood, but nothing does the same job for lymph. Instead the fluid gets going through muscle movement, breathing, changes in pressure inside the body, and the gentle squeeze of the lymphatic vessels themselves.
When that movement slows down or gets interrupted, fluid can gather in the tissues. That is often what is behind swelling, heaviness, a full feeling, or general discomfort in an area.
Lymphatic drainage massage uses specific hands-on techniques to support the natural movement of that fluid. Every treatment is built around your health history, what you are actually experiencing, what you want out of it, and what your body is comfortable with on the day.
Two approaches at Refined
We offer two kinds of lymphatic-focused massage therapy:
Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage
A gentle, rhythmic hands-on treatment. Light, specific movements encourage lymphatic fluid to keep moving through the body.
Brazilian Lymphatic Drainage Massage
A more dynamic sequence of rhythmic movements. The pressure can vary by area, and it can include purpose-made manual tools.
Both support the lymphatic system. The techniques and the feel of the treatment are different, and that difference is worth understanding before you book.
Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage
Manual Lymphatic Drainage, usually shortened to MLD, is a gentle, rhythmic hands-on treatment. Light, specific movements encourage lymphatic fluid to keep moving through the body.
A lot of your lymphatic vessels sit close to the surface of the skin, so MLD uses lighter pressure than a typical massage therapy treatment. Your therapist works slowly and repetitively, following the natural pathways of your lymphatic system. Treatment often starts near the major drainage areas before working gradually toward wherever fluid is gathering.
MLD may be part of your care if you are dealing with certain kinds of swelling, a heavy or full feeling in the tissues, or if lymphatic-focused treatment has been recommended as part of a wider plan. What that looks like for you depends on your presentation and your medical history.
What does it feel like?
Gentle. There is no deep pressure involved. Your therapist uses slow, rhythmic movements meant to work with the surface tissues and the lymphatic pathways underneath them. Most people describe it as calm, repetitive and comfortable.
Brazilian Lymphatic Drainage Massage
Brazilian Lymphatic Drainage Massage is another lymphatic-focused approach. It uses rhythmic, directional massage techniques to support the movement of lymphatic fluid through the tissues.
Compared with traditional Manual Lymphatic Drainage, a Brazilian treatment tends to use a more dynamic sequence of movements, and the pressure can vary depending on the area being worked on and on you. Your therapist may combine hands-on techniques with purpose-made manual tools during parts of the treatment.
As with MLD, the treatment is shaped around your health history, what you are experiencing, what you are hoping to get out of it, and what feels comfortable.
About the tools
Purpose-made manual tools give your therapist another way of applying controlled contact to the tissues. Different tools suit different areas of the body and different goals. They let your therapist vary the surface area, the pressure and the type of contact while still following your body’s natural lymphatic pathways.
Tools are not used for every person or every area. They sit alongside traditional hands-on techniques rather than replacing them, and Adrienne offers the treatment both with tools and without.
Which one is right for me?
Both treatments focus on supporting your lymphatic system. The style is what differs.
Manual Lymphatic Drainage
Uses very light, slow, repetitive movements. It may suit you if you need a particularly gentle lymphatic-focused approach.
Brazilian Lymphatic Drainage Massage
Involves a more dynamic sequence of rhythmic movements, and can include purpose-made manual tools.
You do not have to work this out on your own. Your Registered Massage Therapist will look at your health history, why you are coming in, the areas you are concerned about and what your body tolerates, then decide which techniques make sense for you.
Why people come in for lymphatic drainage massage
People book lymphatic-focused massage for all sorts of reasons, including:
- certain kinds of swelling or fluid build-up
- a heavy or full feeling in the tissues
- lymphatic congestion after an injury, when it suits the stage of healing
- certain kinds of post-surgical swelling, once you have been medically cleared
- diagnosed lymphatic conditions, where massage therapy is appropriate
- tissue discomfort that comes with fluid build-up
- lymphatic-focused treatment as part of a wider healthcare plan
One important note about swelling
Not all swelling is suitable for massage therapy. If swelling comes on suddenly, has no clear cause, is painful, or is getting worse quickly, please get it assessed medically before booking a lymphatic drainage massage.
Where lymph fluid actually goes
Lymph fluid does not sit in one place. It moves constantly between your bloodstream, the spaces around your cells and your lymphatic system.
Tiny lymphatic vessels collect extra fluid from your tissues. That fluid then travels through progressively larger vessels and passes through lymph nodes before it eventually returns to your bloodstream.
Major groups of lymph nodes sit throughout the body:
Cervical
Throughout the neck.
Axillary
In the underarm area.
Abdominal and pelvic
Throughout the abdomen and pelvis.
Inguinal
In the groin, draining much of the lower body.
Knowing these pathways is what guides the direction and the order of the techniques your therapist uses.
There is no standard treatment, because there is no standard person
Lymphatic drainage massage is not one-size-fits-all. Everyone comes in with a different health history, a different reason for being there, and a different response to massage therapy.
Your Registered Massage Therapist will assess whether lymphatic techniques are right for you, and adjust the treatment around what you need.
Common questions
What is lymphatic drainage massage?
It is a hands-on massage therapy treatment that uses specific techniques to support the natural movement of lymphatic fluid through your body. Your lymphatic system moves fluid without a pump, so when that movement slows down, fluid can gather in the tissues. Lymphatic drainage massage works with your body’s own pathways to help that fluid keep moving.
What is the difference between Manual and Brazilian lymphatic drainage massage?
The style. Manual Lymphatic Drainage uses very light, slow, repetitive movements and may suit you if you need a particularly gentle approach. Brazilian Lymphatic Drainage Massage uses a more dynamic sequence of rhythmic movements, the pressure can vary by area, and it can include purpose-made manual tools. Both focus on supporting your lymphatic system.
Does lymphatic drainage massage hurt?
Manual Lymphatic Drainage is gentle. There is no deep pressure, and most people describe it as calm, repetitive and comfortable. A Brazilian treatment is more dynamic, and the pressure varies depending on the area and on you. Either way your therapist works within what your body is comfortable with, so tell them how it feels as you go.
Are the tools used in every treatment?
No. Tools are not used for every person or every area. They sit alongside traditional hands-on techniques rather than replacing them, and Adrienne offers Brazilian Lymphatic Drainage Massage both with tools and without.
How do I know which treatment is right for me?
You do not have to decide on your own. Your Registered Massage Therapist will look at your health history, why you are coming in, the areas you are concerned about and what your body tolerates, then choose the techniques that make sense for you.
I have swelling. Can I book a lymphatic drainage massage?
Sometimes, and it depends on the swelling. Not all swelling is suitable for massage therapy. If swelling has come on suddenly, has no clear cause, is painful, or is getting worse quickly, please have it assessed medically before you book. Post-surgical swelling is something we can work with once you have been medically cleared.
Who do I book with?
Manual Lymphatic Drainage is with Gurpreet Rai RMT and Adrienne Carriere RMT. Brazilian Lymphatic Drainage Massage, with or without tools, is with Adrienne Carriere RMT. Both book through rih.janeapp.com.
Not sure which one you need?
That is what the first appointment is for.
If you are dealing with swelling, fluid build-up or heaviness in the tissues, or you are simply curious about lymphatic-focused massage therapy, book in and talk it through with one of our Registered Massage Therapists.