The lymphatic system involves the tissues and organs that help produce and store cells that help your body fight against infection and diseases. Included in this system are your spleen (the largest lymphatic organ), lymph nodes, thymus, and even bone marrow. Lymph is a fluid that contains infection-fighting white blood cells. Your lymphatics main function is to carry lymph throughout the body, where it will be filtered inside your lymph nodes. There are many lymph nodes in your body. There are some located in your lungs, heart, under your arms, and groin.
There are a few common problems that people can face with regard to their lymphatic system. Most of these are viral and bacterial infections that affect certain parts of your lymphatic system. Some of these problems include:
- Glandular Fever : A viral infection that affects mostly young adults. This is also known as Mono or infectious mononucleosis.
- Oedema : A medical term for fluid retention inside your body.
- Tonsillitis : Can be caused by bacteria and infection around your tonsils.
- Hodgkin’s Disease : A cancer of the lymphatic system.
A big sign that something is not working as it should in your lymphatic system is bloating that comes from a backup of lymph tissue. Fortunately, there is something you can do to combat this problem and clear out your lymph system.
Self-massage for lymphatic system
One way to boost your body to self-heal is through lymphatic self-massage. One main type of this is lymphatic drainage. What if all you needed was to set aside 15 minutes a day, would you consider this? Most of your lymph nodes are located on the front side of your body, which makes it easy to perform while lying in bed. You’ll greatly detoxify your body and promote great healing. Your body will be more relaxed afterward. Your results will benefit you on so many levels.
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So how does this benefit me?
Let me show you just a couple of reasons why you should start self-massaging today! One of the number one benefits of self-massage is that your lymph nodes will be able to process up to ten times more fluid. This will help keep even more infections get out of your body. Another benefit is that this will help increase the flow through the lymph nodes, which will eliminate more toxins from your body. You can also activate the parasympathetic responses, which promotes whole body relaxation.
How do you perform self-massage on lymphatic systems?
So, you’ve decided to give it a go, now what? You may think you’re not qualified to perform this type of healing on yourself. But you’d be so surprised how easy it is to perform!
The lymph nodes are the main focus in your lymphatic system. You have more than 500 located in your system. You may think you’ll never be able to cover all of them in just a 15-minute massage. Fortunately, a majority of them are located in your neck, armpits, stomach, and groin area. During your self-massage, you’ll focus your attention on these main areas.
You should realize that lymph drainage self-massage is very different than traditional massage therapy. You need your touch to be very light. The lighter your touch, the more effect you’ll have. If you have too much pressure in your touch you will bypass the vessels you’re trying to drain. During your massage you need to very lightly stretch the skin; remember, you’re not gliding. During stretching, you will be manually pumping the vessels. At the end of your stretch, it’s very important to lift your hands, otherwise, all you’re doing is moving the lymph node back and forth. Below, you will find a step-by-step guide on how to perform self-massages in different areas of your body.
According to Heather Wibbels, LMT, you can safely perform lymphatic drainage massage on the lymph nodes in your neck, armpits, legs, and groin area. Using very gentle pressure, first perform lymph drainage for the ears on the neck area, then practice lymphatic breathing for the abdomen, and finally, self-lymphatic drainage on the legs.
After you try all of these, you’ll notice how much your body is more relaxed and how you’ll become healthier by self-drainage on your lymphatic system after just 15 minutes every day. Other natural remedies you could add to self-drainage is acupuncture, saunas or steam baths, exercise, and drinking plenty of water.