The Recovery is designed to assist the flow of lymph.

Credentials: CMLDT -  Certified Manual Lymphatic Drainage Therapist

Education: Klose Lymphatic Drainage - based on the techniques developed by Dr. Emil Vodder, Ph.D., MT.

Lymph is the fluid and debris that every cell in the body creates and is held in the interstitial fluid that is between each cell. The lymph system is how that debris and extra fluid (ie. inflammation & swelling) get moved out of an area. The lymph system is made of vessels, similar to the cardiovascular system, that acts as the roadmap of transport of lymph from the limbs to the trunk, being processed all the while at the different filtration hubs, areas of lymph node clusters and groupings, to end up being redistributed back into the cardiovascular system to continue on the cycle.

Where the main node cluster hubs are located there is generally a gland nearby. Think of when you get sick and how the glands on your throat get swollen. The lymph system is connected to those glands, and helps filter the germs, sickness, toxins, radicals out of the body so you can feel better.

The lymphatic system does not have a pump like the heart. It also does not have valves to prevent backflow, thus allowing for pooling/swelling to occur. Without either a pump or valves the lymph system keeps its flow going by the contraction of muscles, but for numerous reasons sometimes that doesn’t happen and the assistance of Manual Lymphatic Drainage can help.

Although the lymph system runs throughout the body, to manually work it we address the superficial (surface) aspects. The vessels we have access to are those located in the fascia, between the dermis (skin) and the muscle. We aren’t working muscle like a typical massage. This is about moving fluid through a network of vessels via a gentle yet firm motion. Imagine squeeging a tile floor and trying to get the liquid to gently flow through the grout lines without overflowing or causing buildup anywhere else.