This article answers the question, Is lymphatic drainage useful? It describes what this is and why it should be done.

Is lymphatic drainage useful?

Who doesn’t know this, a sprained or torn ankle that swells up, that can happen during sports but also during walks, especially in winter. The swelling causes tissue water to collect at the injured part of the body. Lymphatic drainage is very helpful to alleviate this swelling more quickly and thus help to heal the injury more quickly. Llymphatic drainage helps to relieve swelling and pain.

Lymphatic drainage can help to reduce swelling faster by allowing the therapist to remove the accumulated tissue water faster and better.

In addition, the stroking movements are relaxing and pain-relieving. This therapy is still a relatively new form of therapy and is carried out by specially trained masseurs and physiotherapists. The technique is not comparable to a normal massage, because the movements are often tapping, pumping or stroking, which is perceived as very pleasant.
Due to the faster removal of the tissue water, a pleasant relaxation of the affected area occurs quickly because the feeling of tension decreases.

A Decongestion therapy is combined by wearing support stockings or lightly wrapping the treated areas with elastic bandages, for example.

At home, the success of lymphatic drainage can be accelerated by performing slight movements that stimulate the blood circulation in the affected area and you should not wear tight clothing that can hinder the removal of the body.

An application takes about half an hour if it is a temporary lymph congestion caused by an injury.

However, if the lymph is permanently weak or there is no lymph node at all, e.g. due to cancer, a treatment period of about one hour per session must be planned.

The lymphatic system plays a central role in the body

The lymphatic system plays a central role in the supply and disposal of the body. Parallel to blood circulation it forms an independent system that is an important component of the immune system. The lymph system includes the lymph nodes, the lymph vessels and the lymph (a light yellow liquid).

In the capillaries, the finest blood vessels, this liquid is formed. The tissue is thus supplied, because not all components of the blood pass through the vessel walls, the water practically seeps through with these nutrients.

Most of the water (approx. 90%) then returns via the capillaries, the rest is now in the lymphatic system and is returned to the heart from there.

Pathogens are directed into the lymphatic system in order to be able to fight them better. In the nodes are the glutton cells and the defense cells (lymphocytes), which belong to the white blood cells. They filter pathogens from the lymph and often form lifelong antibodies by “remembering” the pattern of certain pathogens in order to be able to react more quickly when needed again.