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Manual Lymph
Drainage
The lymphatic system, as seen in the
picture below, is part of the circulatory system, except instead
of circulating blood, it is circulating interstitial fluid
or lymph. This system collects and transports the fluid
along with any waste, such as bacteria or excess proteins,
sending it to the venous system to be combined with blood.
It functions to maintain fluid balance in the body, and it
also creates lymphocytes or white blood cells, which help
fight infection.
Swelling or edema commonly occurs after an injury, which
can cause further pain and decreased range of motion.
Manual Lymph drainage is a gentle massaging technique utilized
to stimulate fluid drainage from the injured area and to achieve
deep relaxation and stimulate tissue healing.
With lymphadema, the flow of the lymph
becomes blocked and fluid builds up excessively causing large
amounts of swelling, tenderness and pain. This technique
may be coupled with compression bandaging and gentle exercises.
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