What Is Lymphatic Drainage Therapy?
Lymphatic Drainage Therapy (LDT) is a hands-on introduction to your lymphatic system. The lymphatics are the structures of your immune system. We rarely think about them, but we have all had the experience of having 'tender nodes' under our jaw when we have been sick. The lymphatics are a very unique system, in that they are the only system in the body that travels in only one direction. Lymphatics move fluid from our tissues back to our heart. Along the route, the fluid is checked for any 'invaders' such as a virus, bacteria or other pathogen. When we feel our lymph nodes it is because the fluid has slowed down in that node. Fluid can slow so that it can be cleaned and an immune response can be mounted or can slow due to physical restrictions in the surrounding tissues. What happens to most body fluids when they slow down (think of your blood)? It gets sticky and viscous. Lymph does the same thing. It needs velocity or shear stress behind it to keep it fluid. That is where Lymphatic Drainage can be applied, the practitioner can manually assists lymphatics to move toward the main nodes.
LDT allows more of your body to help filter 'tissue' fluid, which can help to clear out toxins and facilitate the immune system. Think of how you can just 'ache all over' when you are really sick. Part of that is due to the sensation of your lymphatics when they are backlogged with fluid and sluggish. Many of the generalized pain syndromes, such as fibromyalgia, that people suffer with have lymphatic involvement contributing to their pain.
The lymphatics are an easy and elegant system to learn about and gain an experiential awareness of. Lymphatic drainage is something that you can be taught to do for yourself or your family as part of your general health maintenance.
Who Can Benefit?
What are some of the specific conditions that can benefit from Lymphatic Drainage Therapy?
What LDT Resources Does YOUR-CENTER.com Have?
At the International Association of Healthcare Practitioners Web site, you can easily search for therapists by city. Look for 'ldt' to indicate their training in Lymphatic Drainage Therapy.
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