Lymphatic drainage, also known as manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), is a specialised massage technique that aims to stimulate the flow of lymph fluid through the body’s lymphatic system. This system is part of the immune system and plays a crucial role in removing waste, toxins, and excess fluids from the body’s tissues.
What is Lymph?
Lymph is a clear fluid that circulates the body through lymphatic vessels. This system is responsible for removing excess fluid from the body tissues, as well as filtering the fluid to remove dead cells, bacteria and viruses.
When this system does not function optimally, the result is a build-up of excess fluid in the tissues. This is known as lymphoedema. Some people are born with an incompetent lymphatic system. This is known as primary lymphoedema. However, secondary lymphoedema occurs when an injury occurs to the lymphatic system itself.
A common cause of secondary lymphoedema is a mastectomy (breast removal) with lymph node removal, in the case of aggressive or advanced breast cancer. Other causes may include radiation treatment for cancer, trauma, infection and parasites.
Early detection of lymphoedema improves treatment success and reduces the risk of complications. Therefore it is important to recognize some of the signs and symptoms.
Some of the early symptoms include an achiness or heaviness in the limb or area, without any swelling.
