Eliminating Medications From My Regimen

Lymphatic massage is frequently promoted as solving a number of health issues. It can have a beneficial effect in many cases and may help others. This often depends on just why you're going in for the massage.

When You Have Swelling From Surgery, an Illness, or an Injury 

Lymphatic massage is most helpful for swelling after things like surgery or an injury. You'd want to get your regular doctor's OK to go ahead with the procedure to ensure it's the right time in your recovery and that the manipulations wouldn't harm an injury site. But assuming that's all good, you could find lymphatic massage to be very helpful in getting lymphatic fluid flowing again.

Maybe When You Have Water Retention

A lot of people head to a lymphatic massage appointment because of bloating and water retention. There is anecdotal evidence of lymphatic massage being very helpful for some people in this case, although the effect would be temporary. Water retention happens to most people and can depend on what foods you've eaten, whether you're dehydrated, and whether there are hormonal issues like PMS at play. So, you could have the massage and get rid of current bloating, but next month it might come back just because that's what your body does. Of course, you could just have another lymphatic massage then.

Possibly When You Feel Anxious

First, there's a difference between being anxious and having something like clinical general anxiety disorder (GAD). Don't use the massage in place of the medication you've been prescribed for GAD; try it more as a complementary treatment, and let your therapist know you're trying it. However, if you're merely feeling anxious, a lymphatic massage may actually help you feel calmer. This could be because you're having a massage in the first place, which can be soothing, but if it helps, it helps.

When You Want One

If you just like how lymphatic massages feel, then there's no reason not to get one (other than having an injury that would prevent a massage in the first place). Everyone responds to different types of massages, and lymphatic may be your thing. Because lymphatic massages target a specific body system, you may want to limit the massages to no more frequently than once a week if you're not doing the massages for any reason other than liking them.

You can do some lymphatic massage on your own, but it's much better and more relaxing to go to a massage therapist specifically trained in the procedure. The massage will be more complete, and you'll have someone there who knows what to look for when gauging progress.

Contact services to learn more about lymphatic drainage massage therapy.