Part five – Manual Lymphatic Drainage Massage

This is a very specialised and specific form of massage designed to assist in the flow of lymph around the Lymphatic vessels. The lymphatic system works with the blood system and aims to speed the removal of inflammatory and waste products. It is often used for Lymhphoedema and available in many Cancer care facilities for over congestion in the system.

It does, however, have benefits to the sports person or indeed anyone with soft tissue injury that is accompanied by swelling. It is also helpful post cosmetic surgery to reduce inflammation. The massage is very light, gentle and rhythmic aiming to very gently stimulate lymphatic flow. If pressure is too strong the muscular and neurological systems will engage and these can produce chemicals that may aggravate or add to the swelling.

In a massage clinic the technique is generally used to reduce swelling perhaps in the post operative phase or from a sprained ankle for example. It can also be of benefit to joints swollen with osteo or rheumatoid arthritis. As a treatment it is very soporific.

Schillinger et al carried out a trial in 2006 where MLD was given after an endurance run on a treadmill. Those who received the massage showed lower levels is blood lactate from fatigue in the muscle than the control group. They held that:

* “The observed decrease in serum levels of specific skeletal muscle enzymes following an MLDT intervention demonstrates the potential for expedited regenerative and repair mechanisms to skeletal muscle cell integrity following structural damage as the result of taxing loads associated with physical activity”

An earlier study in by Härén et al in 2000 using MLD following a radial fracture found;

** “that the MLDT group displayed statistically significantly decreased measures of hand volume suggesting less edema present in the injured extremity. This preliminary evidence supports efficacy of MLDTs in sports medicine and rehabilitation specific to managing wrist bone fractures”.

As with most research into complementary therapies there is so much more scope for evidence but both these studies show that MLD may in some cases be an effective option for treatment.

References

* Schillinger A, Koening D, Haefele C, et al. Effect of manual lymph drainage on the course of serum levels of muscle enzymes after treadmill exercise. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2006;85:516–520. [PubMed]

**12. Härén K, Backman C, Wiberg M. Effect of manual lymph drainage as described by Vodder on œdema of the hand after fracture of the distal radius: A prospective clinical study. Scand J Plast Reconstr Surg Hand Surg. 2000;34:367–372. [PubMed]