Lymph is the great mascarader. Musculoskeletal and visceral pain and internal conditions that do not respond to manipulation and supplements as expected often have a lymphatic component.
What is Lymph?
Lymph is a system in our body that is part of our immune system and also helps clean us. Part of it is solid like the lymph nodes and spleen and thymus. Part of it is liquid and travels in channels throughout our body. Dr. Caroline Peterson began addressing the lymphatic system when she wasn’t seeing the response she expected from chiropractic adjustments and visceral manipulation. Lymphatic vessels can be damaged when organs move with a pregnancy, birth, or injury. Many times just moving the organ won’t heal the lymph system and the lymphatic system will need time and care to rehabilitate. Specifically placed adjustments work to open lymph drainage areas (especially watersheds) so the treatment takes less time and lasts longer.
What is Lymphatic Drainage?
Lymphatic Drainage is moving the superficial lymph with very light feathery strokes, and moving the deep lymph with pumping movements.
Conditions Treated
Dr. Caroline Peterson will always carefully evaluate you to see if the lymphatic system plays a role in your health. Some of the conditions that might benefit from lymphatic drainage include.
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Fullness in the head
- Vulvar or leg varicosities
- Plugged breast ducts or pain
- Shoulder pain
- Low back pain
- Pelvic bowl pain
- Leg or foot pain
Training
Dr. Caroline Peterson is trained in the Chikly method of lymph drainage, as well as other old osteopathic techniques that work the deep lymph system.
Her focus is on optimizing the infrastructure of lymph drainage so the body can drain itself.
If ongoing lymphatic drainage is required secondary to permanent lymph impairment such as that from lymph node resection, Dr. Caroline will refer you to a lymph drainage specialist.
How to Prepare
Be sure to eat and drink before you get your lymphatic drainage session, but don’t come with a full stomach. After your session eat lightly the rest of the day and drink a lot of water. Dr. Caroline Peterson might prescribe an herb for you to support lymphatic drainage, or teach you how to dry brush, or suggest you get a mini trampoline to improve lymph circulation.
What to Expect
Lymphatic drainage is often done over clothing or sheets. The touch is light for superficial drainage, and somewhat heavier for deep drainage. The drainage is not painful, and you might notice some curious sensations near to, or far from, the drainage site. They lymphatic system extends throughout our body. The main drainage conduit is the thoracic duct that runs in front of the spinal column. Evaluating your lymph through your breastbone is one important piece of lymphatic drainage.
People will often expect only to have the feathery light touch for lymphatic drainage.
Because my goal is to rehabilitate the system, rather than to simply drain lymph, my approach includes addressing fascial and other forms of constraint that bind lymphatic and vascular drainage patterns.
I will meet your body as it requests to be met, and you invite me to do.
The constraint in the deep structures sometimes requires deeper palpation.
Once the constraints are removed there is very little need of ongoing drainage if the system has not had lymph nodes removed or some other type of trauma.
Pain of Lymphatic Origin is Worse with Inactivity (like sleeping or sitting) and Improves with Movement
If Your pain is worse in the morning and improves as you get up and move around, you have a lymphatic component.