Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), sometimes called manual lymphatic therapy, uses light touch to move excess lymph and fluid out of the tissues and back into the lymphatic vessels.
The manipulation involved in MLD uses very light pressure to stimulate the lymph vessels that lie just beneath the skin. Since these vessels are small and thin, firm pressure in any one area can actually shut them down momentarily, so the gentleness of the pressure is essential. Some therapists visualize this process as pushing the lymph fluid in the desired direction, while others see it as directing the flow by pulling the skin slightly ahead of the lymph flow. Either way, MLD is an important technique for moving lymph fluid out of the congested area and back into circulation in the center of the body.
For a therapist, every patient is a new challenge. The length, condition and location of surgical scars, the amount and position of any fibrotic (hard) areas, the condition of the skin, the number and location of lymph nodes that were removed, and the extent of cancer treatment each individual received is taken into account to determine the most efficient route for directing the lymph fluid. Because no one massage pattern will work for everyone, it's important to learn MLD from a well-trained and experienced therapist, rather than from a video or book.
WHAT DOES MLD INVOLVE? Streaming film korea dr stranger. It can help to bring along a spouse or significant other, or a close relative or friend, to learn along with you. This person, who will be your MLD partner, can begin by watching and taking notes, or by recording the process with a video camera or cell phone for future reference. Your MLD partner will be able to help you with daily care by massaging those areas that are difficult for you to reach.
They can also provide needed relief for those times when self-MLD is tiring, or encouragement when it becomes boring. MLD videos (such as those on-line at ) and books (such as Burt and White's ' ') can help refresh your memory about the important aspects of self-MLD. Just be sure to follow the specific and individualized instructions your therapist gave you when using these memory helps.
The Universitiy of Michigan has prepared the following helpful videos on self manual lymphatic drainage and exercises. Page Last Modified A ll medical information presented on this page is the opinion of our Editorial Board and Experts. Please advise our of any broken links or other problems with our site. Thank you in advance for your help in keeping our site's links up to date! Copyright © 2014 StepUp-SpeakOut Inc. If you would like to use any information from our website for educational purposes, please email us first for permission at SU-SO™ Application Pending All content in this website was written by and is the opinion of the StepUp-SpeakOut.Org Editorial Board, unless specific credit is given to other authors.