MEET: MEGAN BELANGER, LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE MASSAGE SPECIALIST

What do we know about our lymphatic system?  What role does it play in our health?  We seem to only be aware of it when it has gone awry – swollen lymph nodes when we have a sore throat or a fever.  But what is its purpose and how does it help keep us healthy?  The lymphatic system has recently been in the news with a new scientific discovery.  Researchers at The University of Virginia discovered lymph vessels in the brain. The implications of this discovery have yet to be explored, but this could conceivably help us better understand MS, Alzheimer’s, and other diseases related to the brain (source). The results could be pretty amazing. 

With all this talk of the lymph system, how does it relate to you?  I interviewed a manual lymphatic drainage specialist, Megan Belanger, to find out how getting a lymphatic drainage massage could potentially help you feel better.

But first, let me give you a little background on the lymph system.

THE LYMPH SYSTEM

What is the lymph system?

The lymphatic system is an important system within the body, about which few people are aware.  It is located throughout your body and is a part of your immune and circulatory systems.  It plays an important role in cleaning your body’s tissues and maintaining homeostasis within the bodily fluids. It has three main jobs:

“1. It collects excess fluid that the blood capillaries cannot pick up (10%)

2. It removes and cleans out viruses, bacteria, waste products, proteins and other impurities that are floating around your tissues.

3. It assists in creating antibodies that help fight against infection and other bodily trespassers.” (source)

As you can see, the lymph system is extremely important!  We live in a world where toxins, bacteria, viruses and even cancer cells infiltrate our body.  No matter how well or “clean” we eat or live, we are constantly bombarded with foreign invaders.  Luckily, we have our lymph system, which helps us clean all these unwanted trespassers out of our bodies.

So how does it work?

I will get a little bit nerdy on you. There are lymph vessels located all over our body and they all lead up (against gravity) towards your neck.  Your blood capillaries carry fluid and nutrients to the interstitial spaces and tissue cells.  About 90% of this fluid is then reabsorbed by the venous side of the blood capillaries and carried back to the blood and then heads back to the heart. The lymph vessels are larger than the blood capillaries, and they absorb that remaining 10% of fluid containing protein molecules, bacteria, viruses etc. that are too large for the blood capillaries. So, lymph is comparable to blood plasma, though its composition changes slightly throughout the body based on what kinds of proteins, white blood cells, and other material might be present.

We all have 500-1000 lymph nodes located around our body.  The bulk of them are located in the armpit, groin, mammary glands and neck.  The lymph nodes are kidney bean shaped nodules that have two jobs: 

1.   Clean the lymph by destroying the foreign matter travelling in the lymph vessel.

2.   Produce and contain antibodies that fight bacteria and viruses.  When these antibodies are called to action, the lymph nodes make more in order to fight and destroy the invader.  Once the illness is over, some of the antibodies die and some of them live to fight another battle.

So now you know why our lymph system is so important to our body.  It sounds like it all works like a well-oiled machine, right? 

Wrong!

The problem with our lymph system is that it isn’t connected to our beating heart (like our circulatory system).  Therefore, it moves a lot slower and hence can get backed up, particularly when certain key parts of the lymphatic system are removed or damaged.  When this happens, you have fluid buildup.  This can lead to an overall sluggish, icky feeling and even chronic swelling of this protein-rich fluid in the extremities, which is called lymphedema.  This often leads to pain, heaviness, or other discomfort.

What can we do to help our lymph move more efficiently?

Because our lymph moves on the slow side, there are ways to manually move it along, against gravity.  Lymphatic drainage massage is a gentle type of massage that assists in moving lymph so that it can get cleaned and drained.  It is not a deep penetrating massage, but a gentle movement of the skin, helping the lymph vessels move the lymph fluid that is located directly under the skin.

INTERVIEW WITH A LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE MASSAGE SPECIALIST:

MEGAN BELANGER, LMT, CLT

What is the difference between a lymphatic drainage massage and a deep tissue or Swedish massage?

Megan: The main difference is the intent. Massage of all types depends on what you want to affect. When working with the lymphatic system, it is mostly light work as you are trying to stimulate and open the lymph collectors, many of which lay close to the skin.  

There is a choreographed sequence of opening doors to where you want that fluid to go. You begin where it ends, which is at the neck, because that’s where the lymphatic system ends and joins up with the cardiovascular system. You intend to guide the lymph fluid there, aiming it towards groups of nodes along the way, where the fluid gets filtered. Eventually you want that excess fluid to go back to the cardiovascular system, go through the kidneys and the urinary system, and then you urinate the excess out of the body. 

What should one expect when getting a lymphatic drainage massage?

Megan:  It is a bio-individual experience when getting a lymphatic massage, or any type of massage, but lymphatic drainage is known for being very relaxing and calming. The therapist performs light, rhythmic strokes on the skin. The work is gentle and doesn’t use lotion, since the practitioner wants to stick to the skin to have the most effect.

After the session, there can be a variety of reactions. Swelling can be relieved, sinuses can feel a bit more open. Sometimes someone’s first lymphatic drainage session can leave them feeling a little queasy or fatigued or “off” for a day or so. The work involves moving fluids at a stronger flow than normal and when you do this – you move things that have never been moved at this pace, you can sometimes feel worse – even just briefly. This is why sometimes, based on someone’s medical history and presentation, we may start with a shorter session, or start with an upper body massage incase a full-body massage might feel like too much.

I always get my client’s full medical background and then I work with them and tailor the session to their needs.  Since this is such an individual experience, I really have to listen to and observe each client’s reaction and then move from there.

What are some of the most common reasons people come to you?

Megan:  80% of my work centers around clients with cancer – either those currently going through treatment or those with cancer history.  Breast cancer is the most prevalent, and after breast cancer surgery, women can have cording in their arms, post-mastectomy scarring, and lymphedema. 

I also do scar work after any type of surgery. An optimal time to start with scar work is 2-3 weeks after surgery. 

With migraines, I drain the lymph down from the head to the subclavian vein.  It was recently discovered that lymph vessels are in the brain -– they are everywhere!

Lymph massage can sometimes also help with sleep.  This is a very relaxing treatment, and research points to evidence that massage can help with pain, anxiety, and depression. 

Can you work with children?

Megan:  Yes. Children with chronic ear or sinus infections can sometimes benefit from lymphatic drainage by focusing on the drainage pathways for the head and neck. Sessions with children tend to be a little shorter.

How do you know if you have lymphatic congestion?

Megan:  Symptoms of lymphatic congestion are very personal.  When someone has lymphedema in an appendage, their arm or leg can feel heavy or full or tingly. Sometimes it can be observed, whether that means you realize your rings are getting tight, or you can’t see certain bony landmarks, such as your knuckles, as well on one side compared to the other. You often can feel the congestion before you can see and measure it. 

Overall, when your lymph is congested, some people say they may feel sluggish and fatigued. 

Let’s talk about cancer, is it safe to do a massage while undergoing cancer care?

Megan:  Yes, massage is safe for someone with cancer, likely with some modifications in place to make sure it is beneficial and not possibly overtaxing the body. One of the concerns about massage and cancer is “What if massage increases circulation, could it spread cancer?” Massage is not evidentially proven to increase systemic circulation, but even if it did, physical exercise certainly increases circulation more, and the medical world is encouraging their patients to exercise to tolerance during cancer treatment.

Can you describe some ways for people to move their lymph manually at home?

Megan:  Try deep abdominal breathing.  Place your hand on your belly and breathe in and out.  While you inhale, make sure you are pushing your hand out.  Deep abdominal breathing is all about the intent of stimulating the base of your thoracic duct (which then helps move the lymph).

Also, while the circulatory system has the heart to pump it, the lymph system has its own musculature to help move the fluid, but skeletal movement also helps to pump it, and there are certain exercises that can benefit specific regions of the body.

What else can lymphatic drainage massage do?

Megan:  Lymphatic massage is an analgesic – a pain reliever – and touching the skin calms the nervous system. Our nervous systems can get overstimulated easily, and that calming touch can be pretty powerful.

“Massage, in some form, is for everyone; nothing hurts on my table.”

If you want to work with Megan or learn more about and the amazing work she does, check out her website: http://www.meganbelanger.com.