Lymph Drainage Therapy
Edmonton Area
Lymph Drainage Therapy (LDT) as taught by Dr. Chikly is a gentle technique designed to move and to encourage the lymphatic fluids into a favorable direction. The therapist’s hands are flat on your skin (no oil is used), and feel the lymphatic rhythm and flow and then with small repetitive strokes the practitioner moves the fluid along. This can help reduce swelling caused by injuries and also has a relaxing effect on tight muscles.
Why is Lymph Drainage Therapy Effective?
We are dealing with a system which is similar to blood vessels, located in all parts of the body. Starting with the interstitial fluids (the fluids between your cells) which contain waste products, the fluids get collected into bigger and bigger vessels, move through the lymph nodes where the immune system is especially active until they reach a big vein and then enter the bloodstream. Any kind of congestion or disturbance in this delicate system can cause health issues or pain. With LDT the lymph vessels get cleared so that the lymph flows freely and your body can heal.
What Conditions can Lymph Drainage Therapy Help Resolve?
- Accidents:
- Reduction of swelling and edema
- Relief of acute or chronic pain
- Surgeries:
- Preparation for surgeries
- Supports better wound healing after surgeries
- Softening of scar tissue or hardened tissues
- Regeneration and cell healing, tones the skin
- General Health Support:
- Detoxification (diet change, liver detox, medications)
- Balancing of the Immune System
- Decongestion, removal of stagnations in the lymphatic system
Lymph Drainage Therapy FAQ
The first LDT session should not exceed 30 minutes as toxins can get mobilized and we don’t know yet how well your body can process this. If you handle the first session well, the second session can be 45 minutes long and if you have no side effects then every following session can be 60 minutes long. If there are concerns that you might have challenges, we can go as short as 10 minutes to see how your body responds and then continue with other modalities.
Your immune system gets activated and toxins mobilized, so for a short time after the treatment you could experience symptoms similar to a cold, nausea, increased frequency urinating, tiredness or muscle aches.
It is recommended to be well hydrated before a session and drink water afterwards to help flushing out toxins. If you have medical conditions that don’t allow that, you would of course follow the recommendations of your doctor. Plan ahead and have some time for relaxation after the treatment. Epsom salt baths can help with muscle aches.
LDT can clear allergies by itself but I have also taken an additional allergy treatment class related to the brain and then use LDT to clear the pathways. This will not only help with the symptoms but can reduce the tendency for allergies altogether.