Lymph Drainage Massage
VideoJug users MassageNerd.Com gives an in-depth and professional guide to carrying out a Lymph Drainage Massage.
From the basics, to the more advanced techniques, you too can carry out a great Lymph Drainage Massage with VideoJug's help.
Step 1: The Technique
Lymphatic drainage is a really light technique. It is like one 4 ounces of pressure. That's all you use. So basically get a nickel and put it on your finger and that's how much pressure you are actually using now.
Step 2: Directions
The directions for the lymphatic drainage is basically from the navel to here and here. So everything here goes to the adrenal area, everything here goes to the adrenal area here. Everything up here goes to the axilliary here, here goes to the axilliary region up here then.
Step 3: Stimulating The Points
Sometimes people believe to actually help stimulate those points first so what you are actually doing is just kind of stimulating the lymph nodes in those regions because more likely those are deeper lymph's nodes, and most lymph nodes are actually really superficial, right underneath the skin, so that's why you use such light pressure.
But the major deep areas is actually the thorasic region and actually the abdominal region but you can actually do this like 140 to 160 times a minute. That's how fast you are going. You so you actually speed up really fast. You don't have to have a lot of pressure kind of thing but just to stimulate those areas too.
Step 4: Working Away
What's confusing about lymphatic drainage is you are actually working away but you are pushing it towards.
So the thing is or if somebody has volume in the arm, you start here, here but you are always pushing it towards that way all the time.
So the basic technique I am going to show you on the stomach. What you are doing is up, angled, and back with no pressure so it is like a wave. So three times is basically what you are doing. You are just working away each time like that.
Step 5: Stretching In The Draining
Other ones people incorporate is kind of more of a rhythmic pressure, kind of a rhythmic pushing. But again with a light pressure as much as you can.
People also believe stretching actually helps the lymph system, immune system, so you can incorporate some stretching with that.
You can actually put a pillow or something underneath the legs or the arms, whatever is swollen, just to help with the draining. And you can actually have them just hold their arm up and just lightly. Sometimes this gives them Goosebumps so if they start chuckling that is why.
So just incorporate those kind of things in there.
Step 6: Other Techniques
Then right in the interior elbow you can actually do like a thumb screw effect. So any joint regions, so there and the wrist, just work in those areas, so again you are going to be working towards but you are going away each time, though, so you can do a little bit in each area.
Otherwise, some people use a little oil and you can actually do a little glide with it too, those kind of techniques. Even with swelling with a finger, go like this, three times pull it out, three times, three times each time.
Step 7: Working With A Doctor
So the thing is if there is an infection going on and, of course, no lymphatic drainage, and somebody has long term edema, you might want to ask permission from the doctor. Especially kidney edema.
When you push it in, lift it up and if it is still indented, you might not want to but getting permission from the doctor would be appropriate.
Step 8: Face And Neck Lymph Drainage
So clavicle region, this is the area you want to do drainage, too, here you are pushing down to this region, so out,and you push it down.
So the thing is also for the face, it is kind of sectioned off so everything is kind of going downwards so the thing is out. Again with the technique, one, pause, two, pause, three pause. Also, you can also kind of push it too like this.
You can also use your fingertips here, here, here where you try to push it out like this. Also the forehead, you try to bring it out like this as much as possible.
Step 9: Lymph Drainage For The Ear
People perform lymphatic drainage for the ear, rotating around in different areas, okay? Especially if somebody is having headaches, sometimes this helps a lot then. So the thing is you can actually use your palms here even around the back. Just a little bit.
Step 10: Anterior Treatment
But most of lymphatic drainage is actually performed on the anterior part of the body. Just a little bit might be on the posterior part of the body but otherwise it is mostly anterior treatment. It can last 60 minutes to 90 minutes. It all depends on what problems people are actually having.
Step 11: The Middle Region
What you are basically going to do is for the adrenal area, you are going to have to open up that area first because remember it is sectioned off. So right in the adrenal area, just do a little impression. You are actually going to vibrate even 140 to 160 times a minute and just open up those lymph nodes in those regions like that.
And for the abdominal region, again you are going to be starting here with the same technique we have been using, here, here, here and here. And again you are pushing away.
Step 12: The Lower Area
For the leg again, especially for the geriatric clients, pregnancy, they are going to have a lot more swelling in the legs so that's very appropriate to incorporate these techniques into it. So you are going to press, move it towards, move it away but still push it towards the whole time. You can even use both hands especially for the larger areas, kind of like an ocean wave.
For the knee areas, just kind of rock it like this, on each side, four different areas.
With the shin region, you are going to press, push, especially with the ankle region, you can use the thumb screws on those areas too.
You can do the anterior and posterior part of the foot, and also the toes, just like we did with the fingers.
What works really nice too is if you elevate the leg, you can have it rest like this so you can get all areas and with this you might have to help with wrap afterwards, so if anybody actually has lymph edema, I've worked on a few people like that, where their leg is actually two times the size of their other leg, just because a lot of times they've had a hysterectomy, lymph nodes are damaged, you name it, so that's why an area is a lot bigger than another. You can also use nerve techniques but you might not want to start with these just because it is more ticklish to a person and explain to them what you are actually going to do to them before you do it because otherwise they think it is a massage but it's not. It's more medically related.
Step 13: Improving Your Immune System
And then again you can add some of these movements just to help the lymph nodes in the hip region as much as you need to,
Also the arm region, you can incorporate some arm movement and again stretching is always beneficial for them too.
The more exercise you get, the more likely the immune system is going to be increased so that's kind of the goal behind these kind of techniques.
Step 14: Finishing The Drainage
Okay, and then after the treatment, sometimes you might have to help them wrap the leg or put tent stockings on, real tight stockings, just to reduce the flow of the fluid so those are different kinds of things you might have to do.
