Lymphatic Drainage is So Important for Surgery and Lyposuction Treatments


Lymphatic Drainage and Lyposuction Treatments

At Essential Healing and Massage, we receive requests from many clients who have undergone various types of cosmetic procedures or minor surgeries and feel the need to address post-operative care as it relates to massage and lymphatic drainage. We strongly feel that lymphatic drainage is an essential treatment for both pre- and post-operation patients. In fact, many lyposuction clinics are finally encouraging their patients to seek out lymphatic drainage massage as a method to reduce swelling and speed healing.

We care about our clients, so this post is the result of actual requests from them for more information.
here is our number one (and only!) rule:

 

  1. Don’t wait too long.

 

We understand- it can be difficult to find certified lymphatic drainage therapists.  The importance of caring for your lymphatic system both before and after any surgery (including lyposuction) cannot be overstated.  In our opinion, some clients have waited far too long before coming in for a treatment- they have so much post-op swelling that they risk possible damage to lymphatic vessels. This ultimately leads to longer recovery time because more treatments are needed.

The lymphatic system is complex. It has areas of free exchange of fluid with the body, but is also comprised of hair-thin specialized vessels, lymphatic node clusters, and one-way valves. Those valves are mostly located in the extremities and close to the surface of the skin.

 

This system is a part of your immune system; it bathes every single cell in your body with fresh healthy lymphatic fluid and takes away the waste products of these cells to be cleaned. Every single cell, every single day!

If this system stops working, your cells start to die and your body becomes a toxic, dirty mess of cell and organ debris. Think of the lymphatic system as the street cleaners of your body- when the trash isn’t taken out, it collects in corners and hinders proper function. We want the street cleaners to be able to dlypo imageo their job.

Lyposuction techniques in particular disturb the  lymphatic system, especially in the important abdominal exchange areas where most people have work done. When additional work is done on the legs or arms, the lymph vessels are torn or broken.  These torn vessels cause pooling and congestion of fluids that don’t drain properly- the cause of most of the swelling that is apparent after these procedures. If the path that the vessels normally use has been disrupted (think of a hole in a highway) then there is backup and congestion all along that route. It is imperative that this fluid dislodged by the procedure be drained so that the vessels that are still intact do not become damaged from the pressure of the swelling. This will help the body so that nutrition in the form of fresh lymph fluid can be brought to the areas that need healing.

The suggested protocol we  give to our clients is as follows:

BEFORE YOUR SURGERY/PROCEDURE:

Prepare before your procedure! Start drinking plenty of water- at least 8 glasses a day. Anywhere from 24 to 48 hours before your procedure, have a full body lymphatic drainage masswoman-drinking-waterage done on the front and back. A full session will include draining the liver, the major axillary and inguinal nodes, and directing it to the  lymphatic duct to be distributed for cleaning. This prepares your body by giving it a clean starting point- you should need less anesthetic for your procedure, and your liver will be able to rid your body of the toxic effects of the anesthetic faster.

AFTER YOUR PROCEDURE OR SURGERY:

Depending on the severity of you procedure, try to get your first lymphatic drainage session within 72 hours. Even if you cannot lay on your stomach, we can get a great deal of work done that will provide relief of the congestion and start to bring down some of the swelling. It is absolutely necessary to drink water after each of the lymph drainage sessions to help flush the congestion from your system.

We suggest a plan of at least 4 to 5 appointments of at least 45 minutes spaced no more that a week apart. In some cases, it may be necessary to come in twice for the first week. You should see improvements within the first 24 hours. Your therapist will make any alternative suggestions and tailor the lymph work for your specific circumstance.

After years of suggesting this protocol and seeing the results of clients after all types of surgical procedures, we have found that they recover faster and simply feel better during the post-operative state.

Therapists at Essential Healing and Massage  can provide for your Lymphatic Drainage needs. We are located at 2100 Manchester Road suite 610, Wheaton IL 60187.

There are many qualified Lymphatic Drainage therapists, Please do look for one wherever you are located and make sure you are properly taken care of before and after your suregery or lyposuction procedure.


About Helen Floyd

Helen Floyd is owner of Essential Healing and Massage. After a couple of decades in the Corporate world, she finalized training in Massage Therapy, is Licensed in the State of Illinois, nationally certified and has including specific training on a professional level in areas of Lymphatic Drainage Therapy, Myofascial Release techniques, Reiki and Jin SHjin Do Accuparessure. She is also a Reiki Master Teacher and is the originator of the Seasonal Reiki Healing Attunement Event.