Can massage help me detox?

Can a massage help me detox?

A lymphatic massage can have a powerful impact on your body’s ability to heal. So if you enjoy a massage every now and then, you’ll be delighted to hear that the benefits of that relaxing spa day may run deeper than just your deep tissue, writes Lynsey Riach

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fter a recent trip to my favourite spa where I was tightly wrapped up like a burrito (not for the claustrophobic!) my therapist tried to calm me down by telling me all the benefits of being baked in foil, and the word ‘detox’ was somewhat overused. I understood the sweating aspect, sure, but that was only my body cooling down. (Although many people believe when they sweat, they detox.

You don’t, you just cool down.) But what she then told me was nothing short of fascinating…

But before I get to that, let’s take care of that overused word that’s being thrown around a lot right now – ‘detox’. Unfortunately, the fact is that detoxing isn’t a ‘thing’ but actually it’s a complex process your body does for you naturally without any effort on your part

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thanks to your wonderful and astounding liver, which after the skin is the body’s largest organ. Your liver has evolved to put up with a great deal of biological abuse, and the way it works is nothing short of incredible!

Most of us may not even know where our liver is located (just to the right of your stomach) or even what it’s good for (overall natural detoxification) but because of its size and connection to two very large blood vessels, the liver is well situated to receive whatever comes through your intestinal tract – the good, the bad and the ugly. It takes on a security-like job and keeps unwanted items, or toxins (such as environmental carcinogens) from getting into the bloodstream.

As your liver is the body’s largest gland used for detoxification, it is responsible for purifying blood and creating bile, which helps your body to digest

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The lymphatic system works in conjunction with your liver to keep the detox process moving fats. Without a properly functioning liver, you can become over-encumbered with toxins and pesticide residues that cannot find an exit, only to re-circulate into your blood leaving you looking and feeling ‘toxic’. The liver is also responsible for breaking medicine and hormones, as well as converting stored sugar into glucose. It also stores some vitamins and iron for the body’s use.

So then, with the word ‘detox’ thrown around so much and with a vital organ that actually does this for us with no effort or cost on our part, how can we keep this detox machine running without a hitch? Quite simply: sleep, drink water, exercise and eat a healthy diet full of vitamins and minerals. Oh, but there is one more little thing… massage.

That’s right! You have a guilt-free pass to enjoy regular massages as a crucial part of your detox programme to keep your system working efficiently and that’s because there is an important system in your body that works in conjunction with your liver to keep the detox process moving – your lymphatic system. And if you don’t know what your lymphatic system is, here goes…

Ever felt one leg puff up more than the other?

Perhaps you’ve been on a long flight and your ankles have swollen? Or survived the summer but felt your fingers puff up so much your rings become tight?

Well that is your lymphatic system kicking into action and without it we’d be in some serious trouble.

THE NETWORK The lymph system picks up fluids and waste products from the spaces between the cells and then filters and cleans them

THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM

If you are feeling tired, a lymph massage is likely to serve you well

Most people are familiar with the body’s vessel system that carries blood to and from the tissues, but few understand there is another equally vital system of vessels that removes cell wastes, proteins, excess fluid, viruses and bacteria. The lymph system picks up fluids and waste products from the spaces between the cells and then filters and cleans them.

In an article on massagetherapy.com, Cathy Ulrich has simplified the intricate mechanics of our lymphatic system: Like the roots of a tree, the lymph system starts as tiny vessels – only a single-cell wide – that eventually branch into larger and larger tubes that carry these fluids back to the blood stream. This network of delicate vessels and lymph nodes is the primary structure of the immune system. The lymph nodes act as check points along the pathways of the vessels. They filter the fluid (called lymph) and serve as the home for lymphocytes – little Pac Man-like cells that attack and destroy foreign bacteria and viruses and even abnormal cells, like cancer cells.

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HOW CAN A MASSAGE HELP MY LYMPHATIC SYSTEM?

Back to me and my burrito style massage… As I was swaddled like a newborn baby and the heat was cranked up to encourage my body to sweat, my lymphatic system had to work a little harder to push circulation around my body, resulting in a little ‘finetuning’ of my circulatory and respiratory system, not to mention that the beautiful raw ginger peel that was seasoned upon me also relaxed and relieved my muscles. But it didn’t end with me being baked, I was then unwrapped much to my delight, hosed down and then the real work started – a lymphatic massage.

When the lymph system works well, we feel healthy and have a strong defence against illness.

When it’s sluggish or blocked – say after surgery or an injury – we can have swelling, feel tired and be more susceptible to colds and infections. Massage may help the lymph system do its job better. By understanding the anatomy and function of this delicate system, your massage therapist can assist your body in clearing sluggish tissues of waste and swelling.

Though lymph vessels are found throughout the body, most of them (about 70%) are located just below the skin. These fragile vessels work to pick up fluids between the cell spaces when gentle pressure is applied to them from increased fluid build-up, muscle contractions, or the pressure of a therapist’s hands. By using very light pressures in a rhythmic, circular motion, a massage therapist can stimulate the lymph system to work more efficiently and help it move the lymph fluids back to the heart.

Furthermore, by freeing vessel pathways, lymphatic massage can help retrain the lymph

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system to work better for more long-term health benefits. Massage therapists can often identify the rhythm, direction and quality of the lymphatic flow and remap drainage pathways.

If you’re feeling tired and low on energy, or if you’ve been sick and feeling like your body is fighting to get back on track, lymph massage is likely to serve you well. After a sports injury or surgery, lymph vessels can become overwhelmed with the demand placed on them. When tissues are swollen, deep tissue techniques may actually cause damage to the lymph vessels and surrounding structures.

Massage is often the treatment of choice because it helps the body remove proteins and waste products from the affected area and reduce the swelling.

This helps reduce pressure on cells and allows them to reproduce faster to heal the body. And by encouraging lymph flow and removing waste products, this gentle form of bodywork can help restore immune function and improve vitality.

All massages and facials help with lymph flow but especially targeted ones that really concentrate on the lymphatic system are widely available. So if you’re feeling a bit sluggish, experiencing mild to moderate swelling, recovering from a sports injury, or interested in optimising your lymph system for stronger immunity, ask your massage therapist about lymphatic massage. It can have a powerful impact on your body’s ability to heal and you may just leave feeling a little more Zen in the process.

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