The Lymphatic System: Finally Getting the Attention It Deserves

I am becoming known as the local lymphatic lady. That's kind of cool, and not just because I love alliteration. The more I learn about it, the more convinced I become that it's one of the most overlooked systems in the body.

I actually didn't intend for this to happen. I trained in lymphatic drainage simply because I learned about it for my own health and wellbeing and felt like there was a gap, so it was a good skill to add to my toolkit.

Well, was it ever.

The lymphatic system is getting more attention as of late, as it should. It performs such an important role in your body. It helps maintain fluid balance, supports your immune system, and carries away waste, excess fluid, proteins, and cellular debris. Unlike your circulatory system, which has the heart to keep blood moving, the lymphatic system relies on movement, breathing, muscle contraction, and healthy tissue mobility to keep lymph flowing.

One of the most frequent questions I get asked is, "Why don't doctors talk about this?" Although I don't actually know the answer to that question, I do know that our healthcare system is largely built around what can be prescribed, medicated, or operated on. The lymphatic system doesn't fit neatly into any of those categories. Maybe that's one of the reasons it gets overlooked.

Whatever the reason may be, I am glad to see it getting light shed on it. Our modern lifestyles are not particularly kind to our lymphatic system. We spend long hours sitting, experience high levels of stress, breathe more shallowly than we realize, recover from surgeries and injuries, and often don't move our bodies enough throughout the day. All of these things can influence how well lymph moves through the body.

Two of the most commonly known methods for lymphatic drainage are the Vodder method and the Chikly method. Both use an incredibly gentle touch, but they approach treatment a little differently. Vodder follows a more structured sequence based on lymphatic anatomy and established drainage pathways. Chikly is more assessment based, with the practitioner using gentle palpation to follow how the body is responding in that moment. Neither approach is better than the other. They are simply different ways of understanding and supporting the same remarkable system.

These are not the only two methods out there. There are many. And they all work in their own way.

I have been learning with a massage school and teachers based out of Spokane, all accredited, certified, and licensed. But what I love about my one teacher is that she does not prescribe to just one specific viewpoint. She has been learning and teaching in the field of bodywork, massage, and osteopathy for decades, and she bridges it all together. This aligns deeply with the approach of my practice.

When you come in for a lymphatic drainage session with me, I am not trying to fit your body into one technique. I draw from Vodder, Chikly, osteopathic principles, and other manual therapies depending on what I am noticing in your body that day. There is also a natural overlap with craniosacral therapy. Both use a gentle touch, work with the body's inherent rhythms, and recognize that sometimes the greatest changes come from creating the right conditions for the body to do what it already knows how to do.

I also believe that healing is about more than physical structures. We are not simply muscles, joints, organs, and fluid. We carry stress. We carry experiences. We carry patterns. The quality of our attention and the intention we bring into a treatment matter just as much as the techniques themselves.

On an energetic level, I often see a relationship between emotional and mental restriction and a sense of not feeling nourished. The body can become more protective. Fascia may tighten. Breathing often becomes shallower. Movement becomes smaller. Since healthy lymph flow depends on breathing, movement, and tissue mobility, these patterns can also influence how well lymphatic fluid moves through the body.

My treatments are intended to be as relaxing and nourishing as they are intended to physically improve the flow of lymphatic fluid. My hope is that you leave feeling lighter, calmer, and more connected to your body, while also giving your lymphatic system the support it was designed to receive.