QuestionWhen massaging a leg with this, In which way to do start? Top down the leg or bottom up? After massaging upward, do you then massage the lower back in an upward motion? Where do I find a pic or description on the movement of the Lymphatic system?
AnswerHi Peggy,
People get lymphedema from a blocked or insufficient flow of intercellular fluid from the location back to the heart. Since it's the first condition that needs to be regarded before muscular massage should be done, deal with the edema first.
Start proximal and proceed gradually distally. So start at the top of the leg and work down. Gently - edema responds best to surprisingly light pressure, since this is the pressure the lymphatic system generally works under, and harder/faster pressure hyperfills the lymphatic vessels, causing backup in the system that you're trying to flush out!
Fiona Rattray's handbook on massage techniques, "Clinical Massage Therapy: Understanding, Assessing and Treating Over 70 Conditions", has a great description. Wikipedia has a good description of the the Lymphatic system.
Best regards,
Glenn Kukkee, RMT HBSc
Massage Therapist
