To see if your lymphatic system is working as it should, your provider may use imaging tests like a computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Your provider will tell you the test results and what they mean for you.
Dry brushing involves gently rubbing the skin with a body brush. The lymphatic system runs close to the skin, so stimulation from the brush keeps it flowing well. Since it only takes a few minutes to dry brush just before you shower or bathe, this is one of the fastest ways to cleanse your lymphatic system.
Additional Tips: Stay Hydrated: Drinking plenty of water is crucial for lymphatic function. Regular Exercise: Physical activity can stimulate lymphatic flow. Deep Breathing: Helps promote lymphatic drainage through the movement of the diaphragm.
“The lymphatic system is stimulated by moving your muscles and getting your heart rate up,” says MD Anderson Senior Physical Therapist Sarah Cleveland. “All these things stimulate the lymphatic flow.” The contraction of your muscles becomes the pump that helps the fluid get around your body.
Vitamins that support the lymphatic system include, vitamin A, C, E, and B-6. Common herbs that also help include goldenseal, echinacea, and poke root.
One of the most common causes of lymph. congestion is dehydration. Add lemon to increase cleansing and draining effect. Lemon is a stellar ingredient to stimulate liver and digestive function while aiding the lymphatic system.
The best products for lymphatic drainage, at a glance:
Best Dry Brush With Handle: Goop Beauty Dry Brush, $25. Best Gua Sha for Body: Skin Gym Sculptural Body Gua Sha, $52. Best Handheld Dry Brush: OSEA Body Brush, $28. Best Jade Gua Sha: Mount Lai The Jade Gua Sha Facial Lifting Tool, 29.
This daily practice involves brushing your skin without water and has been a skincare exfoliation ritual for centuries in many cultures. It's a well-known ancient Ayurvedic practice referred to as garshana to detox and stimulate the lymphatic system for lymphatic drainage.
The most common reason for lymphatic obstruction is the removal or enlargement of the lymph nodes. Other causes of lymphatic obstruction include: Infections with parasites, such as filariasis. Injury.
Ballancer®Pro is an FDA-approved compression therapy* system designed to provide various therapeutic benefits to the body.
The test involves an injection of dye (lipoidal) so that imaging technology can see lymphatic structures. Healthcare providers may use X-ray or MRI. If MRI is used, the technique is called magnetic resonance (MR) lymphangiography. The lymphatic system is part of the human immune system and circulatory system.
Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day to keep fluids flowing instead of clogging up your system.
There is no cure for later stages of the condition—once the lymph system is damaged, it cannot be repaired. However, that does not mean that lymphedema symptoms can't be managed. A medical provider might suggest a plan that includes: Weight loss and exercise to help lymphatic vessels move trapped lymph fluid.
Many B vitamins are commonly used in the detoxification process. Vitamin B12, for example, has a myriad of benefits outside of detox, but can target specific toxins in your body that other vitamins might not be able to.
Alcohol and caffeine could also function like diuretics. They both could dilate the lymph tissue and cause more swelling, and as a result, exacerbate the lymphedema. Don't adopt a low-protein diet. Consumed protein has no connection with the protein in the lymph fluid.
If it's working, you should start to get relief from your symptoms of lymphedema in time. Your swelling should go down. You'll feel less heavy or tight. It will be easier to move, too.
Lymphoscintigraphy. During this test, the person is injected with a radioactive dye and then scanned by a machine. The resulting images show the dye moving through the lymph vessels, highlighting blockages.