Lymph drainage therapy was developed by a student of John Upledger, Dr. Bruno Chikly, who uses his native French pronunciation for "drainage", so it actually rhymes with "massage".

Lymph can be thought of as the fluid part of your blood. As blood circulates through your body, it is pumped by your heart with robust enthusiasm, so it will have enough oomph to make it all the way along its route, throughout your entire body. As the blood enters the capillary beds, the red blood cells stay within the tiny capillary walls, but the fluid seeps out amongst the cells, bringing nutrients and supplies, and washing away waste products and toxins. Once this fluid has left the capillaries, it becomes known as lymph. The lymph slowly and patiently makes its away around the cells, and follows its own, separate pathway, back to the heart.

There is an entire system of collection channels that helps to funnel the lymph along its path. A good portion of that path is just under your skin, above the muscle layer. In fact, 60% of your lymph supply lives just under your skin. The lymph gradually moves up your body, along its collecting channels, eventually rejoining the bloodstream through the thoracic duct, just under your collarbone.

However, the lymph doesn't have a robust, enthusiast heart to keep it chugging along. It meanders and sometimes pauses, waiting for that morning stretch, or afternoon jog, then recollects itself and returns to the slow, patient job of making its way back to the heart.

At the same time, it's carrying along a lot of stuff that needs to exit the body. It's picked up all of those toxins and waste products, and carries them along on its slow journey. Once the lymph rejoins the blood stream, the toxins and waste can be transported to the kidneys, liver, and lungs, where they can be eliminated.

So if the lymph slows down too much, those toxins and wastes can start to accumulate in the nooks and crannies through which the lymph travels. The lymph can become quite sluggish and thick, which slows it down even more. The fragile collecting channels can become overwhelmed, not quite able to do their job, when faced with thickened lymph.

That's where lymph drainage therapy (LDT) comes in. LDT focuses on the lymph that lives under your skin. By tuning into the rhythm of the collecting channels, and gently stretching the skin in harmony with their subtle pulsation, the therapist can provide the oomph that gets the lymph back on track, sending it on its way to rejoin the blood, with a renewed vigor that will whoosh the toxins and wastes along, sending them, finally, to the kidneys and liver, thus helping to detoxify your entire body.

The thick, sluggish lymph under your skin is followed by fresh lymph, also moving at the new, vigorous pace, to rinse away whatever might be tarrying. The collecting channels are now able to hold their own, becoming invigorated and synchronized, keeping the lymph moving freely. Your cells will be able to live and breathe in a cleaner environment. LDT can help you feel better and stay healthier.