More than 12 million Americans suffer from Fibromyalgia, with most being women aged 25-60. It is the second most common arthritis-related illness after osteoarthritis, with symptoms including body-wide muscle and joint pain, fatigue, anxiety or depression, and decreased pain thresholds, just to name a few. The causes of Fibromyalgia are not well understood, which can make treatment difficult. A study in the Journal of Manipulative and Psychological Therapeutics found that Fibromyalgia patents had an improvement in symptoms through both manual lymph drainage therapy and connective tissue massage.
Your lymphatic system is a complex network of lymph vessels and organs that circulates lymph fluid and specialized cells throughout the body for the purpose of destroying pathogens and filtering waste so it can be eliminated from the body. When the lymph system works well, we feel healthy and have a strong defense against illness. When it’s sluggish or blocked, either after surgery or an injury, we can have swelling, feel tired, and become more susceptible to sickness and infections.
Though lymph vessels are found all throughout the body, most of them (about 70% of them) are located just below the skin. With lymph drainage techniques, lymph vessels are gently massaged to mobilize lymphatic fluid. It helps regulate the immune system, clear blockages, eliminate metabolic waste and toxins from the body, as well as reduce excess fluid. Therefore, because the technique is so gentle, it’s well tolerated by Fibromyalgia patients, who are often experiencing many trigger points throughout the body. By understanding the anatomy and function of this delicate system, your massage therapist specialist can assist your boy in clearing sluggish tissues of waste and swelling.
