Muscle Management : Continuing Education Classes : Lymphatic

Taum's view of The Lymphatic System.

An amazingly complex and lively 'structure'.

It works hand in hand with the blood, interstitial circulatory, and the digestive systems.

Consider...the body is approximately 70% fluid. Part of this view is based on perceiving the body as a fluid system. When one manually addresses the body as a fluid system, hydraulic and plumbing principles become applicable. When these principles are applied to the Lymphatic system dramatic results are often common. Simply put, congestion and reduced circulation of the body’s lymph fluid can be a major contributor to health problems.

Fluid saturates and flows through every organ of the body. If this flow is impaired, the fluid becomes thick and toxic, much as a stream becomes polluted when stagnant. The parts of the body that rely on flushing for elimination become less efficient and sluggish as stagnation occurs. This otherwise life sustaining system now becomes a breeding ground for infection, which left alone can lead to a variety of health problems.

My view of how it works.

The lymphatic system can be seen as participating in the 'water like' saturation and maintenance of every cell in the body. It plays an important role in interstitial fluid recycling. The interstitial fluid gathers into the lymphatic vessels/channels (much like rain saturates the ground and the moisture makes it way into streams) which carries the fluid to lymph nodes which are small bean-shaped structures that filter and remove waste, bacteria, and other harmful substances from the lymph. The lymph channels then make their way through the main thoracic channel to the abdomen where the waste is removed and the ‘cleaned’ fluid is recycled back for the bodies use.

As to lymph’s involvement in the lungs.
There are many lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes around the lungs. The lungs naturally pass fluids through its permeable walls to the outside of the lugs, the pleura, then to these vessels and nodes. As the fluids bathing the lung tissues move in their normal cycle to carry away the above mentioned waste, the fluid is collected in the nodes and from there enters the lymph channels to be filtered and recycled. (These images are unable to show the 'inner-ocean' bathing the tissue.) A saturated sponge is a useful image for a visual reference, as the lungs expand, this squeezes the pleura against the rib cage and the fluids towards the pleura and from there into the lymphatic vessels.

Simply put...

Fluid in the lungs travels from the inside of the lung's walls through to the outside of the lungs walls, then into the pleura, then into the lymphatic vessels, along a pathway towards the underside of the sternum. From the underside of the sternum it moves down through the thoracic duct into the abdomen for waste removal and recycling.

(See Jacobs story below)

The Lymphatic System is A Vital System of the Body!
As time goes by, more and more U. S. health care practitioners are considering the lymphatic system's critical role in preventing illness and its important role within the overall healing process.

Inner Ocean.
The body has an inner ocean fed by streams, lakes, and saturated soil (muscle, bone, organ, and their cells) moving into the main channels that move within the principles of fluid hydraulics....our inner plumbing. What Manual Lymphatic Drainage does is encourages the natural flow, effectively 'squeezing' the fluid along its natural pathways. Consider the lungs, contrary to popular belief, the lungs process small amounts of fluid, and when the flow through the passageways associated with the lungs is compromised, dis-ease can happen.....including a variety of breathing problems such as pneumonia, asthma, and pleurisy. Allowed to stagnate over long periods, the problems get worse.

Smoking.

My thought is a person that smokes is benefited by allowing the lymphatic flow through the lungs to 'clear out' the particulate and waste from smoking. It is not uncommon for a smoker to not get lung cancer. My thought is their lymph passageways through the lungs were able to deal with the smoke....

Again, consider the body as a bag of water contained in skin that stagnates if it doesn't get enough motion.

Lymphoid organs include:
• adenoids (two glands located at the back of the nasal passage)
• appendix (a small tube that is connected to the large intestine)
• blood vessels (the arteries, veins, and capillaries through which blood flows)
• bone marrow (the soft, fatty tissue found in bone cavities)
• lymph nodes (small organs shaped like beans, which are located throughout the body and connect via the lymphatic vessels)
• lymphatic vessels (a network of channels throughout the body that carries lymphocytes to the lymphoid organs and bloodstream)
• Peyer's patches (lymphoid tissue in the small intestine)
• spleen (a fist-sized organ located in the abdominal cavity)
• thymus (two lobes that join in front of the trachea behind the breast bone)
• tonsils (two oval masses in the back of the throat)

Manual Lymphatic Drainage techniques can additionally be effective for...
• reducing edema and local swelling.
• stimulating a sluggish immune system.
• supporting immunity.
• enhancing skin health.
• inducing deep relaxation.
• decreasing scar tissue adhesions.
• addressing the lymphatic component within varicose veins.
• reducing the problems associated with asthma and pneumonia.

What is Lymph?

A transparent, (slightly yellow) fluid that carries lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell that helps the body fight infection. An integral part of the body's immune and waste removal systems helping to remove toxins from the body .

Consider it as the bodies 'inner ocean'.

Lymph is derived from tissue fluids collected from all parts of the body and is in my view closely related to interstitial fluid, the liquid found between the cells of the body that provides much of the liquid environment of the body .

LYMPHATIC VESSELS: A body-wide network of channels, similar to the blood vessels, that transport lymph to the immune organs and into the bloodstream.

* The lymphatic system collects excess fluids and plasma proteins from surrounding tissues and returns them to the blood circulation.

* The lymphatic system absorbs lipids and fat-soluble materials from the digestive tract.

* The lymphatic system filters the lymph, destroys pathogens, inactivates toxins, and removes particulate matter. Lymph nodes, small bodies interspersed along lymphatic vessels, act as cleaning filters and as immune response centers that defend against infection.

The movement of lymph through lymphatic vessels is slow (3 liters/day) compared to blood flow (about 5 liters/minute). Lymph does not circulate like blood, but moves in one direction from its collection in tissues to its return in the blood. Much like a one way ocean tide. There are no lymphatic pumps. Instead, lymph, much like blood in veins, is propelled forward by action of the nearby skeletal muscles, the expansion and contraction of the lungs, and the contraction of the smooth muscle fibers in the walls of the lymphatic vessels. Valves in the lymphatic vessels prevent the backward movement of lymph.

Lymph is an important part of the circulatory system. It aids the body's absorption of nutrients and helps to remove waste from the tissue. The lymph collects the body's waste and then deposits it in a lymph node as it passes through. Lymph nodes are clumps of tissue that collect the waste deposits, like a filter. Your tonsils and adenoids are two examples of lymph nodes.

The lymph nodes also assist the spleen and the bones in producing new white blood cells.

What are the lymphatic vessels?

Traversing your entire body like your blood vessels is a network of thin tubes carrying a fluid called lymph. You cannot see these tubes like you can spot the veins on your hand. But they travel with the blood vessels carrying nutrients from your food and white blood cells all over your body.

What does it do?

Lymph carries white blood cells - a vital component of the Immune system that protects the body from infections. Whenever your body is attacked by infections white blood cells reach the infected site fast. Then using the lymphatics other white cells are called to this area, and together a host of cells work together to control the infection. The lymphatic system is vitally important.

Functions of the Lymphatic system.
1. IT CLEANSES the tissue on a regular basis and removes waste and cells in acute conditions like injury or necrosis. The lymph system absorbs excess fluid, proteins, toxins, electrolytes, and debris. Thereby maintaining optimal functioning as it retains the integrity of the connective tissues.
2. IT RESTORES essential substances to the blood circulation that have escaped from the cells into the tissues by passing the fluid through lymph nodes.
3. IT REGULATES the levels of fluid in cells to ensure proper pressure....swelling is an indication of reduced lymph flow.
4. IT TRANSPORTS lymph cells and hormones, etc. throughout the body. The lymph system may also play a guardian role to isolate infection as it helps generate immunocompetent cells in the nodes.
5. IT FACILITATES the movement of fatty acids that have been absorbed from the small intestines back to circulation in the bloodstream.
ORGANIZATION OF THE LYMPHATIC PATHWAYS
When plasma is filtered by blood capillaries, it passes into the interstitial spaces; it is then known as interstitial fluid. That fluids movement between blood capillaries and body cells depends on hydrostatic and osmotic pressures. When this fluid passes from interstitial spaces into lymph capillaries it is called lymph. Lymph from lymph capillary plexuses is then passed to lymphatics that run toward lymph nodes. At the nodes, afferent vessels penetrate the capsules at numerous points and the lymph passes through the sinuses of the nodes. Efferent vessels from the nodes either run with afferent vessels into another node of the same group or pass on to and another group of nodes.
From: Lymph Drainage Therapy I, Bruno Chickly

What are lymph nodes?

At many points along its path the lymph channels pass through small oval structures called lymph nodes. These act as centers where the white blood cells mature, accumulate, or rest along the way. The throat area, the groin and the armpits are some of the areas where there are many lymph node present in groups. Often, when there is an infection like a sore throat, lymph nodes increase in size because a lot of white blood cells accumulate in it to prepare for fighting the infection.

Just in from a client that used the self help 'Breast Drain' as taught in this class…..

“This is how I understand the doctor's comments to me--and also my own observations. Years and years of lumpiness and tenderness seem to be a thing of the past--and it didn't take very long for that change to occur……. In the meantime, by all means share that information--I have done so with my daughters. And, again, thank you very much for the original information.”