Inflammation? Reduce it with Manual lymphatic Drainage!
Many of our patients have inflammation due to fluid (wastes) that has built up in a specific part of their bodies, sometimes including the head, but many of them cannot notice it because the head is a locked cavity. inflammation in any part of your body means that your lymphatic system can do all the job by itself, so it needs help!
One important fact about the lymphatic system is that for many decades, experts thought that it was all over the body except the brain. However, a few years ago, it was proved that our brain has lymphatic vessels too. Now, the question is: what happens when this waste is not flushed out of your body? In this blog we have a closer look at what happens when waste builds up in our body and brain and how we can help you to relieve it with MLD. Let’s start!
What is inflammation? and why do I have it?
Inflammation is your body’s immune system’s response to an irritant, it can be:
- germs,
- stress,
- wastes (buildup of fluids)
- a foreign object
- in other words something that doesn’t belong to your body.
- injuries
What is the difference between acute and chronic inflammation?
Acute inflammation. It is the response to sudden body damage, for example, injury, cut or burn. In order to heal the injury your body sends inflammatory cells to it. This is how the healing process begins.
Chronic inflammation. It is when your body keeps sending inflammatory responses to cells even when there is no external irritant. For example, in rheumatoid arthritis inflammatory cells and substances attack joint tissues leading to an inflammation that comes and goes. This process can cause severe damage to your joints like pain and deformities.
What are the 5 classic signs of acute inflammation?
Signs of inflammation are:
- Redness or flushed skin surrounding the injury.
- Pain
- Tenderness.
- Swelling.
- Heat.
What are the symptoms of chronic inflammation?
Sometimes the symptoms of chronic inflammation symptoms are harder to spot, some of them are:
- Abdominal pain.
- Body exhaustion
- Chest pain.
- Fatigue. (systemic lupus)
- Fever. (tuberculosis)
- Joint pain or stiffness. (rheumatoid arthritis)
- Mouth sores. (HIV infection)
- Skin rash. (psoriasis)
Taken from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21660-inflammation
How can chronic inflammation affect the body?
Chronic inflammation can affect your body day to day functioning and also in extreme cases could cause diseases such as:
- Alzheimer’s disease.
- Asthma.
- Cancer.
- Heart disease.
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
- Ankylosing spondylitis (AS).
- Type 2 diabetes.
What causes chronic inflammation?
The most common causes of chronic inflammation are:
- Autoimmune disorders( when your own body attacks healthy tissue).
- Exposure to toxins (pollution, chemicals, etc.).
- Untreated acute inflammation
- High intake of alcohol.
- Obesity.
- Exercise at your maximum intensity too frequently.
- Lack of exercise or movement.
- Chronic stress.
- Smoke.
Reduce inflammation: What does the lymphatic system do?
The lymphatic system is in charge of removing your body’s waste (all that doesn’t belong to your body, what can affect your health or what you don’t need) and protecting you from infection.. But let’s see how it works:
Lymphatic vessels run alongside blood vessels (they are all over your body including your brain) to transport immune cells and cellular waste products. The lymph fluid is then filtered through glands called lymph nodes and returned to your bloodstream. For that reason, it’s a vital part of your immune system.
Do I have a lymphatic system in my brain?
It seems that we have! A recent study made by NIH’s NINDS, National Cancer Institute (NCI), and National Institute on Aging (NIA) (USA) results were published online in eLife on October 3, 2017) showed that there are lymphatic vessels in the brain, but more research will provide more information about how it works.
“We literally watched people’s brains drain fluid into these vessels,” Reich says. “We hope that our results provide new insights to a variety of neurological disorders.”
“These results could fundamentally change the way we think about how the brain and immune system interrelate,” says NINDS Director Dr. Walter J. Koroshetz.(link)
So, what happens if we keep our lymphatic system active and working properly? It probably will reduce inflammation all over your body, including your brain!
Does MLD reduce inflammation?
Yes, it does! So, to get rid of inflammation you need to expel, flush up or avoid what is causing it and one of the best techniques to do it is using Manual lymphatic Drainage (MLD). Weekly MLD improves the function of your lymphatic system, so wastes, pathogens, etc., will be eliminated faster from your body as MLD keeps your lymphatic system stimulated and active. And the list continues, to know more benefits visit our blog (link benefits of MLD)
Are you stressed? or Have you noticed inflammation at any part of your body? Maybe it is time for a MLD!
If you are interested in getting rid of inflammation, check my next blog, there you will find important and easy tips to reduce inflammation, don´t miss them!
We hope this information is useful for you. If you need advice or have any questions about our treatments, please contact us. You can find us in Mill Hill Broadway and Islington. We are always happy to help. If you like this blog, please share!
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279298/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5347443/
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/brain-cleaning-system-uses-lymphatic-vessels
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/new-brain-cleaning-system-discovered
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21660-inflammation