Go with the flow: getting to know your lymphatic system

The lymphatic system drains excess fluid from the body’s tissues and plays a vital role in supporting our immune system. Manual Lymphatic Drainage is an established massage therapy that can help the system to function more efficiently 

Manual lymphatic drainage is a therapeutic massage that consists of light, rhythmic hand movements that stretch the skin to stimulate the lymphatic system. Picture: iStock

Monday, March 6, is World Lymphoedema Day, which educates people about lymphatic diseases. Little is known about the body’s lymphatic system or manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), a treatment that helps the system to function more efficiently, and in doing so, promotes healing and relaxation in the body.

“The lymphatic system has long been called the neglected child of medicine,” says Meadbh Mac Sweeney, a lymphoedema nurse consultant and clinic director of the Lymph Clinic in Cork City. “It was neglected by the scientific and medical communities, but over the past 20 years, we have come to realise how vital it is to maintaining good health.”