' Lymphatic massage helps with swelling – Kauneuskeskus Pinjami

Lymphatic massage helps with swelling

Lymphatic massage can help with many temporary or long-term ailments, symptoms and problems that sometimes disturb life. Massage is especially recommended for the prevention of swelling, and in this blog we go through the reasons why swelling can occur. Pinjam's beauticians Pirjo and Susa also tell you when you can seek help from a beautician for lymphedema and when you should turn to a lymphatic therapist.

At the very beginning, however, it is good to understand what our body consists of and how it works. Let's go through this briefly.

Our body has a pipeline, a transport system, which consists of the blood vessels and the lymphatic system. The circulatory system is the more familiar of the two. The lymphatic vasculature is not a system that circulates in the same way as the blood circulation, but the direction of the lymphatic circulation is only towards the heart. Lymphatic vessels are everywhere in our body, and they follow the course of arteries and veins.

When we eat food, during digestion, the enzymes break down the fats, carbohydrates and proteins contained in the food into small pieces, which are absorbed through the wall of the small intestine into the bloodstream, and thus into all the cells of our body. Nutrient transport takes place via the blood vessels and lymphatics.

In order to enter the cell, nutrients travel through the connective tissue. Cells utilize the nutrients obtained from food for energy, but in the process, cell waste is also produced, i.e. waste materials. The slag substances are further transported to the large intestine and for removal they move from the cell through the connective tissue back into the bloodstream.

We have less than a third of solid matter and 70% liquid in our body, of which 5% is blood, 15% is fluid in connective tissue and the rest is intracellular fluid. Connective tissue separates the blood from the intracellular fluid, and nutrients and waste substances are transported forward mainly with the help of these fluids.

The blood circulation is able to transport small substances through the connective tissue, but the lymphatic system is responsible for the removal of larger molecular substances. Under normal conditions, the lymphatic system transports excess fluid, proteins, fats and waste materials, but also bacteria and viruses, from the tissue. The lymphatic system can be thought of a bit like a sewer network, which is a vital maintainer of our body's fluid balance, and at the same time it also plays an important role in the body's defense system.

Lymph circulation can be disturbed

In a person suffering from lymphedema, the flow of lymph fluid is obstructed, and as a result, lymph fluid accumulates in the subcutaneous tissue, and that part of the body swells. Swelling most commonly occurs in the lower limbs, but it can also appear in the upper limbs, face, body and genital area.

Edema is an imbalance between the inflow and outflow of fluid, causing the lymphatic system to be unable to remove waste products. The disorder can be caused by a strong increase in lymph fluid or a weakening of the lymphatic system's transport capacity, for example after surgery.

It is important that lymphedema is recognized in time, as the chance of treatment success is greater. And the patient's own active self-care is particularly important, i.e. exercise, weight loss and weight management, and skin care should be invested in.

- Swelling can also be prevented proactively before surgery. For example, before upper eyelid surgery, you should come to a cosmetologist for a lymphatic massage, says Sky-Cidesco cosmetologist Susa Heimsch from Kauneuskeskus Pinjam.

Who is lymphatic massage suitable for?

In addition to preventing swelling, lymphatic massage is also used to treat various skin symptoms, it helps with insomnia, muscle aches, stress, migraines, preventing signs of aging and maintaining skin elasticity when losing weight.

However, it is important to note the differences between lymphatic massage and lymphatic therapy. As a form of treatment, lymphotherapy is administered by specially trained physiotherapists, and this treatment is suitable for the prevention of various functional swellings and, for example, for the prevention of swelling after cancer surgery, radiation therapy or body surgical procedures in general. In addition, the treatment of various injuries, scars, leg ulcers, pecking disease or chronic diseases, such as rheumatism and fibromyalgia, are part of the lymphatic therapist's field.

- We cosmetologists treat only absolutely healthy people with lymphatic massage. Only in connection with upper and lower eyelid surgery, cosmetic surgery and facelift can you come to a cosmetologist for a lymphatic massage, but even then it is important to tell your health background, Pinjam's specialist cosmetologist Pirjo Voutilainen instructs.

Acute infection, deep vein thrombosis and malignant tumors whose treatment is in progress always prevent lymphatic treatment, whether it is a lymphatic massage given by a lymphatic therapist or a beautician.

Lymphatic massage is extremely effective

Lymphatic massage may seem like a hoax to some, because it is extremely light, and it is not the kind of massage we are normally used to in the true sense of the word.

However, lymphatic massage is really effective, and facial lymph alone helps to stimulate the entire body's lymphatic system. So, in practice, a cosmetologist helps the liquid to move forward and transport the waste materials away in our body's transport system. Lymphatic massage is therefore completely based on physiology, i.e. the body's own lymphatic system is helped to pump fluid into motion.

- Facial treatment should always be done with lymph, as it facilitates skin recovery and reduces symptoms if you suffer from acne or rosacea, says Susa.

- But the customer doesn't always even know in advance whether he needs a lymphatic massage. We guide and know how to explain it in connection with the facial treatment, and we can change the technique during the treatment, Pirjo continues.

As in many different forms of treatment, for example traditional massage, serial treatment is also important in lymphatic massage. Lymphatic circulation becomes easier and you get used to the treatment the more often you have the treatment.

How many times should the treatment be taken in order for the swelling to disappear? According to Pinjam's beauticians, you can't know that in advance. The results depend very much on the cause and quality of the swelling and on the person himself. For others, the treatment helps after a few times, but for some it doesn't help at all, even if the treatment is given dozens of times.

- Health is the most important thing. If the treatment doesn't work, the reason is usually some hidden disease, or just not exercising or drinking enough water, says Susa.

When there is not enough fluid in the body, the tissue binds it to itself, and the fluid then does not move anywhere. The customer himself therefore has a lot of responsibility for the success of the treatment. For example, you should not eat salty or fatty food right after a lymphatic massage. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle contributes to treatment results. You may not go to the sauna or sweat exercise after the treatment, but exercise before the lymphatic massage increases the metabolism, and can thus even make the treatment more effective.

But if you recognize in yourself that you don't normally drink enough water, you should start drinking water already e.g. a week before the lymphatic massage. However, you should not refuel too much on the day of treatment.

- Lymphatic massage without a sufficient amount of fluid in the body could be compared to washing dirty laundry in too little water. The laundry spins in place, but doesn't get cleaned, Pirjo reflects.

Lymphatic massage helps the body holistically. In addition to getting the fluid circulation going, the metabolism revs up, swelling decreases and the body is cleansed, skin care relaxes the mind and makes you feel good. However, always discuss beforehand with your doctor, physiologist and beautician whether lymphatic massage is suitable for you.

Join the Beauty by Pinjami group on Facebook , and you can see how Susa prepared for the upper eyelid surgery and what happened after the surgery.

Sources:
Saarikko, A., Viitanen, T. & Hartiala, P. (2014). Lymphedema. (Medical journal Duodecim. 2014; 130(2): 135-43). www.duodecimlehti.fi

Merja of Vikgré. Lymphatic system (lymphatic system). Treatment wholesale.

Beauty center Pinjami. 2021.