Massage Therapy and the Lymphatic System

Have you had a stressful day…the kind of day where absolutely everything that could go wrong does? Have you ever thought about taking the “time out” that we so desperately need once in a while just to recoup the overall feeling of relaxation? I always laugh to myself when I put my 16 month old son into a “time out”, or as the childcare providers now call it “a time in”…I always think as I’m telling him to stay put…”Gawd, I wish someone would put me in a time out so that I can just have 29 minutes to myself (29 minutes = 1 minute for every year= absolute sanity saver time) My son always comes out of time in time so much more relaxed looking and his whole demeanor changes. He’s calm again and happy to play quietly or sit with daddy reading. Everyone’s time out is different...mine happens to be in the corner facing the wall for 29 minutes, but yours may be to lie on the table facing down while someone tenderly rubs your aches, pains and stress away. Doesn’t that sound just lovely? Many of you know that massage comes not only with the much needed relaxation benefits but it plays a much more important role in how our body responds to stress, disease, and toxic buildup. Massage Therapy plays a big role in how our lymphatic system functions.

What is your Lymphatic System you ask? Well I will give you the answer…

Your lymphatic system is responsible for defending against infection and disease in the body.

A little background work before we get to the big picture though…

The adult body contains is made up of about 40L of water. Within that 40L, 25L can be found in the cells, also known as intracellular fluid; and 15L can be found outside the cells or extracellular fluid. Within that 15L of extracellular fluid, 12L of it is located between the cells. This is known as interstitial fluid and 3L of extracellular fluid can be found inside blood vessels as plasma or also known as intravascular fluid. Got it? Ok. Good. Next step J So, what does the body do with all this fluid? Well, fluid in the blood and the interstitial fluid are constantly being mixed in and out of blood capillaries to ensure that the waste product that is given off by the cells is removed, so as not to remain stagnant and toxic. Basically, our body is a giant washing machine, always trying to get all the compartments super shiny and working properly.

What is the function of our beautiful Lymphatic System then? Our lymphatic system has 2 gigantic functions that it needs to complete every second of the day:

1. Helps to return excess fluid and protein from the interstitial fluid compartment back into the blood circulation. This ensures that the plasma colloid osmotic pressure will not drop as it requires protein to remain in the blood or the fluid to stay inside the circulatory system.
2. Defense – lymphoid tissue produces, maintains and distributes lymphocytes – white blood cells – these are the cells responsible for defense against germs and bacteria that have crept their way into our system.

That being said, the lymphatic system can get clogged or plugged up which can cause edema – Edema is the accumulation of fluid within the interstitial compartments which in turn will cause swelling.

So how does massage help to avoid Edema buildup?

Well, there are a number of ways that Massage Therapy helps to keep our
Lymphatic System happy and healthy and here they are:

1. Encourages lymphatic fluid drainage thereby decreasing the chance for edema to occur
2. The effects of lymphatic massage are equal to the circulatory effects produced by the contraction of the muscles
3.  Using the appropriate strokes and drainage techniques can help with the movement of lymphatic fluid thereby reducing edema
4. Passive exercise can help when used in conjunction to encourage lymphatic drainage
5.  Lymphatic massage can speed lymphatic drainage and quicken the resolution of swelling caused by adhesions.
6. Massage is very effective in relieving post-surgical swelling and pain and for enhancing the rate and quality of healing
7.  By helping to remove edema fluid this greatly reduces the incidence of fluid thickening in the body
8. Pain can be relieved by removing the chemicals and waste products that have been dissolved in the fluid that stimulates pain receptors.

My boyfriend Josh is a massage therapist and we have many clients who come into our clinic space stressed out and run down and once their treatment is done, I see the same expression on their face that my son gets after time in time. Calm. They are happier, they walk lighter, they seem brighter! A massage has such wonderful healing and feeling good effects, I understand why all the celebrities employ their own on a full time regular basis. However, as a regular 9-5 person though, a massage will not only benefit you..but everyone else around you too!

Hmm, what’s that saying…?

Oh yes!

Happy Wife…Happy Life!

And my personal favorite – Happy mommy = happy everybody J

Cheers to your Health and have a lovely “time out”

Katerina

Health and Wellness

GEM Magazine LI

Health Benefits To Owning A Pet

I have 2 dogs. A 3 year old Husky named Calla and a 4 year old German Shepard, Border Collie, Husky mix named Scout.  Both have a lot of energy and both drive me absolutely crazy; but without them in my life, I honestly believe that I would be suffering from some weird, incurable, anxiety ridden disease. My girl, Calla has this innate ability to make me laugh so hard that my stomach hurts and my boy, Scout, is always by my side if I'm feeling low. They are my constant loyal and faithful companions.

There is a lot of truth behind owning a pet and reeping the health benefits from it as well though. In fact, there is about 25 years worth of research behind the benefits of pet ownership and the effect they have on our overall health and wellness. Besides the obvious health benefits of lowered blood pressure, decreased anxiety, increased immune system function, owning a pet also helps with your dating life!! As a matter of fact, the reason my boyfriend and I first went out was because I asked him out for a "doggy date". Three and a half years later, we have a beautiful 16 month old son, named Kaynen to add to our mix of daily chaos. I like to think of my dogs as my sanity savers however. Aside from the fact that yes, Scout sticks his head into the garbage can all too often to eat the leftovers and Calla chews up every toy that belongs to Kaynen, when I hook them up to their leashes and take them out for their daily walk,  an inner calm takes over and all the little hiccups from the day disappear. That right there is the first item on the list of health benefits to which owning a pet can do for you.

Natural De-stressor: When our bodies stay in a state of stress, we enter into a "dis-eased state". This is the state where harmful chemicals like norepinephrine and cortisol start to negatively effect our immune system. People who own animals, when tested, have shown that when in the act of "play"mode, have higher levels of serotonin and dopamine which are known to have pleasurable and calming effects on the body and mind thereby decreasing the chances a person may suffer from depression and high blood pressure.

Heart happy: Another reason to own a pet - they are good for the heart. Heart attack patients who own a pet live longer than those who don't. How does this happen? Male pet owners have lower levels of triglycerides and cholesterol levels which can contribute to heart disease.

Date magnets: If your dating life is in the dumps - owning a pet is a great way to increase your chances of a making a love connection. If you've walked down the street lately and seen someone with a new puppy, what's the first thing you want to do? Stop and meet the puppy of course!! Naturally, conversation with the owner will follow and making a connection, whether a love connection or otherwise can begin. In fact, psychologists say that owning a pet decreases an individuals risk of social isolation and shyness. All the more reason to get outside and go for a walk, you never know who you are going to meet!

Allergy deterrents: If you have ever come across someone who said to you "I'm allergic to animals" you can be pretty sure that that person did not grow up with an animal in the household. Dogs are dirty animals, and studies are now showing that infants who have a greater exposure to dirt and allergens also have stronger, healthier immune systems. I can attest to this; my son is 16 months old and has been sick only twice. Will I stop the dogs from licking his face? Most definitely not.

Workout buddy extraordinaire: Let's face it, a pet can be a great workout partner! Never the one to tell you "don't eat that!" or worse yet, "those jeans make you look fat", they are always ready and willing to go outside for a walk or run. It's not only good for your health but the health of your pet as well. And remember, a happy, healthy pet means less vet bills for you. :)

Sometimes I wonder what my house would be like if I didn't have my dogs. First off, it would definitely be a lot quieter! But then I think, who wants that much quiet to begin with? Won't I get all the quiet I can ask for when I'm six feet under? I won't lie, owning a pet is a lot of responsibility. You are in fact raising a furry beast to co exist peacefully amongst society and it is not meant to be an easy task. All the ups and downs that I have had while raising my dogs have truly helped me become a humble, happy and healthy person. I am grateful to my dogs for allowing me to be their owner.

To all that will read this blog, Cheers to Your Health and have a Safe and Happy New Year!

Until next week,

Katerina

Health and Wellness

GEM Magazine LI