How to Take Care of Your Lymphatic System

How to Take Care of Your Lymphatic System

The lymphatic system is vital to overall health and wellness.  It defends the body against potentially harmful cell changes, fights invading pathogens, and plays a role in inflammatory and autoimmune conditions. Yet, the majority of us know very little about how to care for our lymphatic systems.  As an individual living with lymphedema, a disease that causes swelling from the accumulation of lymph fluid, and an advocate with the Lymphatic Education and Research Network, I have come to believe that caring for the lymphatics is critical for everyone’s health, whether they have lymphatic disease or not.  

Your lymphatic system is comprised of lymph fluid, which moves through lymphatic vessels and collects bacteria, viruses, and waste products in your body.  The lymphatic vessels lead to lymph nodes, where the waste products are filtered from the lymph, and eventually eliminated through urination.  Most importantly, lymph fluid is not pumped by an organ, as blood is by the heart, and relies on your movements to propel it through the body.  Therefore, it is beneficial to incorporate lymphatic boosting habits into your daily life.   

1. Drink lots of water.  Most of your body’s water resides in the lymphatic system, and lymph fluid is primarily composed of water.  Thus, it is imperative to stay hydrated in order to keep your lymph fluid moving.   If lymph moves too slowly, it will start to accumulate waste, clogging the lymphatic system and putting more pressure on your immune system.  There are many common recommendations regarding daily water intake, including:

• 8-10 8 oz glasses
• Divide your bodyweight in half and drink that many ounces (i.e. if you weight 150 lbs, drink 75 oz of water)
• 13 cups for men and 9 cups for women

More subjective recommendations are to drink water before you are thirsty and to sip on water throughout your day.

2. Drink herbal tea. Certain herbal teas are thought to support the lymphatic system by stimulating lymph flow and/or activating immune system cells:

• Echinacea
• Red root
• Cleavers
• Nettle
• Dandelion root
• Goldenseal
• Astragalus

3. Dry brush your body.  The lymphatic system is located just beneath the surface of your skin, and can be stimulated externally.  Make sure you use a bath brush with natural, coarse bristles.  It is important to mimic the natural flow pattern by brushing gently in a circular motion, always towards your heart.  Ideally, brush once or twice a day before you shower.  Dry skin allows for gentle stretching of the skin as you brush, which will help trigger movement of the lymph.

4. Give yourself a lymphatic massage.  Starting with your fingertips on top of your collarbone, stretch the skin down towards your heart for several seconds and then release for several seconds.  Repeat 3-4 times. Remember, you only need to use light pressure because the lymphatic system is very close to the surface of the skin.  Proceed to the top of the your shoulders, the sides of your neck, behind your ear lobes, in the peak of your left armpit, the center of your abdomen, both sides of your lower abdomen (so your hands are in the shape of a “V”), and in the creases where your legs meet your pelvis. Always stretch the skin towards your heart.  

5. Exercise- especially on a trampoline or in water. Exercising is another way to power lymph flow.  Any type of exercise will benefit your lymphatic system, but rebounding and swimming are optimal.   Rebounding, jumping on a mini trampoline, provides the three necessary forces to move lymph: muscle contraction (when you jump), gravitational pressure (when you are airborne), and internal organ massage (from vertical motion).  Swimming not only provides muscle contraction, but also applies varying pressures on the body depending on the depth of water, which also encourages lymph flow.  Lastly, being submerged in water puts more pressure on the torso, strengthening the breathing muscles.
6. Practice diaphragmatic breathing.  Lay on your back and place your hand on your belly.  Take a deep breath into your stomach and try to make your hand rise, so that your stomach is inflating more than your chest.  Besides relaxing the body, which helps all of our systems function better, diaphragmatic breathing creates a negative pressure which pulls lymph fluid through the lymphatic system.  Once this manner of breathing becomes more natural to you, you can do it at any time of the day, even while sitting at your desk.