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Natural Awakenings Milwaukee Magazine

Lymphatic Drainage 
Treatment: for Improved Immunity, Detox 
and Overall Health

Sep 01, 2022 12:00AM ● By Jennifer Hruz
It’s no secret that the human body is up against a lot. It seems like words such as “toxins” are more and more prevalent. All the while, stress, colds, flus, autoimmune issues, and bacterial and viral infections are more commonplace. Everyone’s immune system will react differently based on their unique body, lifestyle, stressors, etc., in response to these threats, and as a result, the impact will also present differently from person to person.

With all this uncertainty, there’s one factor that’s certain: the influential role of the lymphatic system over the functions of other systems within the body, including and especially the immune system. Therefore, the lymphatic system is a key component of the body’s overall health.

 The lymphatic system creates a filter for all of the waste products, toxins and mutant cells that leave the bloodstream. The lymphoid organs produce lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) which are deployed and attack threats to the body. According to ClevelandClinic.org, “Lymphocytes help your body’s immune system fight cancer and foreign viruses and bacteria (antigens).” You may have heard of T-cells and B-cells: those are types of lymphocytes. When the lymphatic system is functioning optimally, it is on-task detoxing the body of threats quite efficiently.


This concept may be more familiar than you realize. Most of us have experienced tender or “swollen glands” when we’re first noticing that we’re feeling a little off. Those glands are really lymph nodes within the lymphatic system collecting the threat—whether toxins, infections, viruses, or some other waste—and deploying lymphocytes, essentially enabling the body’s immune response.

Because the lymphatic system has no “pump” of its own (like the heart does in the circulatory system), it requires regular muscle movement and physical activity to work properly. If we are inactive, the system can become slow and overwhelmed as it works through the backlog, and the body may need to store waste and toxins. It will store them first in the lymph nodes, then in other parts of the body if the stores toxins are not flushed out. If too many toxins are stored in the body, it can cause a whole host of health issues, such as when a new threat enters the picture: The lymphatic system may be able to do its job, but likely it is not doing so at top strength.

There are many ways of empowering the lymphatic system to keep functioning at full steam to ensure that the nodes are clear and the system is flowing. A process called lymphatic drainage is highly effective in doing just this in a focused, intensive session, and can be done manually or by vacuum RF (machine-assisted radio frequency).

In addition to supporting the immune system, a lymphatic drainage treatment may further facilitate a detox process, therefore reducing fluid in the body and creating a slimming effect; supporting digestive function; reducing brain fog while improving mood; and increasing energy (though this may have a delayed effect depending on the level of toxicity the system is up against). While every single body is different and each person should check with their provider about their own situation, lymphatic drainage treatments are an excellent way to keep one’s system ready to spring into action should a threat enter the picture.

This is an especially exciting treatment in terms of healing and recovery. People experiencing trouble after a surgery, a procedure or during treatment for various threats may find great relief from supporting their immune system in this way.
 
Jennifer Hruz is a board-certified family nurse practitioner and advanced practice nurse prescriber, with a Master of Science degree in nursing from Alverno College. She worked as a nurse practitioner at an integrative medical clinic before starting her own practice, VIVA Wellness which is located at 12625 W. Burleigh Rd., in Brookfield.

VIVA Wellness has practitioners certified in multiple lymphatic drainage treatments, including vacuum RF, manual and advanced manual treatments. The latter are used for post-surgical and other, more sensitive healing scenarios, and can be used for the entire body or as “spot-treatments” at certain locations that may need support. For more information, call 262-777-8482 or visit VivaWellnessWI.com.