Part One of your ultimate guide to the Lymphatic system and how Lymph Drainage Reflexology can help.
Emma, our Specialist in Reflexology Lymph Drainage will this week be sharing with you information about our Lymphatic System and the positive impact that Reflexology Lymph Drainage can have!
What is Lymph? & How is our Lymphatic System supposed to work?
Lymph is a fluid from around each of our cells that can contain a mixture of Water, Minerals, Salts, Proteins, Fats and Sugars as well as Debris including Cell Waste Products and/or Damaged Cells.
Just below the surface of the skin and in the soft tissue of the body, the Lymph enters the Lymphatic System which is a Network of Lymphatic Capillaries & Vessels.
Positioned within this One-Way System are Lymph Nodes that are responsible for filtering the Lymph destroying pathogens, antigens and other cellular debris during the process, before allowing the Lymph to continue along larger Lymphatic Vessels & Ducts where the Lymph finally ends its journey being released back into our bloodstream via the left or right Subclavian Vein (SCV).
The Lymphatic System does not drain equally, for example the right side of the head, neck and right upper quadrant only follows the Lymphatic process and releases Lymph out via the right SCV whilst the left is responsible for the left side of the head, neck, left upper quadrant, abdomen and both legs.
Lymph is a continous flow that relies on movement – breathing and muscular movement forces the lymph forward in direction.
Simply Put - In an ideal world the Lymphatic System (part of our Immune System) is designed to:
1. Destroy Waste Products.
2. Help Fight Infection and Prevent Disease.
3. Absorb the Good Fats and Nutrients via are Digestive Process…..
…..but as we know systems breakdown and our health is affected.
Tomorrow Emma will talk more of the implications when our Lymphatic System begins to fail us.