Manual Lymph Drainage, Protocol for Detoxification and Minor Pathologies

THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM

The lymphatic system, one of the most vital systems in the body, is essential for good health. The lymph system is an extensive drainage network that helps keep bodily fluid levels in balance and defends the body against infections. It is made up of a network of lymphatic vessels that carry lymph — a clear, watery fluid that contains protein molecules, salts, glucose, urea, and other substances — throughout the body.

The lymphatic system, a major part of the immune system, is very complex and it is made up of lymphoid organs, lymph nodes, lymph ducts, lymph capillaries, and lymph vessels that make and transport lymph fluid from tissues to the circulatory system. Did you know that the spleen, tonsils, lymphocytes, and thymus gland are all part of the lymphatic system? Lymphocytes (white blood cells) are built and stored in lymphatic tissue. Each lymphatic structure has a specific purpose.

There are 600 – 700 lymph nodes in the human body that filter the lymph before it returns to the circulatory system. Approximately 1/3 of them are located in the head and neck. They range in size from a pinhead to a broad bean and are arranged in clusters or chains. While we know where they are situated, the exact arrangement is unique in each person.

Unlike blood, which flows throughout the body in a continuous loop, lymph flows in only one direction — upward toward the neck — within its own system. It flows into the venous bloodstream through the subclavian veins, which are located on either side of the neck near the collarbones.

Lymph leaves the tissue and enters the lymphatic system through specialized lymphatic capillaries. About three-quarters of these capillaries are superficial capillaries that are located near the surface of the skin. There are also deep lymphatic capillaries that surround most of the body’s organs.