What is it and why does it matter?

Fact: The stuff that clogs up our lymphatic system won’t show up in a blood test because it is a different fluid. So your blood results can come back ‘normal’ but you can still have issues.

Our Lymphatic System: we all have one. It’s as crucial a part of our body as any other system. It functions hand in hand with our cardiovascular system (our heart and blood vessels) and our nervous system (which sends electrical signals which control our vital organs, functions such as breathing, movement and our senses).

But what is it?

Just as nerves and blood vessels run throughout our entire body, so does our lymphatic system which forms a complex network of tubes. These tubes, or lymph vessels, contain a clear fluid called lymph. Lymph is made from plasma, the liquid part of blood, and leaks into the spaces around cells. Stay with me…!

An easy way to think of how it works is to imagine a reverse tree. The smallest tubes are lymphatic capillaries, which sit just below the surface of the skin. These feed into larger tubes which run through lymph nodes, a clever filtration system, and back to the main trunk called the thoracic duct.

Lymph fluid leaks from blood vessels into the tissues. Lymph vessels carry lymph fluid to lymph nodes which filter it, then the filtered lymph fluid returns to the bloodstream through veins situated at your collarbones.

Fact: You have between 600-700 lymph nodes in your body, and a third of these are in your neck.

So what does it do?

Our lymphatic system has a number of crucial jobs:

It supports the immune system: Lymph fluid contains white blood cells called lymphocytes, which fight bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites

It removes harmful substances: Lymph fluid filters out harmful substances like bacteria and cancer cells

It absorbs fats: Lymph fluid absorbs some fats from the intestines

It maintains fluid balance: Lymph fluid helps maintain the body's fluid balance by collecting extra fluids and returning them to the bloodstream

It’s essentially a pumping system that filters waste, which is activated by breathing and by movement.

So you can see just how important it is to keep our lymphatic system functioning well in order to our body healthy. But life is busy and full of toxins. That’s just modern, western society. Everything we come into contact with, from the air that we breathe to the food that we eat to what we wash ourselves with in the shower, all contain substances that our body needs to process and filter out anything that is harmful to our health.

Add to this an often largely sedentary lifestyle and stress and suddenly our lymphatic system, which relies on movement and breathing to pump and move waste products, is overloaded with toxins and is unable to clear them sufficiently, so things get stuck. Imagine a sink with a blocked plug. Liquid may slowly drain away but things aren’t flowing as they should as the plug hole is backed up with waste.

How do we know if things are blocked?

Struggling lymphatics can cause all sorts of symptoms, including:

- Feeling stiff on waking

- Unexplained aches and pains

- Fatigue

- Weight gain and extra belly fat

- Brain fog

- Headaches

- Frequenty colds and infections

- Skin conditions

- Puffy face, fingers, feet or ankles

A quick check:

When our lymphatic system is blocked, these areas can feel tight or tender, or uncomfortable when pressed. This is inflammation. Have a quick prod (not too hard!) around your collar bones, your sternum (breastbone which runs down the centre of your chest) and your ribs – these are places that can be quite ouchey!

When you come for treatment with me, I may start by checking 19 major points of the lymphatic system which can tell me where things are blocked. For example, tender areas on your sternum can be due to deep lymphatic blocks around your stomach and diaphragm, and tenderness over the upper abdomen can be due to stored emotions.

So what can we do to support our lymphatic system?

There is lots we can do, and it’s all super simple!

Firstly, do the ‘Big 6’ every day. Tap / slap / rub / massage (whatever you like and feels good) these 6 points in this order.

1. Collarbones – above and below

2. Upper cervical – the back of your jaw under your ears

3. Axillar – your armpits

4. Abdomen – your belly. All of it.

5. Groin crease – where your legs join your torso

6. Popliteal – the back of your knees

Start with 5 seconds of rubbing and 5 seconds of tapping. You can do the whole routine in a minute. Maybe try it while you’re waiting for the kettle to boil. I do mine in the shower every morning!

Move – lymph nodes are concentrated in areas which are supported by movement (eg. our neck, armpits, groin). Move your body regularly. If you are sat for a while, get up and walk round the room, stretch your neck, shrug your shoulders, make circles with your arms or elbows, lift your knees.

Bounce on your toes – our calves are known as our second heart as they pump blood back up the body. Bounce on your toes to have the same effect as rebounding on a trampette. It helps pump blood and lymph, and shakes up our organs.

Shake – shake your limbs. Start with your hands and arms, add in your legs, get everything moving. Do it to music, do it with someone else – it’s fun! It gets energy flowing and can help release stuck emotions.

Hydrate – drink water. When properly hydrated, lymph fluid can flow. When dehydrated, it can become thick and unable to move. Water, especially warm water, can help flush toxins from the lymph.

Book in with me for a lymphatic treatment. I’ll assess where things might be stuck and have a whole host of moves and tricks to unblock choked areas and get things flowing again.

Let me know how you get on with the Big 6!

Why we should all show our Lymphatic System some love.