Here is some of the information I recently shared in my March newsletter. Each newsletter has a specific focus. This month is focused on lymph and lymphatic drainage information. If you would be interested in receiving my newsletters, please head over to my contact page and sign up.
STUDIES and ARTICLES
I receive a weekly update on anything published anywhere on the internet that includes information about lymph and lymphatic drainage. I try to glean the best of the information and provide a brief synopsis of the information. If you come across any information that you think would be good to share, please also feel free to pass that information along to: info@holistichealingarts.net
1. A paper titled Face Lift Postoperative Recovery, published in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in 2002 provided the following information: After the skin is lifted, the drainage flow to the flaps is reversed abruptly toward the medial part of the face, where the flap bases are located. The thickness and extension of the flap determine the magnitude of the post-op edema, which is also augmented by medial surgeries (blepharo, rhino) whose trauma obstruct their natural drainage, increasing the congestion and edema…Seven days after the facelift we observed no absorption by the lymphatic, concluding that a week after surgery, the lymphatic network was still damaged...In the post-op, the manual lymphatic drainage is initiated on the third or fifth day in a method contrary to that specified in the books for non-operative individuals.
2. An article published on Stanford Medicine’s website, titled Anti-inflammatory drug effective for treating lymphedema symptoms states: two small clinical trials showed that ketoprofen, an inflammation-reducing drug available by prescription, can effectively treat symptoms of lymphedema and help ease the daily burden of care. “Ketoprofen restores the health and elasticity of the skin…I believe it will reduce recurrent infection. It can also reduce swelling.”
3. A study, The lymphatic pathway in neurological disorders, published in The Lancet: Neurology Nov 2018, states: several features of the lymphatic and meningeal lymphatic systems have been shown to be present in humans…human lymphatic pathway might also be primarily active during sleep.
4. An article, titled The Meningeal Lymphatic System: A New Player in Neurophysiology, gives a thorough explanation and history of the discovery of this system and its implications in disease and treatment.
5. A study, titled Effect of taping as treatment to reduce breast cancer lymphedema: literature review and published in J Vasc Bras in Apr-2018, concluded: Taping is a complementary therapy for reducing lymphedema, which may be used as an alternative treatment method, but cannot substitute multilayer compression therapy.
6. A study, Does Exercise Have a preventive effect on Secondary Lymphedema in Breast Cancer Patients following local treatment?-A systematic Review published in Breast Care (Basel) in Oct 2018 concluded: all 8 studies included indicate a potential preventive effect of exercise on Secondary Lymphedema.
7. An article titled The CNS Immune-Privilege Goes Down the Drain(age), published in Trends in Pharmacological Sciences in Jan 2019, reviews several studies on the lymphatic role in the nervous system and concludes: ... the work from Lauveau et al represents a landmark study for neuroimmunology research. It is now essential to understand how meningeal lymphatics promote the encephalitogenic potential of auto-reactive T cells and whether the brain’s lymphatic drainage may represent a feasible therapeutic target for neuroinflammatory and autoimmune disorders.
8. A study titled The effectiveness of manual lymphatic drainage and low level laser in the treatment of a client with lipedema: an N-of-1 trial, published in Australian Tradition-Medicine Society in 2018, concluded: pain decreased over the duration of the trial, however, there was no discernible difference between using active of sham laser with MLD…
9. An article, titled Manual lymphatic drainage in chronic venous disease: a forgotten weapon in our armory, published in Indian Journal of Vascular & Endovascular Surgery in 2018, concludes: MLD is an important adjunct in the treatment of advanced Chronic Venous Insufficiency.
10. A study titled Acute Cardiovascular Responses to the application of manual lymphatic drainage in different body regions, published in Lymphatic Research and Biology in Dec 2018 concluded: MLD practice caused different hemodynamic responses according to body region in a sample of 30 healthy individuals. The results show a decrease in SBP (systolic blood pressure) after neck, abdominal, and leg MLD and lower HRs (heart rate) after arm drainage. DBP (diastolic blood pressure) values decreased after neck and leg MLD and showed an increase after abdominal MLD. These findings support further investigation of the roles of the circulatory system, nervous system, hormonal system, and kidneys to better inform the practice of MLD and our understanding of its effects.