Lymphatic massages are trending, but do you actually need one?

Most of our social media feeds are crowded with high claims about lymphatic massage. This massage is said to detox the body, remove puffiness from the face, and sculpts the figure without going under the knife. Not to mention, how the wellness spas and studios are milking this trend. But is it really worth spending thousands of dollars? Your body has a lymphatic system, a network of sorts, that is an essential part of your immune system. This complex network of vessels, organs and glands moves lymph fluid where it needs to go to help your body detoxify, fight off infection and maintain fluid balance. You need these network to live. A lymphatic drainage massage, also called manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) can help the network to perform better when there is a blockage, according to UCLA Health. However, lymphatic drainage massages were created as a treatment. It was first clinically used in the 1930s, for a condition called lymphedema. This chronic condition is caused by lymph fluid building up between the skin and muscles. It causes swelling, and also makes it difficult for your body to fight infections and diseases, according to the National Cancer Institute.Dr. Beth Oller, a family medicine physician told USA TODAY, that the the massage works by moving the lymph fluid towards the lymph nodes so it can be reabsorbed. This massage is particularly helpful after surgery or injury. "The lymphatic system collects the lymph fluid and returns it to your heart, and when there is an issue with this process lymph can collect in the affected part of the body causing swelling that can be very uncomfortable and painful, and cause skin breakdown or wounds at times,” she said. Though lymphatic drainage massage is a buzz word in wellness circles, understanding the distinction between medical and wellness applications is important. While there is clinical evidence for treating conditions like lymphedema, data around using it for general wellness is thin. "In wellness circles there is a lot of talk about lymphatic massage not as a way to treat lymphedema, but as a wellness adjunct. While there is good research and data regarding the helpfulness of lymphatic massage in treating medical conditions, there is less so when it comes to using it for wellness purposes,” Dr. Oller said. Social media is flooded with posts that suggests that anyone experiencing bloating or swelling needs lymphatic massage to fix it. But that's certainly not the case according to Dr Oller. The before and after photos of the MLD on internet often show less puffy, and less bloated images after. However, this change is not permanent. More importantly, this massage cannot change your bone structure or weight."We know that massage can be helpful for stress management and relaxation, and I would think that lymphatic massage could have this positive effect as well. It also could improve skin appearance if there is swelling in a particular area, however there is no research showing that it can cause weight loss, detoxification or other things that I sometimes see claims of,” Oller said. This massage is not for everyone. Dr Oller said that she would only recommend MLD if there is a change in baseline health. You should not jump on to the trend because everyone is doing it. Also, lymphatic massage is a skilled technique, and done incorrectly it can actually worsen things. So always consult your doctor before going behind such wellness trends.