What is Manual Lymphatic Drainage?
Feel lighter, reduce swelling, and recover with confidence.
Looking for manual lymphatic drainage in Edmonton? I’m Carissa Barke, a certified massage therapist specializing in MLD to support healing, reduce swelling, and improve your overall wellness. Whether you’re recovering from surgery, managing a chronic condition, or simply looking to detox and reset, MLD is a powerful tool for healing.
Understanding the Circulation System
Most people are familiar with the cardiovascular system, where the heart acts as a central pump to circulate essential nutrients like oxygen, vitamins, and hormones to cells, while also removing waste products. However, there’s another crucial partner in the circulatory system: the lymphatic system.
What is the Lymphatic System?
The lymphatic system plays a key role in transporting and storing nutrition, waste materials and foreign substances in the body, while also supporting immune function. It consists of lymph fluid, vessels, nodes, and organs that help manage these processes.
Lymphatic fluid is a clear, water-like fluid found in the spaces between our cells. This fluid stores nutrients, minerals, hormones, and metabolic waste to support cellular function.
Pre-lymphatic vessels, located just beneath the skin, absorb lymph and transport it to larger vessels that typically run alongside the veins. These lymphatic vessels have one-way valves that ensure lymph flows toward the heart, where waste can be filtered and eliminated.
Lymph nodes form chains along the pathways of the vessels to filter the lymph and contain white blood cells to eliminate harmful invaders.
Lymphatic organs include the spleen, tonsils, thymus, and appendix.
How Does Lymphatic Fluid Circulate?
Unlike blood that is actively pumped by the heart, the body relies on several mechanisms to circulate lymphatic fluid:
Muscle Contraction. Flexing your muscles, like during exercise, helps move the fluid.
Arterial Pulse. The pulsation of nearby large arteries helps move the fluid.
Deep Breathing. Pressure changes when the diaphragm contracts helps move the fluid.
Internal Pulsation. The lymph vessels contract gently on their own about 4-8 times a minute.
Whenever any of these mechanisms are disrupted—due to sedentary behaviour, lifestyle, surgery, injury, or disease, lymph circulation can slow down or become blocked. Stagnant lymph can lead to fluid retention, swelling, and a compromised immune response, which can result in various health imbalances.
How Manual Lymphatic Drainage Works
By applying gentle, rhythmic pressure to the body, Manual Lymphatic Drainage mimics the natural movements and increases lymphatic circulation.
Here’s what you can expect during a treatment:
Gentle Pressure: MLD uses gentle strokes to move lymph fluid toward the heart. The pressure is very light, typically no heavier than the weight of a nickel.
Skin Stretching: MLD techniques stretch the skin, which expands and contracts the lymphatic vessels and pumps the lymphatic fluid. No massage lotion is used during MLD.
Rhythmic Movements: Slow, deliberate movements are repetitive and typically include multiple repetitions of a single stroke.
After the session, many clients report feeling lighter, more relaxed, and less swollen. Depending on your condition, we may recommend a series of treatments for optimal results.
What Are The Treatment Areas?
Each session begins with treatment to the neck, sternum, and abdomen, helping to open the lymphatic pathways closest to the main ducts at the heart. Additional treatment areas may include the arms, back, face, nape of neck and scalp, upper back, lower back, or legs. Each area typically takes about 15-20 minutes. In one session, we focus work on either the upper or lower body.
The Benefits of Manual Lymphatic Drainage
Studies show MLD can provide the same pain-relief as a regular massage. It is also a great way to support the body on a cellular level, as the treatment helps remove stagnant waste and brings fresh nutrition and hormones to your cells. Many clients leave treatments feeling lighter, extremely relaxed, and well-supported, with fresh, glowing skin for days.
Other benefits may include:
Pain Relief. MLD can be helpful for alleviating discomfort related to conditions like fibromyalgia, muscle recovery, arthritis, or post-surgical recovery.
Relaxation & Stress Relief. MLD is deeply calming, engages the ‘rest-and-digest’ nervous system, and can help reduce stress and tension in the body and improve sleep.
Reduced Swelling. MLD can help reduce fluid retention, bloating or swelling, especially in areas with chronic inflammation, stagnation or after cosmetic surgery.
Soft Tissue Recovery. MLD can be a great treatment to stimulate the removal lactic acid, inflammatory proteins, bruises, or metabolic waste after intense training (ie. marathons) or injury.
Improved Immune Function. By supporting the movement of lymph, MLD can enhance the body’s ability to detoxify and fight infection.
Enhanced Circulation. The gentle movement of lymph encourages circulation and detoxification, promoting wellness and vitality.
How Many Treatments Will I Need?
The number of sessions depends on your individual goals and needs. Some clients benefit from a series of treatments, while others find relief after just one session. Here are the general guidelines:
For Acute Conditions (e.g., post-surgical, injury, or inflammation): Multiple sessions may be recommended in the first 1-2 weeks to manage swelling and accelerate healing. Typically, treatments can be spaced 2-3 days apart initially.
For Chronic Conditions (e.g., endometriosis, fibromyalgia): Regular, ongoing treatments may be beneficial, typically once a week or every other week, depending on your needs.
For Wellness & Detoxification: If you’re looking for general wellness benefits or detox, a monthly or bi-monthly session may be sufficient.
After the Treatment: Home-care & Recommendations
These are some recommendations for homecare to help you get the most of your treatment:
Stay Hydrated. Drink water following your session, as lymphatic drainage works best when the body is well-hydrated.
Rest and Relax. After your treatment, it is recommended to avoid strenuous physical activity for at least 24 hours. Light activities, like walking or stretching can assist in lymphatic drainage.
Avoid Tight Clothing: Refrain from wearing tight or restrictive clothing after your session, including tight bra-straps or waistbands.
Temporary Effects: Some clients may experience mild fatigue, headache, nausea, or slight swelling. These effects are usually temporary and should resolve within 24-48 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. MLD is a very light, non-invasive technique. It’s deeply relaxing and should never be painful.
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Yes — MLD is often recommended after cosmetic or orthopedic surgery to reduce swelling and speed healing. Always consult with your surgeon before booking.
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Every client is different, and this can be discussed at your first treatment. We recommend multiple sessions to treat recent injuries (ie. post-surgery, sprains, etc), while treatment for general wellness and detox, you could space treatments every 1-2 months.
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Yes, Carissa Barke is a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) with the Natural Health Practitioners of Canada, and sessions can be submitted to most health insurance benefit plans.
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Carissa Barke is trained in Vodder Manual Lymphatic Drainage (Level One & Advanced – over 100 hours of training). Vodder School is a rigorous and intensive academy offering the highest standard of MLD training internationally.
For more information on the Vodder method, visit www.vodderschool.com
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Acne
Baker’s Cyst
Bell’s Palsy
Breast-feeding
Bruises/Contusions
Bursitis
Cellulite
Diabetic Legs*
DOMS
Fibrotic breast
Headaches
Insomnia
Muscle Sprain
Pre-/Post-Surgery
Puffy/Tired Eyes
Scars
Shin Splints
Swelling
Tired/Restless Legs
TMJD
Torticollis
Whiplash
Weight Reduction
General Wellness
Detoxification -
I’m located in Old Strathcona, Edmonton, inside the Roots on Whyte Building (above Blush Lane Organic Market) at the Le Soleil Health and Wellness Clinic.
Book Your Session Today
Enjoy this treatment in Edmonton that is growing widely in popularity for its holistic benefits. Treatments are covered by most health insurance benefits.