You know the scenario; you wake up and your throat is sore. You feel each side of your neck and there are large soft lumps that have sprung up overnight. Or you managed to inflict a scratch on your leg or arm while out walking and within days, a painful lump has formed in your groin or in your armpit. So you head off to the nearest doctor who will prescribe antibiotics to kill off the vital pathogens, enzymes and compounds in your body which have one job - to not only fight invaders but keep the body clean and healed.
Imagine destroying the very system that is responsible for your healing from the recent infliction! The lymphatic system is the most under-addressed system of the body, yet it is as vital as your blood, heart or even your brain. Barely recognised in modern medicine, it is seen as a hindrance rather than the system responsible for immunity.
Lymph nodes activate as soon as a threat appears and they enlarge while trapping foreign matter and rapidly building an immune response - you can feel them under the jawline and down the neck, like masses or lumps. If we consider the lymphatics as both a drainage system of toxic body waste and also a magnet for poisons that are too toxic for the digestive and urinary systems, you may get the picture.
Unbroken fats and starches accumulate there, as do heavy metals, moulds and undefined mycoplasma, parasites, excess pathogens and the toxic wastes as above. Then we have the second aspect - rather than doing their job - which is to be the frontline for immunity, this system is too busy dealing with the poisons and stopping them from becoming the reason for sickness and death.
Every single health issue is linked to the lymphatic system. And simple symptoms like swollen glands, cellulite, fluid retention and weight issues are warning signs largely overlooked. Everything you put onto and into your body affects this gently passive system, and in turn clogging the entire pathway, adding further burdens to the surrounding tissues and organs.
Lymphatic cancers and diseases are appearing in infants as commonly now as they appear in adults who have experienced a life of unhealthy living and heavy toxin/medication exposure. Environmental factors are largely to blame. Lymphatic inflammation is a painful warning that an underlying issue has been brewing for a period of time, yet three of the warning signs - cellulite, infections and fluid - are attacked with disdain and further toxic chemicals which address every system other than the lymphatic system itself.
The final blow for the lymphatic system is that we now have unrecognisable toxic cocktails that are difficult to clear safely, while any foci that create scars on the external bodily surface - cuts, surgical incisions, burns, etc - each of these create an invisible block to the natural flow of the system itself, often resulting in not just fluid retention, but toxic fluid retention; which is where we eventually see such catastrophic fallout as lymphoedema. If you turn your hand over and softly run your fingertips just on the skin along the inside of your arm, you will feel tiny pinhead type lumps and bumps just under the skin's surface. We are talking about hundreds of thousands, even millions of tiny blockages. All necessary to keep us alive, and all cleaning up the mess, 24/7.
Iridologically, for a blocked/compromised lymphatic system, if you look into a mirror, you will see a dirty white/yellow thick line just inside the outer rim of the iris, which denotes the lymph flow just under the skin, with pools reflecting in affected organs.
So how do we ensure a free-flowing lymphatic system, while ensuring a strong immunity? No medications exists which will provide a healthy lymphatic system and the care needed is a multi-faceted one.
We need to -
a) flush the excretory systems,
b) add a secondary immune building arsenal,
c) flush the lymphatic system itself.
This is a simplistic view of the lymphatics, and it is far more detailed but there should be a constant effort to clean, long before any other system of the body is dealt with! Scary, right? I discovered a long time ago that it is a multi pronged approach, and there is no definitive answer. So external and internal efforts are needed.
Externally, my preferred ways to heal your lymphatics -
rebounder or vibration platform
lymphatic drainage massage - professional and self massage
infrared sauna
acupuncture or acupressure using key points, especially kidney, liver & spleen meridians
deep breathing
coffee enemas to shock the liver and help it release buildup in order to absorb more waste
hot/cold hydrotherapy (bath or shower) to shock the skin/lymphatic drainage - adding magnesium sulphate (epsom salts) to the hot water is an old remedy which pulls out toxins from the capillaries and lymphatic vessels just under the skin
reflexology especially for lymphatic drainage
castor oil hot packs to engorged glands
inversion therapy which can be done either by one of the mechanical tables or by building a board on your floor, one end raised (foot end) with a few bricks, a board or even old door covered with sufficient padding for comfort
gentle dry body brushing from extremities towards major glands in armpits, down into groin and up the legs into the groin
Internally, my best-result therapies include -
f) water, water and water - every day, regular filtered water intake to flush
g) herbal tonics such as calendula/cleavers/mullein tea
h) organic, plant based diet (at least an 80/20 composition)
i) pH bodily correction - urine, saliva, lymphatic fluid
Thankfully most of this can be done at home. What ever you do - don't just do nothing.