What is lymphatic system?
I think that we should be teaching the answer to this question as early as in elementary school. Truth is, lymphatic system is the most important system in your body which plays a dominant role in the proper functioning of all other systems and if we don’t move and breathe deeply, don’t sweat, scrub and eat right the lymphatic system gets clogged eventually, contributing to all sorts of diseases. It is however a highly preventable condition, and this is what I want to focus on.
Your lymph is the blood fluid, considered one of the seven body tissues and the first to become compromised under stress. (The other body tissues include the blood, muscle, fat, bone, nervous tissue and reproductive tissue).
The lymphatic system’s main function is to drain toxins from the connective tissues of the organs and muscles. It depends on the daily movement of all the parts of the body to function properly and breathing.
Unlike the blood, which has a heart to circulate it around the body, the lymph fluid has no such direct pumping device. According to the late Andreas Moritz, globally recognized practitioner in the field of alternative and integrative medicine, when the muscle responsible for the breathing action of the lungs (diaphragm) extends into the abdomen, it exerts great pressure on the intestinal lymph vessels, thereby squeezing their contents. This forces the lymph to move through the lymph ducts.
Each inhalation and exhalation acts as an indirect pump for the lymphatic system. Shallow breathing that accompanies a sedentary lifestyle has a detrimental effect on proper lymph drainage. Exercise and rebounding however coupled with massage can greatly improve lymphatic functions, thereby preventing a multitude of diseases.
Lymphatic system has three main functions in the body described by famous Dr. John Douillard in his article, “Rescue your lymph from stress…before it’s too late.”
1. It is the primary delivery system for energizing every cell of the body after each meal and congestion can potentially lead to storing fats around the belly.
2. It is the main carrier of the immune system and congestion compromises immunity.
3. It is a major detoxification channel for fats and proteins that have been incompletely digested upstream in the stomach and small intestines and congestion can cause weight gain, decreased energy and inability to digest hard to digest pro, like gluten.
“The body’s ability to detox well starts in the lymphatic system. The lymph starts in the digestive system, making optimal detoxification a result of optimal digestion.” – Dr. John Douillard
While you detoxify, toxins pour into your lymph from the liver to be carried out of the bloodstream and eliminated. If your lymphatic, your drainage system is clogged, these same toxins will go back into the liver and the cycle will continue indefinitely, until your body collapses.
Some Common Symptoms of Lymphatic Congestion:
- Rings get tight on fingers
- Soreness and/or stiffness in the morning
- Feeling tired
- Bloating
- Itchy skin
- Holding on to water
- Breast swelling or soreness with each cycle
- Dry skin
- Brain fog
- Cold hands and feet
Chronic exposure to large surges of cortisol, the stress hormone, can literally cause the lymphoid tissue to atrophy. [1]
Conditions caused by clogged lymphatic system listed by Dr. Josh Axe in his article The Lymphatic System: How to make it Strong & Effective:
- chronic fatigue
- swelling in the lymph nodes like throat, armpits or groin
- muscle aches and pains
- joint pains
- sore throats and getting colds more often
- frequent infections or viruses
- fibromyalgia symptoms
- arthritis
- and even cancer formation
“The principal physiological function of the lymphatic vasculature is to take up fluid, leaking out of blood capillaries into interstitial spaces in the tissue, and to return it to the blood circulation. Any failure to effectively do so results in lymphedema, a chronic, disabling and disfiguring condition. The accumulation of protein-rich fluid in the tissues causes swelling of the extremities and is in most patients also associated with inflammatory reactions, fibrosis, overgrowth of adipose and connective tissue in the affected areas, and other symptoms.” [2]
How can Art of Sauna help you take preventative measures that keep your lymphatic system working properly, preventing clogs leading to disease formation?
• Schedule your visit at the Sauna. Sweat. Help your lymph expel as many toxins as possible through sweating.
References:
[1] Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology. Twelfth Edition. Saunders Press. Philadelphia PA pg. 931
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3572233/
