The Alexandra Clinic

26/05/2026

Morning!!Just a quickie....I hope you are all taking care in this warm weather!!!
There are plenty of top tips on keeping cool on previously posts.
I have taken a couple of ( unscheduled) weeks out of clinic, so those of you who had appointments cancelled or waiting to make appointments, I will be in touch soon.
Thank you so much for your understanding and patience.
😎

13/05/2026

Day 3
The Abdominal Lymph Nodes

Deep within the abdomen lies one of the body's most remarkable lymphatic networks.

Take a closer look at this amazing, often, misunderstood system.

. Lymphatica - Lymphatic Therapy and Body Detox Facility

11/05/2026

As we continue to delve into the Lymphatic system

Day 2
The Axilla

The axilla contains one of the body's largest collection of Lymph
Nodes

-Lymphatic Therapy& Body Detox Facility

10/05/2026

Learning more about the Lymphatic system, how it works and what it does, can help you to understand how Manual Lymphatic Drainage can help.
This week im going to share some images that will give you an insight to the wonderful, intricate world of your Lymphatic system.

If you want to delve deeper have a look at
-Lymphatic therapy & Body Detox Facility.


Day 1. The Clavicles

28/04/2026

Our next meeting is Monday 11th May 1- 3pm.

We have Ben coming along from Juzo to answer any questions you might have regarding compression. We also have our regular Lymphoedema therapist and the NHS Lymphoedema team on hand.

Come along and join our friendly, sometimes crazy, group.

Contact Sue 07790105007 if you would like more information.

21/04/2026

Restore Scar Therapy at the Alexandra Clinic.

19/04/2026

Absolutely!!!

In the UK your first mammogram invite comes:

✅ Between age 50 and 53
📅 Then every 3 years until 71

So when that letter arrives - go. Don’t put it off!

Breast screens are a quick X-ray and take just a few minutes. It can feel a little uncomfortable but early cancer detection really does mean more treatment options and better outcomes 💜

👉 Under 50? You won’t usually be invited, which is why knowing your normal and checking regularly matters. If something doesn’t feel right, speak to your GP.

👉 Over 70? You can still request a screening - you just won’t be invited automatically.

👉 Missed your appointment? You can rebook.

👉 And at any age - if you notice a change, don’t wait for screening. Get it checked.

Share this post with someone who might need the nudge 💗

12/04/2026

We practice MLD ( Manual Lymphatic Drainage) at the Alexandra Clinic. I am a trained Level 3 Dr Vodder practitioner. Registrated with MLD UK.

Do you know the difference?

Are you confused about the difference between “lymphatic massage” and actual lymphatic drainage?

Share this post. Get the word out!!

You’re not alone. The terms are being used everywhere right now, often as if they mean the same thing—but they don’t.

Most people are told that if a session “moves fluid,” it must be lymphatic drainage.
But simply moving interstitial fluid around in the tissues is NOT the same as draining lymph through the lymphatic system.

A big question to ask is:
Is this technique truly targeting the lymphatic capillaries, or just borrowing the word “lymphatic” as a marketing term?

There Is Only ONE Way to Drain Lymph!

There is only one way for fluid to truly be “drained” by the lymphatic system:

Interstitial fluid must actually enter the lymphatic capillaries.

Those initial lymphatic vessels sit just under the skin.

They are extremely delicate, they collapse under pressure, their tiny filaments can tear easily, and they respond to one thing above all else: gentle, precise skin-stretch techniques.

This is what true manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) is designed to do.

Where “Lymphatic Massage” Fits In:

As a massage therapist, you’ve probably seen the lymphatic craze explode—
Gua sha, sculpting, deep massage, post-op bodywork and more are all being marketed as “lymphatic drainage.”

Here’s the key distinction:

Massage can absolutely influence circulation and fluid movement in the tissues, just like it influences the vascular system.

It can push or shift fluid from one area to another.
But:

Physically moving fluid in the tissues is NOT the same as lymphatic drainage.
If the technique is:

-Too deep
-Primarily compressive
-Focused on muscle/fascia rather than gentle skin stretch

…then it may be helpful in other ways, but it is not specifically opening lymphatic capillaries to take in lymph.

Lymph vs. Interstitial Fluid (This Part Really Matters)

When you are dealing with lymph, you are dealing with fluid that is inside the lymphatic system.

Inside a lymphatic vessel = lymph
Outside the lymphatic vessel = interstitial fluid

So if a technique is only shifting fluid around in the tissue spaces and not actually helping it enter the lymphatic capillaries, then by definition:

It is not performing lymphatic drainage—it is just redistributing interstitial fluid.

It then must be taken up by the lymphatic capillaries and pre-collection vessels in a different part of the body.

If that system is overloaded the fluid cannot be taken up and simply redistributes itself back into empty spaces.

This is exceeding lymph capacity. The lymphatic system can only handle so much fluid. So pushing it around doesn't help. It may stimulate the circulation and influence the system to speed up a bit but that is temporary.

In a healthy lymphatic system where the lymph vessels and nodes are not compromised it may produce some short term results and decongestion. But if there is lymphatic compromise, such as after surgery, cancer or injury...this could actually harm the delicate lymphatic structures.

Increasing circulation in tissues also increases the osmotic pressure in blood vessels. This promotes water to leak into the interstital space...hence increasing lymph load. That is science. That is how your body works.

Overfilling a trash truck just causes trash to fall out onto the street on its way to the dump. You cannot fit more than it's capacity....you just redistribute the trash.

What This Means for You (and Your Clients)
If you’re trying to decide what’s best for you (or how to communicate this to your clients), ask:

Is this technique designed around lymphatic anatomy and gentle skin stretch, or is it just labeled “lymphatic” because that sells?

Is the goal to open initial lymphatics and support true lymph flow, or simply to make me feel lighter/less puffy for a short time?

My next article will break down:
The benefits and limitations of true MLD
The benefits and limitations of so-called “lymphatic massage” and other fluid-moving techniques.

…so you can make an informed decision about what is actually best for your practice, your body and your goals.

28/03/2026

Fibrosis is not an uncommon effect after surgery and I see alot of this in clinic. It can affect lymph flow, fascia and mobility...great read. I'm going to draw your attention to section 4...Trauma and Surgery. Hopefully it will help give you some clarity on certain things that may be presenting to you after your surgery. Have read and let me know your thoughts.

✨ Understanding Fibrosis: When the Body’s “Scar Tissue” Starts to Steal Your Flow

By Bianca Botha, CLT, RLD, MLDT, CDS – Lymphatica

Fibrosis is one of the most misunderstood conditions in the world of lymphatic health.
We often hear about “hard tissue,” “thick skin,” “lumps,” or that feeling of a tight, stuck area that won’t respond to diet or exercise.

But fibrosis is not just “hard fat.”
It’s not “stubborn weight.”
It’s not “just how your body is.”

Fibrosis is a biological response — the body’s attempt to protect itself… that slowly becomes the very thing that holds you back from healing.

Let’s break this down clearly.

🌿 What Is Fibrosis?

Fibrosis is the formation of excess collagen and scar-like tissue in the body.
It happens when the tissues are repeatedly inflamed, injured, compressed, or stagnant.

Think of fibrosis as the body laying bricks to “reinforce” an area that feels threatened.

But over time?

Those bricks turn into walls — blocking circulation, blocking lymph flow, blocking healing.

🔬 Why Does Fibrosis Happen?

Fibrosis forms through 4 key mechanisms:

1. Chronic Inflammation

When inflammation stays high for too long, fibroblasts begin building collagen aggressively.
Your body thinks it’s protecting you.

Instead, it begins trapping inflammation inside the tissue.

2. Lymphatic Stagnation

When lymph can’t drain properly, proteins and cellular waste accumulate.
This “protein-rich soup” hardens over time.

Fibrosis is essentially stagnant lymph that turned solid.

3. Repeated Compression or Pressure

Tight clothing
Sitting too long
Sleeping on one side
Post-surgical swelling
Fibrotic cellulite
Poor posture

All these create micro-pressure that slowly remodels the tissue into a hardened structure.

4. Trauma or Surgery

After any incision or injury, the body immediately starts layering collagen.
If lymphatic drainage is slow, fibrosis becomes thick, raised, and long-lasting.

⚠️ Common Places Fibrosis Shows Up
• Arms after mastectomy
• Abdomen after C-section or hysterectomy
• Thighs and hips
• Underarms / bra line
• Ankles and calves
• After liposuction or fat-transfer surgery
• Around old injuries or scars
• In areas of chronic cellulite

Anywhere lymph slows… fibrosis follows.

💧 How Fibrosis Affects Your Body

Fibrosis doesn’t just change the texture of your skin.
It affects your entire physiology:

🔸 Blocks lymphatic drainage

→ causing swelling, heaviness + puffiness
→ making inflammation chronic

🔸 Restricts blood flow

→ less oxygen
→ poor healing
→ cold, numb or painful areas

🔸 Traps toxins and metabolic waste

→ the tissue becomes congested
→ you feel “stuck” or “blocked” in that area

🔸 Alters nerve signals

→ tightness, burning, tingling, soreness
→ reduced mobility or stiffness

🔸 Slows weight loss

Because the tissue becomes “sealed,” fat and lymph cannot move freely.

Fibrosis is one of the biggest hidden reasons people say:

“I’m doing everything… but nothing is shifting.”

🌙 Can Fibrosis Be Improved or Reversed?

YES — but only through a combination of methods, not one single tool.

The key is to soften, mobilize, hydrate, and drain.

⭐ 1. Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD)

Softens the tissue
Moves protein-rich lymph
Opens pathways
Releases pressure on capillaries

⭐ 2. Fascia Release

Fibrosis is tied deeply into the fascial network.
Freeing fascia = freeing the lymph.

⭐ 3. Heat + Hydration

Warmth increases elasticity
Water thins the lymph
Together they “melt” density in tissues

⭐ 4. Compression (correct usage)

Not tight — supportive
Helps prevent re-hardening
Promotes fluid movement

⭐ 5. Anti-inflammatory Lifestyle

What you eat becomes the quality of your tissues.
Your lymph is the reflection of your inflammation.

⭐ 6. Movement

Nothing aggressive.
Simple walking, breathwork, vibrational movement, gentle mobility.

Movement = muscle pump = lymph pump.

💚 What Fibrosis Feels Like Emotionally

Fibrosis also stores emotion, especially in women:
• Tightness around the ribcage = unspoken stress
• Hardened abdomen = protection + past trauma
• Underarm fibrosis = emotional overflow
• Thigh/hip density = stored cortisol and chronic pressure

The lymphatic system is emotional.
Fibrosis often forms when the body has been “bracing” for too long.

🪷 The Good News

Fibrosis is NOT permanent.
Tissue can change.
Flow can return.
Healing can restart.

You just need the right strategy, the right education, and the right consistency — not force, not pain, not intense pressure.

Your lymphatic system responds to gentleness, rhythm, hydration and safety.

Fibrosis softens when the body feels safe enough to let go.

27/03/2026

LYMPHOEDEMA HEROES!!!

We are coming to the end of Lymphoedema Awareness Month and we have been busy in clinic acknowledging the real Lymphoedema Hero's. YOU!!!
Here are just afew photos. You are all incredible heroes coping with the challenges of living with Lymphoedema. You inspire me everyday with your courage, positivity and resilience.
Lets keep the awareness going, please share!!

(Shared with kind permission)