09/05/2025
Lymphatic massage is crucial for recovery. If I had to pick ONE thing for you to do, this would be it. . .
When you have surgery, your microscopic lymphatic vessels- the ones that carry swelling away and back into your circulation- are disrupted. They’re not functioning normally, so you will hold onto swelling until they recover. (This isn’t the ONLY reason why you swell, but one part of it) . .
manually moves the swelling towards lymphatic channels that work. . .
This prevents the swelling (edema) from sitting in your tissues too long and creating firmness in the tissues that may not completely return to normal. . .
Lymphatics just start to recover around 6 weeks, so lymphatic massage can help you until you get to the point where your lymphatics are able to function again. . .
I always recommend my patients get lymphatic massage after surgery, and I have a few trusted providers in the area who treat all my patients. . .
Getting these massages done in the first 6 weeks of recovery is super helpful. Ideally, you can get them done for 3-6 months after surgery (but I know this may not be feasible ;)) ✨
