Naturally Well

09/02/2025

Happy Labor Day America!🇺🇸🥳

08/02/2025

📢 “What if your lymph system had sass?” 💬💚
Let’s be honest — your lymph nodes have been through it. From processed food to sleepless nights, they’ve been working overtime without a raise. 😂

Here’s what your hardworking nodes might be saying during therapy… and WHY you should finally listen:

💄 Neck Node Nora: “Can someone please drain the drama and mascara already?”
🧴 Axilla Andy: “I’m not your deodorant dumping ground. I’m a detox superhighway!”
🫶 Liver Larry: “Castor oil? Say less. I feel seen.”
🪑 Inguinal Izzy: “You sit for 8 hours a day and wonder why I’m swollen?”
❤️‍🔥 Spleen Sophia: “Filtering blood, trauma AND toxins. Where’s my award?”

🎯 Lymph isn’t lazy — it’s just asking for your support. Movement, hydration, and therapy aren’t luxuries… they’re survival tools.

📸 Swipe through for a laugh, then book that session.
👇 Tag a lymphie who needs a giggle — or a drainage! 😉

07/24/2025

Continuing education fun in Santa Fe🥳
Class is my favorite place to be💞 I’m excited to share my new techniques after learning Myofacial Rehabilitation and Stretching for Rehab at the New Mexico School of Massage
Call or text 505-320-4704 to schedule 

07/04/2025

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July! 🇺🇸

06/27/2025

Learn of other ways instead of medicine to take care of lupus symptoms.

06/15/2025

Happy Father’s Day. June 15.♥️

06/11/2025

June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month . Massage therapy has emerged as a non-pharmacological intervention to help manage agitation, stress and aggressive behavior in people living with dementia, according to an article from American Massage Therapy Association - AMTA. Check out the link in the comments!

06/06/2025

🧠🫀 The Overlooked Alliance: How Your Nervous and Lymphatic Systems Are Deeply Connected

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your diet, exercise, or health regimen.

Introduction

The nervous system and lymphatic system are traditionally studied as separate entities—one governing electrical impulses and sensory perception, the other managing immune surveillance and fluid balance. But recent medical breakthroughs reveal a fascinating and vital crosstalk between these two systems, opening new doors in our understanding of neuroimmune regulation, detoxification, and inflammation management.

1. The Lymphatic System: Silent River of Detox

The lymphatic system is composed of:
• Lymph vessels: thin-walled structures that parallel veins
• Lymph nodes: immunological hubs that filter pathogens and debris
• Lymph: the interstitial fluid collected from tissues
• Associated organs: spleen, thymus, and tonsils

Its main functions include:
• Interstitial fluid balance
• Immune cell trafficking
• Removal of metabolic waste
• Absorption of fats from the intestines

2. The Nervous System: The Command Center

The nervous system is divided into:
• Central Nervous System (CNS): brain and spinal cord
• Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): motor and sensory nerves
• Autonomic Nervous System (ANS): controls involuntary processes like heart rate, digestion, and lymphatic flow

3. The Discovery of the Brain’s Lymphatic System

In 2015, researchers from the University of Virginia and University of Helsinki made a landmark discovery: functional lymphatic vessels exist in the dura mater (the outermost layer of the meninges surrounding the brain).

These meningeal lymphatic vessels:
• Drain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and interstitial fluid from the brain
• Connect to deep cervical lymph nodes
• Support clearance of amyloid-beta and other neurotoxic proteins

🧠 Source: Louveau et al., Nature (2015):
“Structural and functional features of central nervous system lymphatic vessels”
https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14432

4. Neuro-Lymphatic Cross-Talk: How the Systems Interact

A. Autonomic Regulation of Lymphatic Flow

The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) plays a key role in modulating lymphatic contractility and flow. Lymphatic vessels contain smooth muscle cells that respond to sympathetic stimulation, which influences:
• Lymphangion contractions
• Lymph propulsion
• Immune cell transport

🩺 Research Insight: Gashev & Zawieja, Lymphatic Research and Biology (2001) show that norepinephrine and other catecholamines affect lymphatic tone and contraction.

B. Neuroinflammation and Lymphatic Clearance

Chronic activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in response to stress can lead to:
• Altered immune signaling
• Reduced lymphatic drainage
• Increased permeability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB)

This creates a loop of neuroinflammation, where poor clearance of inflammatory cytokines aggravates neural function.

🧠 Study: Plog & Nedergaard, Trends in Neurosciences (2018):
“The Glymphatic System in Central Nervous System Health and Disease”
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2018.01.003

C. Vagus Nerve & Immune Modulation

The vagus nerve, a key component of the parasympathetic system, exerts anti-inflammatory effects via the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. It indirectly supports lymphatic drainage by:
• Lowering sympathetic overdrive
• Stimulating smooth muscle activity in lymph vessels
• Promoting gut-immune-brain communication

🌿 Clinical Relevance: Vagal stimulation is currently being explored in treatments for IBS, autoimmune disease, PTSD, and depression—conditions closely linked to lymphatic congestion and immune dysfunction.

5. Clinical Implications

Understanding this connection opens avenues for integrative therapies:
• Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) to reduce neuroinflammation
• Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) for immune regulation
• Breathing techniques & HRV training to balance autonomic input
• Glymphatic-enhancing sleep hygiene (e.g., sleeping on the side, adequate hydration)

These modalities enhance the lympho-neural interface, optimizing both immune and cognitive function.

6. A New Era of Neuro-Lymphatic Medicine

We are entering a phase where neuroscience, immunology, and lymphology are merging to form neuroimmunolymphatic medicine. This multidisciplinary understanding may be crucial in addressing:
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Long COVID
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• Autoimmune disorders

📚 Recommended Read:
Ma, Q., Nature Reviews Immunology (2017):
“Neuroimmune interactions and the lymphatic system”
https://doi.org/10.1038/nri.2017.48

Final Thoughts

Your body is a masterpiece of interconnected systems, and the nervous–lymphatic connection is a testament to that design. As science continues to explore this frontier, we can harness this knowledge to not only manage illness but enhance human healing and resilience at its deepest levels.

If you’re navigating chronic inflammation, autoimmune imbalance, or neurological dysfunction, supporting your lymphatic and nervous systems together may offer profound healing potential.

🌿 Stay regulated. Stay flowing. Stay well.

©️

05/11/2025

05/07/2025

The perfect Mother’s Day gift 💐Mom needs a massage 🩷
Call or text 505-320-4704

04/20/2025

Happy Easter 🐣

03/27/2025

Take care of yourself💖
Call or text 505-320-4704 to schedule your appointment 🌻