Dawn Peterson, LMT

05/19/2026

This Thursday, 5-28-26, I will be giving a FREE informational presentation at Millard Oaks Chiropractic and Massage about Manual Lymph Drainage; how it works and why it benefits your overall health and wellness. It's from 6-7pm and I promise: NO POWER POINT.
I'm not going to give you a sales pitch either. This is just me, putting information out there because I whole heartedly believe that Manual Lymph Drainage is something that should be a part of everyone's health and wellness but so many people are bombarded by Social Media noise and, I'll call it "Incomplete" or "One Size fits None" information and trying to follow a 'Do-It-Yourself' video, is not a replacement for licensed, professional hands-on experience and knowledge.

If you are a cancer survivor/patient; if you have an autoimmune disorder; if you've been in an injury accident; if you've recently had orthopedic or cosmetic surgery; if you do a lot of traveling for your job with long hours of flying/driving; if you're still feeling sluggish and foggy headed after an illness; if seasonal allergies have your sinuses congested; if your ears always feel stuffy you might want to pop in, listen, ask some questions, and see if you're interested in a therapeutic treatment that has measurable results that you feel and quite often see immediately afterward. You may even find that lymph drainage is even more relaxing than a traditional massage with longer lasting results.

Even if you're in peak fitness, manual lymph drainage is of uses to you. If you're a runner, a cyclist, active in any form of athletics, Manual Lymph Drainage does great things for you after your workout or after your event/game.

Millard Oaks Chiropractic is located at:
S 157th St. ste G-H, Omaha, NE 68136
The presentation starts at 6pm will go to 7pm and I'll be happy to answer questions during and after.

I am a Nebraska Licensed Massage Therapist and Certified Manual Lymph Drainage Therapist trained in the Vodder Method.

04/14/2026

Did you know that Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD) can help boost your overall wellness? This gentle massage technique encourages lymph flow, reduces swelling, and supports your immune system. Manual Lymph Drainage is an ideal treatment for anyone with lymphedema, but there are other conditions that Manual Lymph Drainage is beneficial. After orthopedic surgery, cosmetic procedures (face lift, tummy tucks, breast augmentation, facial procedures, liposuction, and Brazilian Butt Lifts, excess skin removal procedures) mastectomy or reconstruction procedures; C-sections. Manual Lymph Drainage also helps alleviate the chronic pain, brain fog, swelling in your joints and the overall bloated or ‘puffy’ feeling. Many people report Manual Lymph Drainage is the most relaxing massage technique they’ve experienced. There is very little to no oil involved. There is no pressure applied to the muscle tissues at all. This is why it’s ideal for people after surgical procedures, injuries causing inflammation, and those with autoimmune disorders. I am trained in the Vodder Method of Manual Lymph Drainage and I have experience working with a variety of post surgical patients, lymphedema patients; cancer patients currently treating, those in remission and those who are cancer free, but the lasting effects of the cancer treatments have taken a physiological toll. I can work with you throughout your pregnancy as well as help relieve postpartum swelling. You can schedule an appointment with me by calling Millard Oaks Chiropractic at 402-905-0132.

03/30/2026

There's a lot of pollen, dust, and other allergens blowing around this time of year. High winds and the extremely dry conditions have not been kind to anyone who has seasonal or year round allergies. I know I've been having a hard time lately and I've noticed just about everyone around having trouble with their sinuses being congested or continuous post nasal drip.
If you're feeling puffy, sluggish, and your sinuses and ears feel stuffy, a manual lymph drainage treatment can help clear some of that congestion and puffiness and give you some relief during allergy season. Call Millard Oaks Chiropractic 402-905-0132 and schedule an appointment with me. No, you don't have to be a chiropractic patient to book a massage.

03/13/2026

If you’re getting chiropractic adjustments, you should really consider getting a massage to maximize the benefits of your chiropractic treatments.
When your muscles are tight or in spasm they can pull your spine out of alignment or cause resistance to chiropractic adjustments. Massage decreases muscle tension, releases active trigger points (“knots”) in the muscle tissues, and reduces the resistance to spinal adjustments. When this happens, the adjustments last a little longer. Imagine more days without headache pain or back pain, more flexibility in your spine and improved posture.
Most people wonder when they should get a massage: before or after a chiropractic adjustment. Honestly, you can get a massage before or after. If you get a massage before an adjustment your muscles will be more relaxed, you will feel more relaxed, your spine and joints will be a bit more flexible and the chiropractor can give a more effective and lasting adjustment.
If you can’t get massage before your chiropractic appointment, getting a massage after your adjustment will help reduce any stress or tension you may still experience in your muscle tissues, reduce any post adjustment soreness you may experience, relaxed muscles help your body get used to the new alignment.

Millard Oaks Chiropractic offers both Chiropractic care and Massage Therapy. You do not have to be a chiropractic patient to book a massage with any of the massage therapists that work there. But if you find yourself in need of chiropractic care, consider scheduling a massage with us as part of your treatment plan. Give us a call 402-506-0329

03/12/2026

Jordan Peterson Emma Sanford Edgar Campos Derek Peterson

Developers say build-to-rent homes coming to the Omaha metro give renters a more affordable path to single-family living without ownership.

02/22/2026

And this is why I love the winter Olympics 😍

12/28/2025

The River and the Riverbed: The Lymphatic Myofascial Relationship.

The body is not made of separate parts, no matter how many textbooks try to divide it. It is one continuous conversation. One river system. One woven landscape of structure, fluid, memory, and sensation. Nowhere is this more beautifully seen than in the relationship between the fascia and the lymphatic system.

Fascia is not simply connective tissue. It is the body’s inner forest floor, the soft earth through which everything grows and travels. It holds more sensory nerve endings than the muscles themselves. It houses the interstitium, a vast fluid reservoir now recognized as one of the largest “organs” by volume. It creates the very terrain through which lymph must move.

Lymph is the traveler, the cleansing tide, the quiet river that removes waste, regulates immunity, transports nutrients, and responds instantly to inflammation or injury. But lymph does not move on its own. It depends on movement, breath, pressure changes, and the softness of the tissues it flows through. Its vessels sit embedded inside the fascial layers, anchored to the very fibers that bodyworkers stretch, melt, warm, and free.

This is why these systems cannot be separated. This is why fascial lymphatic flow works. The Long Method is my favorite technique taught by Katrina Gubler Long.

When fascia becomes dense or dehydrated, the interstitial fluid thickens, pressure gradients collapse, and lymphatic capillaries cannot properly open and close. Imagine trying to push water through a dry, compacted sponge. The lymph has nowhere to go. Post-surgical clients feel this acutely. Trauma, inflammation, surgical scarring, or immobility cause the fascial planes to lose their slide, which in turn traps swelling, slows immune function, and increases pain.

But when we touch fascia with slow, intentional, directional work, something extraordinary happens. Mechanotransduction, the cells' response to mechanical pressure, shifts the behavior of fibroblasts and immune cells. Collagen fibers begin to reorganize. Hyaluronic acid changes viscosity. The interstitial fluid becomes less stagnant. The tissue warms, hydrates, and begins to breathe again. And the lymphatic system, finally uncompressed, begins to move with ease.

You cannot restore lymph flow without changing the landscape it flows through. You cannot free swelling without freeing the structures that hold it. You cannot separate the river from the riverbank.

This is not guesswork. It is anatomy.

The superficial lymphatic system lives in the loose areolar fascia, a layer designed to glide. The deep lymphatic system lies within the deep fascia surrounding muscle compartments. When these gliding surfaces stiffen, every lymph vessel tethered to them loses its ability to pump. This is why many clients feel more relief with fascial lymphatic flow than with lymphatic work alone. We are restoring the architecture that lymph depends on.

In post-surgical care, this becomes especially profound. Scar tissue alters glide. Protective guarding increases fascial tension and non-pitting edema forms when fluid becomes trapped in thickened interstitium. Traditional lymph work is essential, but fascia must also be addressed for complete restoration. A gentle fascial approach honors the lymphatic system's delicacy while creating the space it needs to travel.

This is not breaking tradition. This completes the picture.

Some may challenge this perspective, but the body does not argue. It responds. It softens. It drains. It heals. Thousands of therapists have seen swelling reduce, pain decrease, and mobility return when these systems are treated together. Because fascia and lymph are not separate entities. They are partners; two halves of one healing intelligence.

To work the fascia is to prepare the riverbed. To work the lymph is to free the river. Together, they create a landscape where healing becomes possible again.

For the bodyworkers who feel this truth in your hands, keep listening. The body is always teaching us how interconnected it really is.

08/06/2025

Easy.

Life-changing choices ahead!

08/02/2025

🌿 What is Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD)? 🌿

Manual Lymph Drainage is a gentle, specialized massage technique that supports your body’s lymphatic system—an essential part of your immune function.

✅ Reduces swelling and fluid retention
✅ Supports post-surgical recovery
✅ Relieves symptoms of lymphedema and autoimmune conditions
✅ Boosts detox and immune health

Certified in the Vodder Method, I use MLD to help clients feel lighter, healthier, and more balanced. It’s not deep tissue—it’s precise, rhythmic, and deeply healing. 💆‍♀️✨

Curious if MLD is right for you?
📩 Message me or 📅 book a session today!