03/29/2026
๐ก๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐น๐น โ๐น๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒโ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒโฆ
and the level of training behind it directly impacts your results.
There are ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฐ๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ of lymphatic work, and they are not interchangeable.
1๏ธโฃ ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ (๐๐ ๐ง)
Massage therapists are trained to work with the ๐บ๐๐๐ฐ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ, using techniques like deep tissue or Swedish massage.
Some tools and techniques may ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ข๐จ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ญ๐ถ๐ช๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต, but this is ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐น๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฐ-๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐.
The lymphatic system sits just beneath the skin and requires a completely different, ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ฒ, ๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐-๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต.
This is why when clients have reached out asking about โlymphatic massage,โ Iโve always been very clear:
I can incorporate techniques that ๐ด๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต lymphatic flow within a session,
but I have not been ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ at the level required to treat the lymphatic system clinically.
๐๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐.
2๏ธโฃ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ (๐ ๐๐)
A ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ, ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐๐น๐ฒ, ๐ฟ๐ต๐๐๐ต๐บ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต๐ป๐ถ๐พ๐๐ฒ designed to stimulate lymph flow.
Typically requires ~๐ฐ๐ฌ+ ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด and is commonly used for:
โข mild swelling
โข post-op support
โข general lymphatic movement
3๏ธโฃ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ (๐๐๐ง)
The ๐ต๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น ๐ผ๐ณ ๐น๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด and where care becomes significantly more advanced.
A CLT completes ๐ญ๐ฏ๐ฑ+ ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น-๐ฏ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป through accredited programs recognized by Lymphology Association of North America (LANA).
This level of training means:
โข a ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด of how lymph actually moves
โข more ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต๐ป๐ถ๐พ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ด
โข ๐๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ, ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐น๐๐
โข the ability to ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ
If youโve worked with me before,
youโve likely already experienced this level of intention in how I approach the body.
Pursuing this certification isnโt a shift in how I care for my clients
itโs an ๐ฒ๐
๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ถ๐, backed by the highest level of training available.
This level of lymphatic education is pursued by a range of healthcare professionals, including ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐, ๐ฝ๐ต๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐๐, ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐ต๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐, as well as massage therapists who choose to go beyond standard training.
It requires a ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐ถ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, far beyond what is typical.
Choosing to pursue it was intentional.
Because ๐๐๐ฟ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ-๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐บ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ.
๐ช๐ต๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ (๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐โ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐-๐ผ๐ฝ):
Your lymphatic system plays a role in:
โข inflammation
โข fluid retention
โข facial and body puffiness
โข immune function
โข recovery
So even in a wellness setting, ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐.
More pressure does not equal better results here
the ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ, ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐.
๐ฆ๐ผ ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ฒ?
โข Relaxation or muscle work โ Massage therapy
โข General lymphatic support โ MLD
โข ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด + ๐บ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐น๐๐ โ ๐๐๐ง
Not all โlymphatic massageโ is created equal
and not all training is the same.
Iโm currently completing my ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ (๐๐๐ง) certification through Academy of Lymphatic Studies (ACOLS) to bring this level of care to my clients and this community.
These sessions will be ๐๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ, while still supporting both therapeutic and wellness-based goals.
If youโve been curious about lymphatic work, this is just the beginning ๐ค
Iโll be sharing more throughout this process.
Follow along and subscribe to my email list to be first notified when booking opens in June.
๐ https://bodywork-by-hannah-thurston.square.site/
