Manual Lymphatic Drainage · Seattle SoDo
Your body knows how to heal. Let's help it clear the way.
Manual Lymphatic Drainage is a gentle, specialized technique that supports your lymphatic system, speeding recovery from surgery or injury, easing chronic swelling, and restoring your body's natural ability to cleanse and heal.
Manual Lymphatic Drainage is especially helpful when your body has more to manage than usual.
After surgery, injury, or when a chronic condition slows your lymphatic system, fluid accumulates and healing stalls. MLD helps get things moving again, gently, and at your body's own pace.
- ✓Post-surgical swelling from joint replacement or other procedures
- ✓Breast reconstruction, top surgery, and other cosmetic surgery recovery
- ✓Acute injury: sprains, muscle tears, bruising, or whiplash
- ✓Lymphedema or compromised lymph nodes
- ✓Pregnancy-related edema or swelling
- ✓Chronic conditions like Lyme disease, Fibromyalgia, or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- ✓Autoimmune conditions including Rheumatoid Arthritis or Scleroderma
- ✓Palliative and ongoing wellness care
"Your lymphatic system is always working. Sometimes it just needs a little help keeping up."
MLD works by boosting your body's own rhythms, using gentle, targeted strokes to encourage lymph to flow more freely and restore efficiency to a system that's fallen behind.
Book a SessionWhat is Manual Lymphatic Drainage?
Your lymphatic system runs quietly in the background, circulating a clear fluid called lymph through your tissues, collecting waste and excess fluid, and delivering immune support along the way. It is a key part of how your body heals. When it's running smoothly, you don't notice it. When it falls behind, you feel it: in swelling, sluggishness, and a body that seems to be struggling to recover.
MLD uses specific, light strokes to manually open the one-way valves that lymph travels through beneath the skin. This increases the rate at which fluid moves through the system, clearing bottlenecks and giving your immune response the breathing room it needs to do its job. The touch is gentle by design: your lymphatic capillaries are delicate, and they respond best to the softest hand.
How Manual Lymphatic Drainage Works
Using precise, feather-light strokes, MLD stimulates the lymphatic vessels just beneath the skin, prompting your system to move fluid more efficiently, reduce swelling, and support the body's natural recovery processes.
Faster Healing After Surgery or Injury
The earliest stages of healing are when your lymphatic system is most taxed and most responsive to support. MLD accelerates fluid clearance during this critical window, reducing swelling, shortening recovery time, and helping tissue rebuild more cleanly and comfortably.
A Stronger Immune Response
Your lymphatic system is a core part of your immune defense. When it's congested, your body's ability to filter toxins, respond to infection, and promote cell regeneration slows. MLD opens those pathways, giving your immune system the space it needs to work as it's designed to.
Relief for Chronic Conditions
For those managing ongoing lymphatic conditions, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, or autoimmune flare-ups, MLD offers consistent relief by keeping the system from falling behind. Regular sessions can become a meaningful part of a long-term care and wellness plan.
MLD can help with…
These are some of the most common situations we see. If you don't see yours listed, reach out. MLD is versatile, and many conditions benefit from improved lymphatic flow.
What clients say
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Before you book
How is MLD different from regular massage?
MLD is lighter and more targeted than typical massage. Rather than working into muscle tissue, it uses gentle circular strokes along the lymphatic vessels just beneath the skin. The pressure is feather-light by design: your lymphatic capillaries are delicate and respond best to the softest touch. It is less about releasing tension and more about restoring flow.
How many sessions will I need?
For post-surgical recovery, we recommend starting between 48 and 72 hours post-surgery, when the body is most responsive. In the first two weeks, 3 to 5 sessions per week are typical, tapering as swelling resolves. Plan for 75 to 90 minutes for your first session and 60 minutes for follow-ups. For chronic or ongoing conditions, frequency depends on your situation. We will develop a plan tailored to your needs.
What should I wear?
For best results, MLD is performed directly on the skin so removing as much clothing as possible is ideal. You will be draped with a sheet and blanket, and will be given a breast drape for exposed abdominal work.
Is MLD covered by insurance?
MLD may be covered by insurance. Usually documented medical necessity is required for reimbursement. I can provide you with a superbill you submit to insurance. If specific ICD-10 codes are required by your insurance, a prescription from your medical provider is needed prior to beginning treatment. I cannot guarantee reimbursement.
What does a session feel like?
Gentle, rhythmic, and deeply calming. The pressure is so light it can feel more like a soft brushing sensation just beneath the skin than traditional massage. Many clients find it profoundly relaxing, and it is not uncommon to drift into a restful, meditative state during treatment.
When is the best time to start MLD after surgery?
Research suggests the biggest decrease in swelling happens in the earliest stages of healing. Beginning treatment between 48 and 72 hours post-surgery is recommended. Starting early helps prevent fluid from settling and supports your body's healing process from the start, but it is never too late to benefit.
Your body is ready to heal. Let's clear the way.
Whether you are recovering from surgery, managing a chronic condition, or simply giving your immune system the support it deserves, MLD offers a gentle and effective path forward. I am ready to help you get there.