If there’s one thing the wellness world is obsessive about, it’s detoxing. There isn’t any shortage of cleanses or products that promise to eliminate all the toxins in your body, so it’s unsurprising that a  style of massage that guarantees to “drain” your body of poisons is growing in popularity: manual lymphatic drainage (MLD). 

Your lymphatic system is a network of organs, vessels, ducts, and nodes that move lymph (a fluid made up of white blood cells, proteins and fats) out of your tissues into your bloodstream, eliminating waste and toxins – it’s sometimes called your body’s own sewage system (sexy). The thought is that by massaging your lymph nodes, manual lymphatic drainage supposedly stimulates the lymphatic system and accelerates the method. 

MLD was actually developed within the Thirties by Dr Emil Vodder and his wife Estrid, as a strategy to treat their patients within the French Riviera after they presented with chronic colds and swollen lymph nodes. Now, in 2020, the massage has evolved from its humble mom and pop origins right into a form of miracle treatment adored by celebrities and socialites as a pre-holiday boost or photoshoot prep. 

Popularised by The Tox LA, manual lymphatic drainage is loved by the likes of Victoria’s Secret models, celebs like Dua Lipa and, after all, the Jenners – so it’s no wonder that it’s grow to be 2020’s beauty buzzword. Its alleged advantages include a “boosted” immune system, faster metabolism, clearer skin, and a flatter stomach. But apart from the aesthetic guarantees, it’s often promoted to assist with chronic pain brought on by fibromyalgia and lupus. So how, exactly, is a delicate massage presupposed to do all this?

“Our lymphatic system’s principal function is immune defence,” explains NHS surgical doctor Dr Joshua Wolrich. “All of the lymph nodes that you’ve gotten in your body filter the lymph fluid along its route and contain lymphocytes, a style of white blood cell. They recognise bacteria and viruses and signal an immune response – that is the explanation why you may get swollen lymph nodes in your neck alongside a sore throat.” This explains why manual lymphatic drainage massages purportedly also help keep colds at bay, but Dr Wolrich reassures that your body does a reasonably good job at filtering out nasties by itself. “If you’ve gotten a normally functioning lymphatic system, manual lymphatic drainage isn’t going to do anything,” he says. 

The treatment sounded outlandish and ridiculous enough to pique my interest, so I believed I’d try it for myself and see what the growing obsession is about. One among the numerous advantages of MLD is that it supposedly helps with bloating, and as someone who has been coping with IBS and chronic bloating for many of my adult life, I’m not going to lie, I had high hopes. I’ve tried just about every thing to assist with my IBS and bloating: a low FODMAP weight loss plan, anti-flatulence pills, activated charcoal, probiotics, every day exercise and even a failed stint with meditation, but nothing has helped. 

I went to see Flavia Morellato, a physiotherapist and lymphatic drainage specialist whose clients include Made In Chelsea socialites like Rosie Fortescue and Millie Mackintosh, and supermodel Sara Sampaio. Flavia has brought the treatment over from Brazil, where it’s been a well-loved treatment for a while, to her Notting Hill clinic. Her tagline? “Let’s drain all of it!” Her price tag? £150 for a 60-minute session (but my treatment was very kindly gifted). 

During our consultation, I explained to Flavia that I’m continuously bloated and, as I used to be due on my period, particularly puffy and uncomfortable. Although she assured me that MLD would help, she also warned me that many individuals misguidedly are available expecting to go away with a visual six-pack. I wasn’t going to go away with Emily Ratajkowski’s abs, that was clear.

I’ve at all times thought that massages are over-hyped, however the treatment was unlike any massage I’ve ever experienced. For one thing, it’s not relaxing in any respect – actually, it was a bit of bit uncomfortable. And never within the “painful but nice” type of way you’d associate with deep tissue massages. Vodder’s original MLD technique traditionally relies on light pressure, but Flavia goes at it, using her own signature style. She began the treatment by pressing on my stomach in circular motions, letting me know that if I needed to pass gas in the course of the treatment, I could go ahead and fart – she didn’t care, it was perfectly high quality! 

After spending an excellent period of time on my bloated stomach, she was delighted when my gut eventually began making guttural sounds, like a sigh of relief. She then moved onto my legs, massaging the back of my knees – that’s where our lymph nodes are, together with our lower abdomen, armpits and neck. After massaging the primary leg, she had me lift it, and it felt weightless. I hate using the word “light” since it jogs my memory of twee adverts for low-fat yoghurt, but that’s how my whole body felt after the treatment: light. Then, before I got off the table, she told me to poke my tummy. For the primary time ever it didn’t feel like I had ingested a lead balloon. My tummy felt prefer it should: squishy, but not tense. Yes, my stomach was also visibly flatter, but as Flavia had warned me, the result was so subtle I doubt anyone would have the opportunity to inform without the before and after pictures. 

Based on all its promised advantages, MLD sounded too good to be true. In line with Dr Wolrich: “Lymph fluid is pumped through the system, mostly against gravity, by smooth muscle contraction of the larger lymphatic vessel wells. The initial smaller vessels don’t have a muscle layer and depend on nearby muscle contraction and other pressure changes. Massage may possibly encourage fluid to maneuver barely faster in these smaller vessels, but the entire system is restricted by how briskly the fluid might be filtered through the lymph nodes; something that may’t be sped up through a massage. Those waste products (or “toxins”) won’t be cleared any faster.”

Dr Wolrich explains that almost all of the claims about MLD are completely unfounded, and there isn’t a evidence to support the treatment’s effects on the immune system, metabolism, and fat loss. But it surely is recognised as a possible treatment for lymphoedema, a disorder of the lymphatic system that causes swelling and may often occur because of this of cancer treatment. “Even in patients with this condition, the research is mixed as as to if MLD actually has the flexibility to enhance symptoms, especially long-term,” explains Dr Wolrich. “The idea is that the pressure from the massage may help the lymph fluid to travel away from the affected area. Seeing because it is a secure treatment and with some patients reporting a positive consequence, it is usually offered alongside things equivalent to compression bandaging.” MLD’s ability to scale back swelling can be why it’s often marketed as a way to a flatter stomach – a claim that, admittedly, immediately made me suspicious of it.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t see a difference. Almost per week later, my stomach remains to be not bloated and my IBS hasn’t flared up. I went in hoping for the treatment to deliver, but I wasn’t really expecting it to, so I’m pleasantly surprised. My advice? If you’ve gotten lymphoedema, MLD is price trying,” says Dr Wolrich. “If you’ve gotten a condition that improves with compression stockings (so long as you haven’t been diagnosed with a blood clot), MLD could also be price a try. If you’ve gotten musculoskeletal pain, any massage is price a go; find one you want essentially the most and isn’t overly expensive! Avoid anyone that provides massages and talks about “toxins”, “boosting your immune system” or “fat loss”– it’s at all times higher to search out someone who isn’t misinforming you from the beginning.”

Would I pay £150 for one more session? If my IBS and bloat get really bad, yes – but I’d sleep on it first. If you’ve gotten the cash burning a hole in your pocket and, like me, you’ve tried every thing to assist with a bloated stomach, give MLD a go. Just don’t expect it to show you into Hailey Bieber.