54 Lymphatic Therapy.mp3: Audio automatically transcribed by Sonix

54 Lymphatic Therapy.mp3: this mp3 audio file was automatically transcribed by Sonix with the best speech-to-text algorithms. This transcript may contain errors.

Speaker1:
Hi and welcome to the Cancer Secrets podcast. I am your host and guide, Dr. Jonathan Stegall. Cancer is like a thief who has come to steal, kill and destroy. I have personally seen it wreak havoc on patients, friends and even my own family. But I am on a mission to change the cancer paradigm. Who? The practice of integrative oncology cancer treatment that integrates the best of conventional medicine with the best of alternative therapies backed by science and personalized to each patient. You need a positive voice you can trust. This podcast will share valuable information to give you practical hope for a better outcome. So I invite you to join me on this journey as we seek to change the cancer paradigm together. Hello and welcome back to the Cancer Secrets podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Jonathan Stegall. This is season four and episode number 54. In today's episode, we will be discussing the lymphatic system and more specifically, lymphatic therapy designed to improve the health and function of the lymphatic system. As always, I encourage you to listen with a family member or friend. Today's episode is going to be a great one. The lymphatic system is very important to health, but unfortunately it isn't discussed nearly enough. We can think of the lymphatic system as a network of organs and tissues, which helps the body eliminate toxins and other waste products while also playing a significant role in the immune system. The lymphatic system also aids in cellular nourishment and repair. The lymphatic system is comprised of lymphatic organs and tissues.

Speaker1:
For example, the spleen is the largest lymphatic organ in the body. It contains numerous immune system cells known as white blood cells. These fight infection and disease in the body. The thymus gland is where specialized immune cells known as T cells mature. T cells are especially important to us in cancer treatment as they help destroy cancer cells. In addition, the tonsils and adenoids contain a large cluster of lymphatic cells in the oral cavity. In addition, there are approximately 700 lymph nodes throughout the body. Lymph nodes produce and store cells that fight disease and infection. After immune cells are produced in the bone marrow. Deep inside the bones, they are released into the lymphatic system. When these immune cells arrive to the lymphatic system, they are capable. But untrained for lymphatic system serves as basic training for immune system cells. And it's during this time that these immune cells are educated as to what foreign invaders look like, as well as what the body's healthy cells look like. Once they've passed this basic training, these immune system cells are able to fight on the front lines and help protect the body against potentially harmful threats. As alluded to earlier, the lymphatic system is central to the body's detoxification efforts. Due to the many toxins which are present in the world today, the lymphatic system carries a larger burden than ever before. A healthy, properly functioning lymphatic system is essential in helping the body detoxify and eliminate waste products.

Speaker1:
As we also mentioned earlier, the lymphatic system helps repair damaged cells while also delivering nutrients to them. This protects cells from further damage, allowing them to continue their functions in the body. We know that the lymphatic system can become congested, which basically means that it becomes overwhelmed by a large burden of toxins and stressors. Lymphatic congestion can occur as a result of a wide variety of causes, including poor nutrition, sedentary lifestyle and environmental exposures. When these causes accumulate in the body over time, diseases such as cancer can develop the lymph organs, as well as the lymph nodes are connected by lymphatic vessels, which can be thought of as a specialized circulatory system. Lymph, which is a clear, colorless fluid containing immune system cells, circulates through the lymphatic system to help protect the body from harmful substances. You can think of the lymphatic system as running throughout the body in parallel to arteries and veins. Unlike blood, which circulates throughout the body in a continuous loop, lymph only flows in one direction. Not surprisingly, the flow of lymph can become stagnant and congested due to sedentary lifestyles, poor nutrition, environmental toxins and stress, as we mentioned earlier. When this happens, problems can occur, including a decrease in the body's ability to clear toxins, as well as an increased susceptibility to illness and disease. The health of the lymphatic system can be improved by activities which encourage the movement of lymph such as walking, jogging and rebounding. Skin brushing, which is designed to direct the flow of congested lymph to specific areas, can also be helpful.

Speaker1:
However, when it comes to cancer, these treatments are unlikely to be beneficial in isolation. Manual lymphatic drainage is a therapy which was developed in the 1930s by Dr. Imel and Astrid Water. Their treatment entailed a lymph therapist and moving a patient's limp using slow rhythmic movements, encouraging the movement of excess fluid and waste products. Manual lymphatic drainage is still in use today, typically referred to as lymphatic massage. While lymphatic massage can be helpful, I believe there are limits to its effectiveness when it comes to cancer treatment. Lymphatic massage is very time consuming when done properly. Up to 3 to 4 hours per day. It typically involves manual massage in combination with compression garments and bandages. This is not conducive to long term compliance. Fortunately, we have a much better solution. Assisted lymphatic therapy, which we term lymphatic drainage therapy combines the general principles of lymphatic massage with a handheld device designed to stimulate the flow of lymph in a more effective and efficient manner. The device we use combines vibrational light and electric waves to stimulate the flow of lymph. Studies have shown that lymphatic drainage therapy performed in this fashion achieves greater therapeutic benefit in less time. Some estimates state that one session of a lymphatic drainage therapy treatment is equivalent to 10 to 15 lymphatic massage treatments. My team has specialized training in assisted lymphatic therapy, which we feel is a very valuable component of our integrative treatment approach. In my office, we use a therapeutic device known as the XP two, which utilizes light and sound vibrations to help move lymph where it needs to go.

Speaker1:
We have found this treatment modality to be enjoyable for patients while also being quite beneficial. When we're dealing with significant symptoms of lymphatic congestion, such as lymphedema, when a limb is swollen and painful with a compromised range of motion, lymphatic drainage therapy can be a godsend. We've seen patients regain their normal range of motion in as little as several treatments, and this is typically accompanied by a dramatic decrease in the amount of swelling and discomfort as well. And typically when any lymphatic therapy is mentioned in conventional oncology, it's limited to treating lymphedema. However, I believe that the potential benefit for lymphatic drainage therapy extends far beyond treating lymphedema. We know that cancer spreads by the bloodstream as well as in the lymphatic system. Studies have shown that lymphatic therapy can improve cancer treatment outcomes. This includes patients whose cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. And I would even add, I believe that lymphatic drainage therapy is even more important when patients have had spread of their cancer to the lymphatic system already improving the flow of lymph is essential in these patients not only to address the cancer that is in the lymph nodes, but also to ensure that the treatments we're administering, such as chemotherapy and other intravenous treatments, can get where they need to go because a sluggish lymphatic system does not allow for the effective or efficient transmission of these agents.

Speaker1:
But if the lymphatic system is flowing properly, then we see a lot better drug delivery where it needs to go. To really do lymphatic therapy properly, you really need to find a specialist who is trained in this modality. My recommendation is for patients to be under the care of someone who is trained in lymphatic therapy, ideally using the XP two. There's also another piece of equipment called the Lymph Star Pro, and these are pieces of equipment, again, that just help encourage the flow of lymph a lot better and more efficiently than lymphatic massage can. But certainly if you can't locate someone like that in your area, then certainly trying to find someone who at least does lymphatic massage can certainly be helpful. I found that lymphatic treatments can be quite compatible with pretty much anything else patients are doing, whether that's chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, other therapies as well, and a lymphatic drainage therapist who is trained in in cancer and is comfortable dealing with cancer patients, we'll be able to certainly provide additional guidance in terms of how to best optimize the lymphatic treatments alongside other treatments that you may be doing. And certainly if you don't have the ability to see someone who is a specialist in lymph treatments, then there are certainly things you can be doing on your own. And as I mentioned earlier, these things aren't going to be nearly as powerful or therapeutic as lymph drainage therapy, but they're still very important. And the most basic of these is just to move more.

Speaker1:
So certainly, if if your current condition allows you to get up and move around, you know, any kind of exercise is important. I mean, classically, we talk about jumping on a rebounder or trampoline. That's kind of the classic approach to getting a lymphatic system moving a little bit better. But even if it's just going for a light jog or a walk or doing any sort of movement exercise such as yoga or Pilates, those can certainly be helpful as well. And we know that there's other things that can be helpful, such as just good hydration, making sure that the diet is a very clean diet, that you're reducing your exposures as much as possible through your food. You eat organic as much as you can, make sure you're avoiding overly processed foods, GMOs, things like that. And then certainly working on making sure you're getting good sleep, reducing your stress levels and things like that. I hope you found this episode helpful. I realize that lymphatic system is is not one of the the most popular topics we could be discussing. But I do feel that it's extremely important. I was amazed even going through medical school and training, that the lymphatic system really just was not covered that much. Not a lot of time was spent on it. I mean, we were obviously introduced to the lymphatic system and what it does and in general basics. But when when it comes to actually understanding how important the lymphatic system is when it comes to our health and how to better identify weaknesses in the lymphatic system and then optimizing the function of the lymphatic system, that just really was not a focal point.

Speaker1:
And that's that's not unique to my training. That's that's unfortunately just the case with with medical training and health care training in the United States and and around most of the world. And so I hope this episode has been enlightening because the lymphatic system definitely gets ignored, is not really mentioned very much, and many people are even unaware that it even exists. And so I hope you found this helpful and maybe it's given you a few things to think about, not only in terms of just general wellness practices, but also certainly if you have cancer, an additional tool you have in your toolbox and one that I certainly am enthusiastic about. As a reminder, please subscribe to the Cancer Secrets podcast to be notified when new episodes are released. We have some great shows planned and I can't wait to share them with you. And certainly if you're enjoying these podcasts, please take a minute and provide a review on iTunes, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And finally, please share this podcast with your family and friends. All previous episodes are available for free on our websites at Cancer Secrets dot com or wherever you listen to podcasts. I look forward to many great episodes coming up later this season. Until next time. Bye bye.

Speaker2:
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