Lymph is moved through the body in its own vessels making a one-way journey from the interstitial spaces to the subclavian veins at the base of the neck. Since the lymphatic system does not have a heart to pump it, its upward movement depends on the motions of the muscle and joint pumps. As it moves upward toward the neck the lymph passes through lymph nodes which filter it to remove debris and pathogens. The cleansed lymph continues to travel in only one direction, which is upward toward the neck. At the base of the neck, the cleansed lymph flows into the subclavian veins on either side of the neck. [1]
At the beginning of a Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD) technique, drainage starts proximally i.e. drainage always starts near the node that is being drained into. As the procedure progresses, pressure is then applied further and further away from the node, but always pushing the fluid back in the direction of the node i.e. in a distal to proximal pattern. In this way, a path is cleared for the lymph to move. In addition, a suctioning effect is created that draws the lymph to the node. [2]
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