A lymphatic drainage massage is a gentle massage of your tissues designed to help increase the circulation of lymph fluids in your body. Lymph is a protein-rich fluid that moves throughout your body in lymph vessels. It scoops up things like bacteria, viruses, and waste, and carries them to your lymph nodes. Your lymph nodes then filter the fluid to get the impurities out of your body. The massage is usually done with light pressure with gentle, long strokes along the skin to increase the movement of lymph through your system.
During a hot stone massage, heated stones are placed on different areas of the whole body. Your therapist may hold a stone as they massage different parts of your body using Swedish massage techniques with gentle pressure. Sometimes, cold stones are also used.
Brush aside any thoughts that massage is only a feel-good way to indulge or pamper yourself. To the contrary, massage can be a powerful tool to help you take charge of your health and well-being, whether you have a specific health condition or are just looking for another stress reliever. You can even learn how to do self-massage or how to engage in massage with a partner at home.