If you or someone you know is suffering from an immune or autoimmune disorder, then you might be looking for natural ways to alleviate the symptoms you are experiencing. Massage therapy is a natural way to help promote your health and manage your symptoms efficiently. Specifically, manual lymphatic drainage is a massage technique that has been proven to help in a variety of cases.

The lymphatic system’s overall function is the body’s immunological response, so it stands to reason that a massage modality that supports this system would promote the quality of life of those suffering from immune, autoimmune, and even thyroid disorders.

Research shows that people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, incorporating massage into their lives decreased pain, improved their ability to grip things, decreased swelling and increased their range of motion. For children suffering with the same disorder, they showed a decreased level of anxiety, pain and their levels of cortisol were lower overall.

For those people diagnosed with disorders such as multiple sclerosis or fibromyalgia, the application of manual lymphatic drainage can help alleviate symptoms of pain and depression. For MS patients, they even saw improvement in their balance and speed of movement.

Fibromyalgia patients tend to see a decrease in stiffness, fatigue, and a general sense of calm created by lower cortisol levels. One research report concluded that in female patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia, lymphatic drainage was more effective than connective tissue massage at alleviating anxiety and tiredness in the morning.

Most people suffering from autoimmune disorders have an impaired ability to detoxify correctly. Basically, there is a breakdown in the body’s ability to recognize cells from the body from outside cells of foreign pathogens. For people living with autoimmune disorders, their cytokines (immune cells that are a part of the inflammatory response) increase inflammation and overstimulate the immune system. Drugs used to help autoimmune patients manage symptoms target two specific types and suppress them. According to the Touch Research Institute at University of Miami, massage therapy also has a suppressive effect on those very same cytokines. However, specifically, for autoimmune disorders, it’s important to consult a physician first and keep the length of the treatment short to see how the body will react.

Essentially, the underlying cause of thyroid and autoimmune diseases is infections. So, through regular lymphatic drainage you can optimize the body’s ability to remove waste and maximize the potential of your white blood cells to combat infection which in turn can decrease the painful symptoms that accompany a lot of immune problems.