The lymphatic system is an interconnected network of vessels, tissues and organs that runs in unison with the blood vessels within our bodies and transports a watery fluid, called lymph, back into our circulatory system.
Our circulatory system carries some 20 litres of plasma flow through our arteries every day and after delivering nutrients to the body’s cells and tissues and extracting waste products approximately 17 litres is returned into our veins.
The left over 3 litres permeates into our bodily tissues. The lymphatic system then collects the excess 3 litres from the tissues, now called lymph, and returns it to the bloodstream by way of lymphatic vessels.
The main functions of the lymphatic system are to:
As the lymphatic system is responsible for trapping, destroying and disposing of potentially harmful agents such as bacteria and viruses, it plays a significant role in our immune system and also our feeling of general well being.
Therefore if one doesn’t have the most well-functioning lymphatic system it can lead to breakdowns in this system. Common symptoms of a poorly-functioning lymphatic system are:
However, maintaining the lymphatic system is easy to do. The key factors to maintaining a healthy lymphatic system are:
As well as this there are methods of manual therapy that can help with drainage of lymph through the system. If you are concerned about any of the above then drop us a message and we can discuss further.
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