Lymphatic Drainage Massage in Dundas: What the Research Shows
Jessica joined our team as a Registered Massage Therapist on October 14, 2026, and she is trained in Dr. Vodder manual lymphatic drainage. I read every paper she sent, and I want to tell you what they found, because some of it surprised me and all of it is useful if you live with swelling, heaviness or a body that feels congested.
What Is Manual Lymphatic Drainage?
Your blood has a pump, your heart. Your lymph does not. Lymph is the clear fluid that collects in your tissues, and it gets moved along by tiny vessels squeezing on their own, by your breathing, and by your muscles as you move.
So when you sit all day, recover from surgery, carry a baby, or fight off an illness, fluid can pile up. Manual lymphatic drainage, or MLD, is a massage built to help it along. It uses slow, light, rhythmic strokes that gently stretch the skin toward working lymph nodes. If you are picturing a deep tissue massage, picture the opposite. The pressure is feather light, and the slow, repeating rhythm is part of the treatment.
Can You Watch Lymph Move?
This is the study that won me over. A team of researchers wanted to know whether MLD does something you can see, so they injected a dye under the skin that shows up on a special camera and filmed people’s lymph vessels before and after a single session.
In the 12 healthy volunteers, lymph travelled 28% faster after one MLD session, and the vessels squeezed more often, with the time between each squeeze dropping by almost a quarter. In the 10 people with lymphedema, flow rose by about 23%, but with so few people the researchers could not be sure it was more than chance.
It was a small pilot study published in 2011, and the authors say so. What I love about it is that it is a picture. Most massage research asks people how they feel. This one watched the lymphatic system respond in real time.
What Happens When People With Real Symptoms Try It?
Seeing lymph move is one thing. The question that matters to you is whether people feel better, and Jessica sent four studies that tested exactly that.
The cough that would not leave
Picture being ten weeks past COVID and still coughing, still out of breath on the stairs, still exhausted by lunchtime. That was the starting point for two women in Australia who each had six weekly 45-minute Vodder MLD sessions. By the third session, their cough, breathlessness and fatigue had all improved, and at a check-in three months later they were better still.
Two people is a starting point, never proof, and one of the authors teaches and sells Vodder MLD courses, which the paper discloses. Still, people with long COVID have very few options, and a gentle treatment with an early positive signal is worth knowing about.
The mornings with fibromyalgia
For many people with fibromyalgia, mornings are the hardest part of the day. Researchers in Turkey split 50 women with fibromyalgia into two groups. Half had MLD and half had connective tissue massage, five times a week for three weeks.
Both groups ended up with less pain and a better quality of life, which is good news on its own. The MLD group pulled ahead on three things: morning tiredness, anxiety and the overall impact fibromyalgia had on their lives.
The heavy legs waiting for surgery
If you have varicose veins or chronic venous disease, you know the feeling of legs that get heavier as the day goes on. In Poland, 70 people waiting for vein surgery were split into two groups, and one group had two weeks of MLD while they waited.
The MLD alone reduced swelling in their feet and improved their quality of life, before anyone had an operation. Their symptom score dropped from 54.4 to 43.8 in those two weeks, and they also did better after surgery than the group who skipped MLD.
The new knee
This one is my favourite, because it is honest. Researchers in Australia gave 43 people with brand new knees either their usual physiotherapy or usual physiotherapy plus MLD on days two, three and four after surgery.
The MLD group could bend their knee further when they left hospital, and they still could six weeks later. Here is the twist: their swelling and pain were no different from everyone else’s. I trust research more when it tells me what did not change, and this result is exactly why we treat MLD as an add-on to rehab, never a replacement for it.
What Does All of This Mean for You?
Put the five studies side by side and a clear picture forms. MLD is gentle, it moves lymph in a way researchers can film, and in people with long COVID, fibromyalgia, heavy legs and new knees it helped with things that matter in daily life. The studies are small, and the strongest ones show MLD working best alongside other care. That matches how we work at Blueberry, where every treatment is part of a plan.
Which Conditions Does Jessica’s Training Cover?
Jessica’s most recent Vodder course gave her a written list of conditions where MLD is indicated, organized by the area of the body she treats. I am sharing it in full because so many people have never heard of this treatment. For most of these conditions the research is small or still to come, so read this as where MLD may help, never as a promise.
Neck: torticollis, swollen lymph nodes with no known cause, headaches, whiplash and ear congestion.
Face and head: relaxation, acne, dental work, sinusitis and allergies, headaches and migraines, trigeminal neuralgia, Bell’s palsy, TMJ pain, sunburn, tired or puffy eyes, shingles, eczema, rosacea, psoriasis, insomnia, Ramsay Hunt syndrome, tinnitus, earache without infection, Ménière’s disease, concussion, brain fog, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, long COVID, multiple sclerosis, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), depression and other mental health concerns, dementia and other neurodegenerative conditions.
Legs: before and after surgery, anterior compartment syndrome, shin splints, varicose veins, pregnancy, plantar fasciitis, tired or restless legs, chronic venous disease, muscle soreness after exercise, scleroderma, paralysis, Baker’s cyst, diabetic legs with normal kidney function, osteoarthritis, sprains, strains and Achilles tears.
Arms: Raynaud’s syndrome, bursitis, nerve palsies, burns, carpal tunnel syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome, complex regional pain syndrome, frozen shoulder, tendinopathy and tennis or golfer’s elbow.
Back: muscle sprains, intercostal neuralgia, scoliosis, ankylosing spondylitis, disc problems, arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
Glutes and hips: trochanteric bursitis, piriformis syndrome, sciatica and hip pain.
Chest: mastitis without infection, fibrotic breast tissue, breast pain and cysts, post birth and breastfeeding, gynecomastia, trauma, before and after surgery, costochondritis, COPD, bronchitis and post-COVID recovery.
Abdomen: pregnancy and post birth, before and after surgery, endometriosis, painful periods, Lyme disease, PCOS, gallstones, constipation, venous insufficiency, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease and colitis.
The abdomen and chest lists are where Jessica’s work meets ours. Many of our pelvic health clients live with endometriosis, painful periods, constipation, bloating or swelling after a C-section, and gentle abdominal MLD can sit alongside their pelvic floor physiotherapy plan.
Who Should Wait to Book With Jessica?
Jessica is not yet trained in rerouting, the advanced Vodder technique used when the lymphatic system has been changed by surgery or disease. That means she cannot treat anyone who has had lymph nodes surgically removed, including after breast cancer surgery, or anyone with lymphedema.
That training is coming as she moves through her Vodder courses, and we will share the news when she can welcome you. MLD also waits during an active infection, and Jessica will go through your health history at your first visit before she starts. If you are not sure whether MLD is right for you, call the clinic and we will help you sort it out.
How Do I Book Lymphatic Drainage Massage in Dundas?
You can book with Jessica online or call us at 289-238-8383. Jessica works Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at our clinic at 14 Cross Street in Dundas, a short drive from Hamilton, Ancaster and Burlington.
Your first visit starts with your health history, so Jessica can choose the right Vodder protocol and screen for anything that means MLD should wait.
I am so proud to have Jessica on our team. She did the reading, sent me the evidence, and told me plainly what her training does and does not cover yet. That is the kind of practitioner I want caring for our clients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does lymphatic drainage massage hurt? No. MLD uses very light, slow, rhythmic strokes that gently stretch the skin, far lighter than a deep tissue massage. In a trial of 50 women with fibromyalgia, a condition known for daily pain, MLD reduced pain over 15 sessions in three weeks.
How many lymphatic drainage sessions will I need? It depends on what you are treating. The studies ranged from three sessions after knee replacement to six weekly sessions for long COVID and 15 sessions over three weeks for fibromyalgia. Jessica will suggest a plan after your first visit, and you decide what works for you.
Can I book MLD if I have had lymph nodes removed or have lymphedema? Not with Jessica yet. Both need rerouting, an advanced Vodder technique she will learn in her upcoming courses. Call us at 289-238-8383 and we will help you find the right care in the meantime.
Is lymphatic drainage massage covered by insurance? Many extended health plans cover massage therapy with a Registered Massage Therapist, and Jessica is registered with the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario. Check your plan’s massage coverage before your first visit so you know what to expect.
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