The Lymphatic System
The importance of the lymphatic system is wildly underestimated in a range of diseases, ailments, illnesses and conditions including Fibromyalgia. It is rarely studied in detail and many Western health care professionals have a limited knowledge of its importance.
This is not the case in traditional medicine systems such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Indian Ayurveda medicine where the importance of a healthy lymph system is acknowledged.
Having a healthy lymph system is paramount to helping you completely cure your Fibromyalgia. You can find out more about why I believe this is vital in Fibromyalgia and Lymph Health.
The lymphatic system’s primary job is to collect and remove toxins, bacteria, viruses and waste from our cells. The lymphatic system also circulates nutrients throughout the body.
If we have an unhealthy lymphatic system, as I believe is the case in anyone who has Fibromyalgia, then you are open to becoming seriously ill. You are more vulnerable to infections, more vulnerable to succumbing to the effects of viruses and suffering malnutrition if nutrients, vitamins and minerals cannot be absorbed effectively. Additionally, an unhealthy lymphatic system cannot metabolize fat and carbohydrate properly, often leading to weight gain and obesity.
What is Lymph?
Lymph is the fluid that flows through the lymphatic and lymph nodes which make up the lymphatic system. Lymph returns fluid from the tissues back to the heart. Around 2 - 3 litres of lymph leak from the cardiovascular system into body tissues every day. It helps large molecules like hormones and lipids to enter the blood. Lymph contains infection fighting white blood cells.
Free Flowing Lymphatic System
Imagine a free flowing river, full of life and vibrancy. It’s clean and clear oxygenated water bubbling over gravel, rocks and boulders. It’s fresh water supporting an eco system teeming with life and effervescence. From its source it wends its way through verdant and varied terrain towards the sea.
Picture now a stagnate, turbid, dank and dark polluted pool. Any life is dead or dying. It is full of unwanted junk.
Well, our lymphatic system should be free flowing with healthy fluid bathing every cell in our bodies. It should be teeming with health giving vital hormones, vitamins and nutrients and transporting them to our body’s cells and tissues from the bloodstream through blood capillaries. The cells then absorb oxygen and the vital nutrients from the fluid and receive their waste products. And according to Cleveland Clinic:
“...about 17 litres are returned to the circulation by way of veins. The remaining three litres seep through the capillaries and into your body’s tissues. The lymphatic system collects this excess fluid, now called lymph, from tissues in your body and moves it along until it ultimately returns it to your bloodstream.”
Instead with Fibromyalgia, our bodies do not allow the lymph to flow freely. Because of overreaction to stress and poor sleep our bodies are not working to their fullest function and this includes the very important lymphatic system. The collection of fluid and specifically lymph fluid surrounding the body’s tissues and organs should return it to the bloodstream.
If this isn’t happening effectively then excess fluid from the tissues cannot be drained, the lymph fluid builds up in the body and causes swelling (edema, sometimes spelt oedema). This in turn can cause the fat cells to swell and, eventually to become abnormal leading to the under diagnosed condition of Lipedema.
Many women with Fibromyalgia have Lipedema too.
Lymphatic System
The lymphatic system circulates nutrients throughout the body. It also collects and removes toxins, bacteria, viruses and waste from our cells.
Unlike the circulatory system where the heart pumps blood around the body, the lymphatic system has no central pump to move fluid around. Instead it depends on the movement of the diaphragm during breathing and the massaging effect of surrounding muscles during movement to allow the lymph to flow around the body.
And this is why daily exercise is so important.
Unhealthy Lymphatic System in People with Fibromyalgia
If you have an unhealthy lymphatic system what should be a free flowing
stream of lymph becomes a murky, turbid and sluggish sludge. This then
seeps into surrounding tissues causing painful swelling all over the
body. This swelling can be very pronounced but equally it can be barely
noticeable but incredibly painful.
Many people with
Fibromyalgia have limited mobility due to a combination of fatigue,
aches and pains and being overweight. A lack of bodily movement impedes
the flow of the lymph fluid which leads to swelling (edema, sometimes
spelt oedema).
Lipedema (also spelt Lipoedema) is known as the painful fat disorder and is often found in women who have Fibromyalgia. Lipedema literally translates as fluid in the fat. And I believe Lipedema is caused by an unhealthy lymphatic system.
Weight Gain and Obesity
The lymphatic system is closely linked to digestion. A healthy lymphatic system will allow the absorption of fatty acids and vitamins A, D, E and K. If your lymphatic system is unhealthy, as in people with Fibromyalgia, you can suffer from malnutrition.
Additionally an unhealthy lymphatic system cannot metabolize fat and carbohydrate properly leading to weight gain and obesity.
So it becomes clear that free flowing lymph is vital for a healthy body, allowing the blood to become fresh and clean. It allows absorption of vital vitamins and hormones to reach our cells and removes all of the damaging toxic sludge.
Stress and the Lymphatic System
As mentioned throughout this site and covered in more detail in Stress and Fibromyalgia, people with Fibromyalgia are under constant and continual stress. This is because they have a faulty fight, flight, freeze response to even the mildest forms of stress, let alone bigger stressful events and situations. They simply cannot switch of the alert button and truly relax and this turns into chronic stress.
With chronic stress the lymphatic system cannot work properly because too much cortisol (the stress hormone) is being pumped around the body. Cortisol can cause weakness and degeneration of lymphoid tissue which in turn can suppress immune function by reducing the circulation of protective antibodies.
You cannot have a healthy immune system without a healthy lymphatic system. This is because the lymphatic system is the first defence against disease.
With chronic stress the immune system is compromised because the lymphatic system is not doing its job well enough which means you are open to getting ill more often and become more susceptible to colds, flu and other viruses. Your risk of developing cancer and autoimmune diseases are also increased. Development or worsening food allergies are also likely.
Qigong to get the Lymphatic System Working Properly
So clearly, you need to get your stress levels down and get your lymphatic system working properly.
The best way to do this, in my opinion, is by daily practice of Qigong. Qigong can be seen as meditative, movement medicine. It calms stress levels down, allows the body to move freely and involves deep breathing. And of course the lymphatic system can only work by using the diaphragm (breathing) and muscle movement to allow the lymph to flow around the body.