{"id":454,"date":"2011-01-11T22:40:02","date_gmt":"2011-01-11T22:40:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brianesty.com\/bodywork\/?p=454"},"modified":"2024-03-13T16:59:16","modified_gmt":"2024-03-13T23:59:16","slug":"the-lymph-system-and-hanging-by-the-arms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brianesty.com\/bodywork\/2011\/01\/the-lymph-system-and-hanging-by-the-arms\/","title":{"rendered":"The Lymph System and Hanging by the Arms."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Our lymph system is a circulatory system not unlike our vascular system with one major difference, it doesn’t have a pump(heart). Lymph is also a return-only network, the vascular equivalent of veins, and uses our arteries to bring lymph fluid out to the extremities of our bodies. The lymph delivers immune system components and returns with metabolic wastes and large particles we clear from our systems. Because there is no pumping mechanism, there is no systemic lymph pressure and lymph fluid circulates solely on contraction of our muscles as we move and a network of one-way valves.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Our cousins move more efficiently vertically than horizontally<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

While our ancestors lived in their native habitat lymph circulated adequately as they were consistently in motion were dominantly horizontal quadrupeds. As we adopted a complex social network and verticalized our morphology, our options for movement became more restricted, to the point where it is now normal to sit relatively motionless for hours on end. While motionless, our lymph systems’ ability to support immune function and remove wastes is compromised. The solution is to change position, even momentarily, every few minutes. Drinking lots of water also supports lymph function<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can support and encourage our Lymph flow by being active, exercising our upper body, and hanging by our arms, just for a moment as often as we can. If you don’t have a place to put up a bar to hang from in a convenient location in your house, you can hang from doors. Just grab the top of the door far enough from the hinge so that you don’t pinch your fingers and bend your knees. This is a great lower pectoral stretch. (if you are big, like me, you need to pick your door carefully so you don’t yank it off of its hinges) Because you are controlling your weight with your legs you can work into the stretch slowly, preventing the pectoral muscle from tightening and letting all the muscle fibers and fasciae stretch out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deep Massage should always consider the direction of Lymph flow. Stroke from the extremities in the direction of the right pectoral muscle. A stroke in the opposite direction may apply excessive pressure to the valves of the lymph system and should be done cautiously and only when called for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Our lymph system is a circulatory system not unlike our vascular system with one major difference, it doesn’t have a pump(heart). Lymph is also a return-only network, the vascular equivalent of veins, and uses our arteries to bring lymph fluid out to the extremities of our bodies. The lymph delivers immune system components and returns […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,84,23,48,17],"tags":[97],"class_list":["post-454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","category-ergonomics","category-evolution","category-manual-therapy","category-tensegrity","tag-manipulationcore"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t