Spilling the Tea on Lymphatic Drainage Massages

I have been wanting to get a Lymphatic drainage massage for a while now, but with a price tag between $150-$300, it took me a while to finally pull the trigger. I read a ton of reviews on the Tox in Sherman Oaks, California and since it was only about 20 minutes away from me, I decided I was finally ready to go! The Tox is beautiful, clean, and the massage therapists are wildly informative.

The Tox has a location in New York City and many more coming soon! Visit their website here.

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The Experience

WOW! Let me start off by saying, this experience was EPIC. It started off by me laying face up in a plush comfy bed. My masseuse, Sabrina, was amazing and made me feel so comfortable. I’ve seen a ton of Instagram stories of people getting Lymphatic Drainage massages and I expected some crazy bar being used to apply hard pressure up and down my legs, but no, my massage was extremely gentle. Sabrina, applied the smallest amount of pressure in circular motions along the lymphs in my legs with a teeny bit of lotion. All of a sudden, my legs felt more slippery and she was saying that fluid was already draining out of my thighs! It was one of the weirdest sensations, I won’t lie. She continued to move in interesting motions which became very soothing for about 5 more minutes. The photo on the right was taking immediately after my first leg had been massaged and began draining.

Sabrina finished my other leg and then use this inserting suction machine which helps bring fluid to the surface. After this, she moved onto my stomach. My stomach did not have as drastic of a change as my legs because she said I actually have a lot of muscle in my core (cool… but wanted to see my abs more which apparently have been hibernating forever). The biggest change in my mid-section was on the sides of my waist which became apparent right away. The massage on my stomach really got things going in there, like I could feel gas getting pushed and moved around. Nothing was painful though. Sabrina then worked on my back and arms but the legs and stomach took up the majority of the 60-minute session. After the session, I felt AMAZING. My body continued to drain for the rest of the day throughout my pore, urine, and later bowel movements (TMI? Sorry!). I am definitely going to do this again before and after traveling as I tend to have a ton of water retention from flying and I think this would really help.

The Benefits

So LDMs are a specific type of massage where lymph drainage through the body is increased. The process can help with immune function, treatment of sports injuries, as well as help those suffering from arthritis, PMS symptoms, and psychological conditions. For me, it really helped with the swelling and muscle tightness of my legs as you can see in the photo. The fluid that drains is actually your lymph fluid, which contains white blood cells and essentially bathes body tissue and help toxins escape through your bloodstream. So the massage really helps get your blood circulating and helps the lymphatic system flush toxins. It’s really not a gimmick. This thing works. I FEEL GREATTTTT!