I recently completed the basic course in Dr. Vodder’s, Manual Lymph Drainage techniques, and it is a very different way of treating the body.

The advantages of continuing education are:

1. I learn another therapy that will enhance my practice
2. it can benefit the health of my patients

After 17+ years of massage therapy, it’s getting more difficult to find something that interests me AND that I haven’t already taken.

This technique is a 180-degree turn around of therapy, where pressure is light and the sequences are defined. It reminds me why I was glad to finish my schooling, so I could develop my own style, and which has made me successful.

Manual Lymph Drainage can treat patients suffering from breast cancer, fluid retention, lymphedema, MS, post-mastectomy edema, rheumatoid arthritis, and varicose veins to name a few.

Although I’m relegated to treating someone with an intact lymphatic system, it is an excellent adjunct to massage therapy. I just can’t mix massage lotion with talcum powder, otherwise I make one very, gooey mess.

In 2013, I will be taking Therapy 1 (these are followed by levels 2 and 3), but I will need lots of practice before I feel confident enough to add this into my repertoire of skills.

So, who’s next?