Tuesday, July 31, 2007

By TAMSIN BRADSHAW

Special to The Japan Times

When I first heard about lymph-drainage therapy, a type of massage which claims to drain the lymphatic system of toxins and excess fluid, I was intrigued by the reported host of benefits: anti-aging effects, speedy tissue regeneration (healing burns, wounds and minimizing wrinkles) and relief of chronic pain.

According to Hidenori Kawanishi, director and senior medical adviser at the Tokyo Midtown Clinic, it is not uncommon for doctors to recommend certain daily exercises and lymph-drainage techniques for overall health.

It is also supposed to fight insomnia, depression and stress, as well as reduce cellulite, just to name a few of many claims. The plethora of Web pages on the subject was even longer than the list of ailments it could treat. Ever on the lookout for a miracle therapy that really works, I was surprised: How come everyone else seemed to know about it?

I was even more astonished by the reaction of Hidenori Kawanishi, director and senior medical adviser at the Tokyo Midtown Clinic, to the issue of lymph drainage. Kawanishi offered encouragement, rather than skepticism. Perusing a pamphlet on the therapy, he said, " 'The importance of lymph drainage for good health' — yes, there is no doubt."

The lymph is a pale, almost colorless fluid, which travels through the tissues picking up bacteria and excess fluid on its way. The lymphatic organs (the spleen and thymus) and lymph nodes (clustered in the underarms, groin, neck, chest and abdomen) remove toxins, transport fat from the intestine to the blood, and ensure protein gets to the right places.

According to Kawanishi, it is not uncommon for doctors to recommend daily exercises and lymph-drainage techniques for overall health.

Kawanishi himself does daily exercises to activate the lymph. He demonstrated some simple ankle rotations, leg lifts and arm movements. He also advocated massaging the lymph vessels; either by having a therapist do it for you, or by doing it yourself, by massaging your arms and legs and gradually moving toward the center of your body.

A number of Japanese spas offer lymph-drainage treatments, and some places even specialize in it, such as Eclage in Omotesando.

Lymph-drainage therapy — developed by French physician Bruno Chikly — is a method of massaging the lymph, although even within it, a number of different techniques are practiced.

The Service: Lymph Drainage Therapy The Hype: Detoxification of the body (the liver in particular); wrinkle reduction; strengthening the immune system; helping to fight depression, migraines — the list goes on The Results: Increased energy, reduced stress — and some unsightly zits

At a basic level, it is a form of hands-on lymph-drainage which is often used in alternative medicine to "listen to the flow of the lymph." Therapists use wave-like massaging motions, moving from the periphery of the body to the center to shift fluid in the lymph vessels located below the surface of the skin.

Therapists often apply lymph-drainage in conjunction with other techniques. Lionel Gougne, a Tokyo-based practitioner of craniosacral therapy (CST), recently started offering lymph-drainage therapy. CST works with the cerebrospinal fluid that moves between the spine and the skull, ensuring that the flow is unobstructed and that bones and tissues are properly aligned.

CST is a non-invasive treatment: Gougne, for example, uses only a light touch. Similarly, the form of lymph-drainage Gougne practices, while being hands-on, involves a very gentle touch — a much lighter touch than other lymph-massage techniques. Gougne offers this as a treatment that can go hand-in-hand with osteopathy or CST, or as an alternative to the latter. I opted for straight-up lymph-drainage therapy.

Appointments are 60 minutes long and you can choose to focus on the face or on the body. I chose the body. Gougne provided strict instructions to prepare.

This included drinking plenty of water or fresh juice for several days beforehand and eating lightly — raw fruit and vegetables are best — on the day of the treatment to avoid a possible toxic reaction. This sounded worrying — but not worrying enough for me to avoid chocolate for the entire day.

At his Aobadai studio, Gougne has patients hop on the table fully-clothed. The non-invasive nature of the therapy makes it less intimidating and instantly more comfortable than some therapies which require you to bare all.

The lymphatic system extends throughout the body. COURTESY OF INTERNATIONAL HEALTH & HEALING INC. PUBLISHING

Starting with the neck and armpits, he began by "listening" to the rhythm of my lymphatic fluid. In some ways it is hard to believe that the treatment can really be effective when he is only placing his hands gently on your body — especially for someone who likes a firm massage. When Gougne passed his hands over my legs and arms, I felt very little.

My experience was, however, quite different when it came to the backs of my knees, my feet, my stomach and my armpits, where some of the major lymph nodes are located and therefore where the body collects fluid. In these areas, I felt a pull and some pain; surprising given the often light touch on my skin. Occasionally he would use very soft pressure, as if trying to shift the lymphatic fluid and get rid of obstructions in the lymph vessels. Sometimes Gougne asked me to breathe deeply into certain areas of my body. Meditative music played in the background, which, with the mellow lighting, made it difficult not to drift off.

By the end, I felt like I had just woken up from a deep sleep. I had a hard time concentrating on Gougne's advice on what to do over the next few days. I tried to enlist the help of my normally functioning selective hearing to tune out the "no booze" part, but to no avail.

Gougne informed me that there had been noticeable clogging of the lymph vessels around my liver. My lymph had also been a bit blocked around the other organs in this central region of the body, where the vessels tend to run deep below the skin and where harmful obstructions are more likely to occur.

He also explained that patients may experience a crisis — a "detoxification episode" — two to six days after the therapy. On day one I found myself exhausted and collapsed when I got home. On day two I didn't notice any changes. By day three, I started noticing some perplexing skin conditions, including puss oozing from my belly button and the odd embarrassing pimple (nothing to do with my chocolate addiction, of course) — I even had one on my lower arm. I also perspired from strange places such as my elbows — literally. A bizarre side effect of Tokyo's humidity? Who knows.

Aside from this, I felt relaxed, slept better than before and waking up in the mornings was not quite so difficult. As for the long-term benefits, four weeks later I have more energy than before — but this may have something to do with a 10-day holiday in Turkey.

In spite of any hypothesizing, it is clear that both alternative therapists and the medical profession agree on the role of a healthy lymphatic system in strengthening immunity and minimizing both fluid retention and swelling of the limbs. But their solutions for healthy lymph differ. Kawanishi from the Tokyo Midtown Clinic was neutral about the benefits of alternative therapies such as lymph-drainage therapy, acknowledging only that there are many different schools of thought.

Ultimately, his key message was just as I feared. Maintaining a healthy lymphatic system comes down to exercise, exercise, exercise — whether you swim, jog or simply do regular ankle rotations. So for now, my hopes of an quick-fix are dashed. But the therapy was extremely relaxing, something to keep in mind when looking for a quick pick-me-up in the hot summer months.

Lionel Gougne
A 1-hour session with Gougne is 15,000 yen, with 55 minutes of therapy. Open Mon. 11 a.m.-1 p.m., 6 p.m-8 p.m., Tues. and Thurs. 1 p.m.-8 p.m., Wed., Fri. and two Saturdays a month 11 a.m.-6:15 p.m. (closed Aug. 5-Sept. 24). Gougne's office is located at Apt 104, Towa Building, 3-1-6, Aobadai, Meguro-ku, Tokyo; the Towa Building is a brisk 10-minute walk from Shibuya Station (Ginza, Hanzomon Denentoshi, Toyoko and Keio Inokashira subway lines and the JR line) and from Daikanyama Station on the Minato Mirai Line. For more information, call (050) 8884-3259 (in English or French) or visit www.craniosacral-therapy.net

Eclage
Sessions range from 2,560 yen for 20 minutes to 16,500 yen for 2 hours. Open Tues.-Sun. 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. (closed Mon.). Eclage is located at 5F, 3-5-25 Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, and is a 30-second walk from Omotesando Station on the Ginza, Hanzomon and Chiyoda lines. For more information call (03) 3401 1385 (Japanese) or visit www.eclage.jp

Tokyo Midtown Medical Clinic
The Tokyo Midtown Medical Clinic does not offer lymph-drainage therapy, but doctors there can advise on medical procedures for measuring lymph circulation and provide tailored exercises to suit the needs of the individual. The clinic is located at Tokyo Midtown Tower 6F, 9-7-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, a one-minute walk from Roppongi Station on the Toei Oedo and Hibiya lines. For more information, call (03) 5413 7911 (English or Japanese), or visit www.tokyomidtown-mc.jp/en

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