Massage Therapy Journal Winter 2024

36 • Massage Therapy Journal

O ver the past several decades, the awareness around the importance of the lymphatic system has increased, creating a surge in research and studies on its role and function in both health and disease. Massage and the Lymphatic System Up until the mid-20th century, the lymphatic system was considered a vital part of the cardiovascular system, performing the essential role of returning fluid from the body’s tissues and organs back to the heart, alongside the venous system. In the later part of the 20th century, more research revealed that certain organs of the body, particularly the lymph nodes, performed a crucial role in defending the body from harmful pathogens and removing foreign particles, including dead cells. During the past decade, research into the development, structure and function of the lymphatic system has accelerated, providing us with a more thorough understanding of the role of lymphatics in health and disease. Research has also helped us better understand the formation of the lymphatic system in embryos, as well as the growth of the lymphatics in an adult. Lymphatic Organs: The Anatomy of the Lymphatic System It is now understood that the lymphatic system develops at the end of the 5th week of pregnancy, approximately two weeks prior to the development of the cardiovascular system. After birth, the lymphatic system reaches almost every part of the body. The central nervous system (CNS) was once believed not to have its own network of lymphatic vessels, until a study at the University of Virginia discovered that there are functional lymphatic vessels lining the dural sinuses of the brain that transport fluid and immune cells from the cerebrospinal fluid, eventually draining into the deep cervical lymph nodes in the neck. The lymphatic system is divided into two segments: Lymphatic organs are an integral part of the body’s defense mechanism while the lymphatic Cortex

AMTA Continuing Education

Lymphatic system

Tonsil

Subclavian Vein

Cervical Lymph Nodes

Thymus Gland Axillary Lymph Nodes Thoracic Duct

Red Bone Marrow

Spleen

Lymph node structure

Inguinal Lymph Nodes

Appendix

Cortical sin Lymphatic Germinal c

Popliteal Lymph Nodes

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