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If you suffer from fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome you’ve probably tried a lot of remedies in an attempt to find relief from pain. But chances are you are not even aware of the primary reason why your body hurts no matter what you do.
These are complicated conditions involving a number of underlying factors. Hormone imbalances, food allergies, and microbial infections have all been implicated. In reality, all of these things are related to one basic problem. The primary reason why you experience fibromyalgia pain has to do with stagnation and obstruction in your lymphatic system.
The Role of the Lymphatic System in Fibromyalgia
The lymphatic system is one of the major systems in our body but most people don’t understand how vitally important it is to keep us healthy. Most likely you’ve experienced swollen lymph nodes in your neck when you’ve had a sore throat or flu. What you probably don’t realize is that there are lymphatic vessels throughout the entire body, running alongside every blood vessel. Actually, you have twice as much lymphatic fluid in your body as you have blood.
The function of lymph is to continually drain away toxins from your cells. Without the constant movement of lymphatic fluid, this results in a build-up of the acidic by-products of metabolism. Your body then becomes less efficient at eliminating any new toxins that enter the system because your lymphatic system is overworked and congested.
Unless you address the function of your lymphatic system you will be fighting a losing battle when it comes to overcoming pain. To achieve lasting relief from fibromyalgia requires restoring the normal flow of lymph and removing the lymphatic obstruction.
Techniques For Improving Lymph Function
1. Cleanse Your Colon
The largest portion of the lymphatic system is found in the intestines and is called the gut-associated lymphatic tissue or GALT.
You can dramatically benefit your lymph function with therapies targeted on cleansing the gastrointestinal tract. Many people with fibromyalgia significantly improve when they undertake a raw food detox diet. A series of colon therapy treatments often provide similar benefits.
One reason is that these approaches enhance lymphatic function in the intestinal tract. This occurs through reducing toxin exposure, increasing alkalinity, and providing astringent foods and herbal formulas that enhance the movement of lymph.
2. Lemon Juice
Adequate hydration is essential for enhancing lymphatic flow. One well-known cure for purifying the lymphatic system is to start your day with the juice of one or two lemons freshly squeezed into a glass of pure water. For even greater benefits you can drink lemon water in between meals throughout the day.
3. Raw Fruits
The high fluid content of raw fruits provides your body with water in a form that is much easier to absorb than drinking it. Fruits also contain enzymes, acids and astringent compounds that aid in purifying the lymphatic system.
To benefit from their lymphatic cleansing effect fruits must be eaten on an empty stomach. Some of the best fruits for improving lymph flow include grapes, berries, watermelon, and citrus.
4. Gentle Exercise
The lymphatic system doesn’t have a central pump but instead depends on body movements to work optimally. Any form of exercise will enhance lymph function. Because most people with fibromyalgia have reduced tolerance for physical activity it is best to choose gentle movements that won’t exhaust your energy reserves.
Walking, yoga, and tai chi are generally good options. Bouncing up and down on a mini-trampoline is probably best of all because the changes in gravitational force increase lymph flow much more effectively than all other forms of exercise.
5. Deep Breathing
The expansion and contraction of the diaphragm when you take a deep breath stimulates your lymphatic system and massages your internal organs. It also improves oxygen saturation, which ultimately results in better function at the cellular level.
As an additional benefit practicing deep breathing on a regular basis helps to alleviate stress. This moves the pH of your body towards a more alkaline state, which is conducive to healthy lymph function.
6. Lymphatic massage
Any kind of massage helps stimulate lymph circulation. Lymphatic massage more specifically applies movements in the same direction as lymph flow to stimulate manual drainage.
7. Skin Brushing and Saunas
Brushing your skin with a natural bristle brush every morning promotes the flow of lymph and enhances detoxification via the skin. Regular saunas are another way to keep your lymphatic system healthy.
Now that you understand how to activate your lymph you have some powerful tools for overcoming chronic pain. Incorporating just a few of these simple techniques into your daily routine can produce incredible benefits and dramatically improve your quality of life.
Would the herb Cleavers help since it helps cleanse the lymphatic system?
Cleavers is a wonderful herb for the lymphatic system and is a component in many of the formulas in the Deep Tissue Cleanse. However, it needs to be used in conjunction with a high water, high-fruit diet along with herbs to support kidney function, otherwise it can release toxins from the lymph system back into the bloodstream where they can cause even more discomfort.
Using the methods outlined above often gives a rapid alleviation of pain with minimal discomfort because the hydrating effects of lemon water and raw fruits stimulates kidney function while simultaneously activating lymphatics. This allows the toxins to be released from the body via the kidneys. Exercise and saunas are another way to get these toxins out via the skin.