Lymphatic flow and Migraine

So far on my migraine blog, we’ve seen the importance of getting enough magnesium, having our hormones in balance (for the direct migraine triggering effect and the indirect hormone-enzyme connection), eating cherries, making sure we’re not creating a leaky gut environment, proper liver function and the vital step of finding the right medical practitioner.

Now, I’d like to share what I’ve learned about the importance of having a properly functioning lymphatic system.

You don’t hear much about the lymphatic system in the regular medical media with regard to migraine. It’s a well-known system whereby fluids circulate in our bodies between our cells, carrying nutrients and well, water, to and from every part of our body. It’s also known that this lymphatic system can get clogged up and that that’s a bad thing. The lymph nodes are part of this system.

So, why don’t we hear more about it? And what can we do to make sure things are circulating as they should? How does this impact on our migraines?

Our other circulatory system, the blood system, we know about. Blood is pumped through arteries and veins by our heart, and we’ve all heard a lot about heart health and its importance.

So, what about the lymphatic system? Does it have a pump?

Not really. The lymphatic fluids are kept moving through our tissues and cells by the pumping action of our muscles when we walk or perform some kinds of exercise. Simple, isn’t it?

The importance of keeping the lymphatic fluids flowing cannot be overemphasized. A clogged lymphatic system has been linked to many conditions, even cancer.

The link to migraine is maybe more indirect. A properly functioning lymphatic system clears out waste products, including excess hormones (see the Hormones and Migraines post) and toxins, but also other normal waste products. So, it makes sense that a badly functioning lymphatic system can set the stage for migraine by allowing these things to build up.

My naturopathic doctor addressed this early on and has helped me to get the lymph flowing.

How do we ensure our lymphatic system is functioning right?

As mentioned earlier, walking is an excellent way to get things flowing through the pumping action of our muscles. Other forms of exercise are ok too, but my naturopath recommends walking. It works for me: you don’t need any special equipment or even too much time. Even 15 minutes a day helps.

Another thing that we can do is dry skin brushing. This is something I do just about every day. Dry skin brushing is done either with a special brush or with an ordinary dry loofah sponge. You start with your head and then your extremities, gently brushing in small circles, working your way towards the heart. The lymphatic system is just under the skin, so this brushing motion stimulates the fluids to move in the right direction through one way valves.

As with other health concerns, a diet high in fiber is recommended to keep the lymphatic system functioning well. A study in the American Journal of Epidemiology indicated that a diet high in fiber was associated with a lower risk of NHL (non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) - http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/164/12/1222.abstract

See also Dr Oz's recommendations (actually his father-in-law's) at: http://blog.doctoroz.com/dr-oz-blog/my-father-in-laws-best-advice. These include some food and supplement recommendations.

Some practitioners recommend massage to drain lymphatic fluid. This can be done by a professional massage therapist. I found this interesting video showing how to do a self-massage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA-wi0d7-Ro. Have fun!

Also, there are homeopathic drops that a naturopath can prescribe to specifically promote lymphatic drainage. Unda 243 works well for me.

So, this is another piece of the migraine puzzle. It’s a relatively simple thing to fix if we keep working at it and it’s another good reason to get outside for a nice walk!

Enjoy!

Here’s a link about exercise: http://www.livestrong.com/article/336607-exercises-for-the-lymphatic-system/