Manual lymphatic decongestion/Perry Nickelston starter kit, notes, resources

[Servier]

Thanks for sharing this !
Now I'm wondering if there could be a link between wrong lymphatic circulation, and apparition of lipomas ? any idea or experiment with this ?

 

[tiny24]

Came across this Perry Nickelston fellow a few days ago. After employing his advice, I'm well-sold on just how impactful his simple "big 6" practice is for improving the rate of lymph drainage. The benefit of beating the lymphatic kinks out of the body when it's known where they are and how they operate is almost unbelievable how it can alleviate stress immediately.

Below I've printed a few consolidations of his work which include:

a) how to do the "big 6" lymphatic primer and a brief lymphatic overview

b) the superficial back line, how foot pain and head tension are connected by fascia

c) treating the psoas as the core

d) some notes from his interview on the stick mobility podcast

e) some notes from his interview on extreme health radio

f) resource links for his stuff

***sorry about some note overlap. If I left the same note in this post multiple times, it's because he said it multiple times which I assume means it's important lol
________________________________
A)

Manual, full body lymphatic drainage - 3 minute routine - a small investment for a big benefit

-The body has 600-700 lymph nodes which work together to remove ALL manner of acidic waste. This waste is everything from the lactic acid produced by working out to pesticides on food to cooked vegetable fats to heavy metals.

-Lymphatic fluid runs parallel to the blood and accounts for 75% of bodily fluid, whereas blood is only 25% of bodily fluid.

-When lymphatic fluid becomes stagnant, literally any symptom of sickness can result from biological waste not leaving the body fast enough.

-Lymphatic fluid works as a pressure system throughout the entire body just like a series of dams. If lymphatic fluid is stuck at one channel, or dam, then there is also lymphatic congestion all the way down the line towards the highest pressure points of the body.

-The highest pressure points of lymphatic fluid are the hands, feet, and top of the head.

-The lowest pressure point is at the base of the neck, on top of the clavicle.

-When manually decongesting lymph, it is essential to clear the points in the order of lowest pressure first to highest pressure last.



Here's some written instructions on how to perform the "big 6" -

> Rub, massage, and slap these 6 areas of the body in this order for a complete movement & opening of lymphatic system:

1) Bottom of the neck on the upper clavicle

2) Under the ear behind the jaw

3) A point where the bottom of the front deltoid and the outer pec (pec minor) meets, close to the armpit

4) At the top of the abdomen in between the bottom of the pecs... press with both fingers straight in as if towards the spine and shimmy back and forth down to the top of the belly button. Then press with small circles on the rest of the abdomen afterwards

5) From the hip bone down to the groin. This sits at a 45 degree angle.

6) The popliteal lymph nodes behind the knees.

View attachment 41532

*This routine ought to always be done before ANY form of physical activity whether it's jogging, lifting, yoga, a massage session, etc. It ensures that lymphatic fluid will be maximally moved during those sessions. If done after, it will also help recovery.

*The harshness of how hard you want to massage yourself is up to you. Let pain be the guide and be gentle with lymph nodes that are particularly tense and/or blocked with acidic waste.

***This information is provided courtesy of Perry Nickelston. He can be found at the 54:41 timestamp of this interview demonstrating this practice on video:


View: https://youtu.be/EnLpAHqIOXg


___________________
B)

The superficial back line:
View attachment 41531

Personal anecdote: I made a point to spend a few minutes in the shower loosening up the skin on the back of my head and more or less pulling my face backwards and it made my feet, lower back, and hips feel immediately better.

Inversely, breaking up the fascia of the foot will loosen the forehead (2m 28s):


View: https://youtu.be/ok5RtO6usN4


______________________________
C)

"Develop the neck to own the core." (3m 40s)


View: https://youtu.be/D3NpuskUy9w

______________________________
D)

Stick mobility interview (1hr 21min) -
View: https://youtu.be/EnLpAHqIOXg


Nickelston tells his account of previously suffering severe neurological symptoms including extreme forgetfulness on track with Alzheimer's. He also mentions that he finally had to close his chiropractic clinic at a time because he was needing to nap too often.

Nickelston then highlights the remedy of moving the lymphatic system, saying that he found a guy to work on his lymphatic congestion which led him to feel "30% better" the following morning. He says that he didn't change anything about his diet or lifestyle besides manually moving lymph and it caused him to lose 30 pounds in 30 days via removal of water retention, inflammation, etc.

Lymph nodes are gatherings of lymph.

The basic function of the lymph system is to kill stuff. It's a part of the immune system and cardiovascular system. It disposes of metabolic waste as well as bacteria, fungus, and parasites, etc.

There are about 600-700 lymph nodes throughout the body.

Movement and breathing (through the diaphragm) are the primary lymph movers.

"Lymph is mostly water."

Moving the obstacles which obstruct lymph movement will allow it to flow appropriately.

Moving a lot of lymph at once can cause something of a 'detox' reaction.

Cells need nutrients and oxygen. Receiving nutrients causes the cells to produce waste. If the waste isn't removed, it causes toxicity and suffocation of the cells.

"Nutrients can't get in if waste can't get out."

Nickelston makes the analogy of an aquarium. Having dirty water makes fish strain to get oxygen. Nickelston argues that the way to clean the fish tank is to change the filter... not by getting new fish or by cleaning the tank without replacing the dirty water.

Nickelston mentions that despite "working out all the time," while he was sick, his cardiovascular endurance was awful.

Lymph attaches to the veins. Veins release carbon dioxide. If lymph congestion is present, carbon dioxide release is impeded, which hurts cardiovascular potential.

If you're already lymphatically congested, working out can be counterproductive. Nickelston mentions that people perceiving a so-called 'lack of willpower' when exercising is often their brain telling them to stop producing waste so they don't kill themselves. Lymphatic congestion in combination with exercise can also prevent fat loss because one of the ways that the body deals with toxicity is to create more fat cells which hold onto waste material.

"An inability to lose body fat is significantly tied to the lymphatic system."

"There's no MRI which I can give you which shows you that lymph is an issue."

1/3rd of the 600-700 lymph nodes in the body are from the neck UP.

The lymph contained just under the skin is superficial. This gets pushed deeper into the lymph nodes of the shoulders, neck, groin, etc by light brushing, such as dry brushing. According to Nickelston, this lymph is then pushed even deeper into the lymph nodes which are behind the sternum and along the spine.

70-80% of the immune system is based on our intestinal health. If there's any gut compromises such as leaky gut, malabsorption, chrohns, etc, when food particles break through a damaged gut lining, the first substance that they meet is lymph.

Swelling is an immune response, not a musculo-skeletal response.

"Your spleen is the largest lymphatic organ you've got."

The appendix plays a role in fighting off infection.

The "deep lymphatics" take drainage from the brain. These lymphatics are along the neck.

Nickelston once had thyroid cancer. He mentions that he had lymph nodes in the surrounding area removed without knowing what he knows now.

Having the tonsils removed simply puts a greater burden on the surrounding lymphatic points of the head and neck.

Breathing vertically, or rather through the upper chest (improperly) can put added tension & constriction on the first lymph drainage point located at the bottom of the neck on the top of the clavicle.

The 6 lymphatic drainage points to massage and slap for manual lymphatic decongestion, in this order:

1. Bottom of the neck on the upper clavicle
2. Under the ear behind the jaw
3. A point where the bottom of the front deltoid and the outer pec (pec minor) meets, close to the armpit
4. At the top of the abdomen in between the bottom of the pecs... press with both fingers straight in as if towards the spine and shimmy back and forth down to the top of the belly button. Then press with small circles on the rest of the abdomen afterwards
5. From the hip bone down to the groin. This sits at a 45 degree angle. Massage these inguinal lymph nodes
6. The popliteal lymph nodes are behind the knees. Massage these nodes last.

The highest pressure points are at the top of the head, hands, and feet.

Lymph uses a dam system. Removing the obstruction from the lowest pressure areas will allow the higher pressure areas to flow into those lower pressure areas in the same way that water will naturally move towards lower pressure areas. Lymph is mostly water (and fat... fat is mostly water~)

Repeatedly exercising with the same movement patterns is like creating rocks that dictate the lymph flow around the body. Because of this, Nickelston recommends doing the largest variety of movements that you can which will help towards this same goal of unblocking lymphatic obstructions.

Nickelston makes a suggestion to get up and down from the floor 50 times a day in whatever variety of ways a person could and would enjoy. Burpees, Turkish get ups, or just simply standing up off the floor are all examples of this.

Nickelston reminds the audience that the body is constantly using all motions and that trying to sustain or train exact positions isn't ideal. Instead of conditioning singular and/or exact movement patterns, Nickelston encourages people to do the opposite by putting their body through a variety of motions to achieve the same movement pattern. One example is with a squat... manipulate the position of the pelvis throughout all positions of the squat. Try to start from the bottom with an anterior pelvic tilt and again as a posterior pelvic tilt and move it freely from beginning to end of the movement. Move like water to encourage this concept of fluidity and lymphatic movement.
______________________________
E)

Extreme health radio interview (1hr 58min) - View: https://www.stitcher.com/show/extreme-health-radio-your-healthy-living-resource/episode/dr-perry-nickelston-the-power-of-the-lymphatic-system-204594659


The lowest pressure is in the subclavian area below the clavicle. This area is the primary lymph dump site. Clear this area first and move outward to the high pressure areas like the hands and feet.

Do not try to move lymph from the outside extremities inward. This can intensify pressure.

Water moves based on hydro dynamics, which means that low pressure will tend towards high pressure.

The most lymph is stored around the most frequently moved parts of the body which include the knees, shoulders, neck, and abdomen.

Pain always indicates inflammation.

Disease can't occur if the body is able to make and use new cells optimally.

Inflammation and pain often correlate with lymphatic congestion. Lymphatic congestion always correlates with stagnant circulation. A lack of circulation means hypoxia is present which means that cells are being deprived of nutrition.

More lymph drains on the left side than the right.

A puffy collar bone indicates full body lymphatic stagnation.

"That's where 75% of the lymph goes, is closer to your heart." [On the left side]

Sometimes people have a bad time jumping into (pun intended) rebounding because of the vestibular system of the inner ear not being accustomed to the sudden intensity that comes with jumping on a trampoline.

In accordance with Chinese therapy, the back of the knee is directly tied to the lower back. Strengthening this will also strengthen the lower back (hence, Kneesovertoesguy).

"You'll typically lose 5 or 6 pounds really easy if you start to do lymphatic work."

Glial cells are the lymphatic cells of the brain.

Inflammation in the peripheral lymph nodes will cause the lymph nodes of the brain to also trigger. The lymphatic nodes of the brain cannot be cleared until the peripheral lymph nodes are cleared.

70-75% of the blood supply resides in the veins at one time.

Spider or varicose veins are an excess of pressure in the venous system. This is usually from a blockage of the vena cava and/or lymphatic points in the deep abdomen... OR from an overwhelmed liver.

The liver produces 50% of the lymphatic fluid and it dumps into the lymph points of the abdomen.

"The liver is the primary venous blood flow source of the body."

The solar plexus (aka the celiac plexus) is in the abdomen/sternum area and is also correlated to emotional wellbeing. Nickelston remarks that the largest lymphatic organ of the body, the cisterna chyli, is housed here and that only 50% of people have it. If the cisterna chyli is inflamed, Nickelston notes that it feels like a baseball or a grapefruit when working on it... and that it's quite an unpleasant massage for the suffering person. Because of this, it should be worked on later rather than sooner when it comes to regular lymphatic therapy.

Nickelston mentions John Sarno establishing that emotional and psychological stress causes the overuse of the sympathetic nervous system which leads to hypoxia of both nervous and muscle tissues of the body. Just being mentally wired can cause internal suffocation and thereby impede overall fluid flow of the body; both blood and lymph.

Nickelston stresses clearing the 6 major points before doing any kind of physical therapy... after which point pretty much any kind of lymphatic therapy will work, provided that the 6 major lymphatic channels have been opened.

Nickelston believes that ear infections in children are caused by a lack of lymph movement in the head.

"Everything you do impacts the lymphatic system."

Nickelston notes that people who are stuck in the "fight or flight" sympathetic-dominant state will be more sensitive to both hot or cold temperature changes.

Full body stiffness and tightness upon waking up is reflexive of the status of lymphatic system. More tightness = more lymphatic congestion.
_____________________________
F)

Resources:

Stop Chasing Pain

https://youtube.com/c/PerryNickelston

ᴘᴇʀʀʏ ɴɪᴄᴋᴇʟsᴛᴏɴ D.C. TᕼE ᒪYᗰᑭᕼ ᗪOᑕ (@stopchasingpain) • Instagram photos and videos

This seem similar to work of Paula Garbourg, Moshe Feldenkrais and Ido Portal. Anyone interested can google these names and learn more, their work and books were reall helpful for me. There is nothing that would bring my temps and mood up for many hours as spinal waves, shaking and breathing techniques done for just 20 minutes after waking up and in the evening.

 

[Twohandsondeck]

This seem similar to work of Paula Garbourg, Moshe Feldenkrais and Ido Portal. Anyone interested can google these names and learn more, their work and books were reall helpful for me. There is nothing that would bring my temps and mood up for many hours as spinal waves, shaking and breathing techniques done for just 20 minutes after waking up and in the evening.

Yes indeed, thank you for sharing.

The more that I gather from these body-workers, the more often I remind myself of a vague idea that the head and the pelvis are like the north and south ends of a magnet. The pelvis is the periphery or the body and the skull is the mind or the nervous system. The spine is a rope that connects the two together. Improper breathing and/or lack of oxygen might be a root cause of the entanglement or tightening of either the skull or the pelvis.

I found this brief work & explanation of Feldenkrais on a patient suffering from whiplash to help illustrate this idea. At one point Feldenkrais notes that the muscular expression of the body is a reflection of the brain and then says, "...all the brain can express itself through only one set of muscles."


View: https://youtu.be/qzpGzd5ZooA?si=g1DKqUHUeBfc1jmr


To add to this post, in the last few weeks I've listened to Neal Hallinand who has a number of YouTube videos, all related to this discussion.

Several notable points I've heard from him are:

- when people walk or dance to a rhythm, their hips will 'unlock' and properly adduct. Similarly... if they blow up a balloon with the usual pattern of spinal flexion and diaphragmatic pressure that is required to push air into a balloon, their posture & gait cycle is (somewhat) temporarily corrected.

- the pelvis reflects the skull. The way the spine sits on the pelvis will influence facial symmetry.

- more than 80% of the muscles of the diaphragm are on the right side of the spine. These breathing muscles make for an inherent imbalance of excessive muscle tension through the right hip... which causes the left hip to tilt forward and the left foot to pronate outward (akin to a flat foot stance)

- sensing where the molars and the 'eye' teeth are, are directly tied to a sense of where the back and front of the pelvis is, respectively.

- when exercising, training with only 1 limb at a time and maintaining some spinal flexion throughout any movement will train the core and significantly help prevent lower back pain.

For reference, here's a video from him that's titled with the topic of lower back pain:


View: https://youtu.be/eb9Q_Gz9hwM?si=XvS0tjIdBsaI5Z6w

 

[tiny24]

Yes indeed, thank you for sharing.

The more that I gather from these body-workers, the more often I remind myself of a vague idea that the head and the pelvis are like the north and south ends of a magnet. The pelvis is the periphery or the body and the skull is the mind or the nervous system. The spine is a rope that connects the two together. Improper breathing and/or lack of oxygen might be a root cause of the entanglement or tightening of either the skull or the pelvis.

I found this brief work & explanation of Feldenkrais on a patient suffering from whiplash to help illustrate this idea. At one point Feldenkrais notes that the muscular expression of the body is a reflection of the brain and then says, "...all the brain can express itself through only one set of muscles."


View: https://youtu.be/qzpGzd5ZooA?si=g1DKqUHUeBfc1jmr


To add to this post, in the last few weeks I've listened to Neal Hallinand who has a number of YouTube videos, all related to this discussion.

Several notable points I've heard from him are:

- when people walk or dance to a rhythm, their hips will 'unlock' and properly adduct. Similarly... if they blow up a balloon with the usual pattern of spinal flexion and diaphragmatic pressure that is required to push air into a balloon, their posture & gait cycle is (somewhat) temporarily corrected.

- the pelvis reflects the skull. The way the spine sits on the pelvis will influence facial symmetry.

- more than 80% of the muscles of the diaphragm are on the right side of the spine. These breathing muscles make for an inherent imbalance of excessive muscle tension through the right hip... which causes the left hip to tilt forward and the left foot to pronate outward (akin to a flat foot stance)

- sensing where the molars and the 'eye' teeth are, are directly tied to a sense of where the back and front of the pelvis is, respectively.

- when exercising, training with only 1 limb at a time and maintaining some spinal flexion throughout any movement will train the core and significantly help prevent lower back pain.

For reference, here's a video from him that's titled with the topic of lower back pain:


View: https://youtu.be/eb9Q_Gz9hwM?si=XvS0tjIdBsaI5Z6w

Great content, videos of this guy looks promising. Thanks!

Edit: Btw Have you read Awarness through Movement from Feldenkrais? I would have some question if so.

 

[Twohandsondeck]

Edit: Btw Have you read Awarness through Movement from Feldenkrais? I would have some question if so.

Haven't read that one, no.