The truth is that Gwyneth Paltrow is a real gold mine to make us wonder things.
Or, rather, what is true, in those things.
The penultimate obsession of the founder of Goop is
dry brushing
, a maneuver that both she and her collaborators in her successful wellness company show in their accounts, praising its multiple benefits as a 'detoxifier' of the organism.
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Like Jade stone massages, dry brushing is often pointed out as an effective method to activate our lymphatic system, but is this possible?
To find out, it is best to start by finding out, first of all, 'who' is the person in question and 'what he does for a living'.
"The human body consists of
arterial, venous and lymphatic circulation
.
The lymphatic system is responsible for returning the proteins and water degraded by the cells (lymph) to the blood circulation through a circuit of vessels that run parallel and similar to the veins and arteries of the body
. Likewise, it plays an important role in
defending the body,
counting on intermediate stations known as ganglia along its route throughout the body", explains Enrique Espiga, a vascular surgeon at Hospital Sanitas Virgen del Mar (Madrid ).
That said, it's clear that your mission is crucial, but what are the signs that it
's not working
well?
"The most characteristic symptom of a malfunction of the lymphatic system is
lymphedema
, which is the
accumulation of lymphatic fluid in the soft tissue of an area of the body
. Prior to this, the patient may experience a feeling of
heaviness, tightness of the skin and even sore to the touch
from the accumulated tension of the retained lymph".
Another symptom of its malfunction would be ""an
increase in local temperature with reddish coloration and enlargement of the nodes
when there is an infection of the lymphatic vessels (lymphangitis).
It can be confused with thrombophlebitis."
When the lymphatic system produces an excess of lymph or cannot transport it normally, "it is
deposited between the muscles and the skin layer
. Classically in the legs, respecting the soles of the feet, less frequently in the arms and rarely in the genitals and expensive".
What consequences can they have?
"The classification of lymphedema establishes its primary or secondary origin. In the latter, it may be a
symptom of a more important disease
that requires prompt identification and resolution."
For this reason, Espiga emphasizes, "lymphedema requires an
early diagnosis
given that its chronicity makes it
irreversible
due to the damage generated to the tissue with fibrosis and an evolution towards elephantiasis. In some cases, it can evolve towards
degeneration and malignancy
(lymphosarcoma During this process, you can have complications such as infections, ulcers and deformities, which conditions an important physical and psychological limitation."
WHAT DOES WORK
What can we do to improve its performance?
"The patient must be aware that lymphedema requires
continuous treatment
for life, and the sooner it is applied, the better so as not to reach irreversible or difficult-to-manage phases."
In the early stages, "
healthy hygiene, hydration and skin care habits
are essential to avoid lesions that could be an entry point for an infection."
This specialist details that "
avoid gaining weight and doing physical exercise
will also help to combat its formation or keep its evolution at bay.
Postural measures
at rest, such as raising the legs, will also help not to worsen symptoms" .
In cases of significant lymphedema, "the use of
decompressive therapies
will have to be introduced to reduce it, such as
lymphatic drainage, pressotherapy and the use of bandages and compression stockings
".
The
surgical option
, he assures, "is rare and will be lowered in cases secondary to other diseases."
And, returning to the topic with which we started, do
dry brushing, wood therapy or Jade stone massages
serve to improve the functioning of the lymphatic system?
"Pseudotherapies must always be framed
within a multidisciplinary concept to never lose sight of medical assessment and prescription.
Any action that does not have the support of medicine will mean a delay in the diagnosis of diseases that can be of vital importance as well as confusion with other diseases that do not admit delay in their treatment".
Wood therapy or other manual massage therapies with extremity decompression would be "theoretically useful due to their
draining effect,
as long as they are not associated with trauma or blows/impact on the skin. However, to be useful, they require a
level of depth that can be painful
to achieve using utensils.
Lymphatic drainage with the hands
, for its part, is effective and safe".
Espiga emphasizes that "
dry brushing would be contraindicated in patients with altered lymphatic system
since it can damage the epidermis by friction and cause small erosions that are a gateway for an infection."
As for the
Jade stone
massage , "it
does not achieve a sufficient drainage depth
to have any benefit and there is no evidence that the use of one material or another provides benefits to the lymphatic system."
To conclude, this specialist emphasizes that "the psychological component of lymphedema is of vital importance not only because of what has been said in terms of understanding the chronicity of the disease in order to treat it for life, but also to
assume and normalize,
to the extent as possible,
the morphological changes of the limbs experienced by the patient
If the chosen therapy provides extra reinforcement in this regard, it will be well received by the patient and will help him in his process of acceptance and improvement, but it can never be something alternative to medicine. In this sense, the use
of relaxation practices
as a complement to prescribed medical treatment is always considerable":
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