Why We Check Your Lymphatic System
Posted 18 hours ago
Why a Chiropractor Near Me Checks Your Lymphatic System
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
Your lymphatic system has become best known for its link to lymphatic drainage and massage techniques. It's a thin, superficial system, but it plays a genuinely important supporting role for both your circulatory and immune systems.
What Your Lymphatic System Actually Does
Your circulatory system filters and removes around 20 litres of plasma from your blood every day. Of that, 17 litres get reabsorbed directly by your blood vessels. The remaining 3 litres pass through the lymphatic system instead.
Beyond that filtering role, your lymphatic system also clears away cellular debris, bacteria, and proteins, supporting healthy immune function. Lymph fluid passes through lymph nodes to remove waste, then continues through larger lymph ducts that connect to veins beneath your collarbones, known as the subclavian veins.
Unlike blood, which your heart pumps around your body, lymph fluid relies on muscle contraction and movement to keep flowing. That's one more reason staying active and avoiding long stretches of sitting still genuinely matters.
The Lesser-Known Link to Your Nervous System
Here's the part fewer people know: your lymphatic system can directly affect your nervous system, the communication network linking your brain, spinal cord, nerves, and the rest of your body. The nervous system is arguably the most important system in the body, since it controls and coordinates everything else, much like a conductor leading an orchestra.
This connection between the two systems is known as the neurolymphatic system. Dr Frank Chapman first documented it in the 1930s, describing what he called small nodules of contracted lymphoid tissue, a fairly technical mouthful for what are essentially small blockages or areas of congestion in the thin sheath surrounding nerves that detect pain and temperature changes in the skin.
Mapping the Body's Neurolymphatic Points
There's a recognised map of specific points across the body, each corresponding to a related organ or muscle. When one of these points isn't functioning properly, it can feel like a small, smooth lump, often just a couple of millimetres in size, and can be tender or sore to the touch. These points are distinct from muscle trigger points, even though they can feel superficially similar.
These points communicate directly with the sympathetic nervous system, the branch responsible for your fight, flight, or freeze response, rooted in some of the oldest areas of the brain.
Why This Connection Matters
Putting the pieces together: dysfunction in the neurolymphatic system could be linked to unnecessary activation of the fight-flight-freeze response, something considered one of the leading contributors to declining health over time. A system meant to protect you in genuine emergencies staying switched on unnecessarily isn't a small thing to overlook.
If you're researching a chiropractor near me because you suspect your nervous system isn't functioning as well as it could, understanding this lymphatic connection is worth knowing about. It's rarely the first thing people think to ask about, but it can be a genuinely overlooked piece of the picture.
Choosing a genuinely local chiropractor near me also makes it easier to have this kind of assessment done properly and revisited over time, since one-off checks rarely tell the full story. If you'd like to find out whether your neurolymphatic system is contributing to your symptoms, alongside the most thorough musculoskeletal and neurological assessment you've likely had, booking an initial consultation is the place to start.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the neurolymphatic system? It's the connection between the lymphatic system and the nervous system, first documented by Dr Frank Chapman in the 1930s. Dysfunction here shows up as small, tender points corresponding to specific organs or muscles.
How is a neurolymphatic point different from a muscle trigger point? While both can feel like small areas of tenderness, neurolymphatic points relate to congestion in the tissue sheath around nerves, whereas trigger points relate to tight bands within muscle tissue itself.
Why does movement matter for the lymphatic system? Unlike blood, lymph fluid has no dedicated pump like the heart. It relies on muscle contraction and movement to circulate properly, which is why prolonged sitting can be unhelpful for lymphatic health.
Can lymphatic dysfunction really affect stress levels? Research suggests neurolymphatic points communicate with the sympathetic nervous system, the part responsible for fight-flight-freeze responses, so dysfunction here could contribute to that response activating unnecessarily.
What happens during a nervous system assessment? A thorough assessment looks at musculoskeletal and neurological function together, which can include checking neurolymphatic points alongside other markers of how well your nervous system is communicating with the rest of your body.
