Gentle, rhythmic work to help move fluid and settle swelling — after surgery, after injury, or when your legs and ankles simply will not go down.
If you have been searching for lymphatic drainage massage near me, here is the short version: it is nothing like a deep tissue massage. Your lymphatic system has no pump of its own. It relies on movement, muscle contraction and breathing to shift fluid back towards the heart, and when surgery, injury, illness or long periods of sitting interrupt that, fluid collects.
Lymphatic drainage massage uses very light, slow, repetitive strokes that follow the direction of lymph flow, encouraging that fluid to move along. The pressure is deliberately soft. People often expect something firmer and are surprised at how gentle it feels — pressing hard would flatten the vessels sitting just under the skin and work against the point of it.
Post-surgical swelling, including after cosmetic and orthopaedic procedures, once your surgeon is happy for hands-on work to start.
Fluid that settles by the end of the day, after long flights, or through pregnancy and the weeks following birth.
As one part of a wider plan led by your specialist or lymphoedema therapist — not as a replacement for it.
Persistent puffiness around a healing sprain or fracture, alongside the rehab your physio or osteopath has set.
Swelling in the legs, ankles and hands is common late in pregnancy. Booked alongside our pregnancy massage where it helps.
Booked around osteopathy, physio or remedial massage when swelling is holding back the rest of your recovery.
There is a lot of marketing around this treatment, so here is the honest position.
It is not a detox. Your liver and kidneys do that, and no massage changes it. It is not a weight loss treatment — any change on the scales afterwards is fluid, and it comes back. It will not cure lymphoedema, though it can be a genuinely useful part of managing it.
There are also times we will not treat you. Active infection or cellulitis in the area, a known or suspected blood clot, untreated heart failure, or a new and unexplained swelling all need a doctor first. If your swelling has come on suddenly, is only on one side, or comes with pain, heat or redness, please see your GP before booking a massage.
If you are being treated for cancer, or have had lymph nodes removed, bring your specialist’s advice with you. We are glad to work alongside your medical team, and we will ask before we start.
We start by asking what changed and when — surgery, travel, a new medication, a long stretch on your feet. That shapes where we work and how long we spend there.
Treatment usually begins away from the swelling, clearing the pathway before working towards the affected area. Strokes are light, slow and repeated many times over, following the lymph pathways rather than the muscles.
A lymphatic massage Auckland appointment runs 30, 45, 60 or 90 minutes, and longer appointments suit whole-limb or post-surgical work. You may need the bathroom soon afterwards, and it is normal to feel tired that evening. Most people notice the difference over a short series of appointments rather than after one.
Lymphatic drainage at our Orewa clinic, Hibiscus Coast
Massage Therapist · Orewa
Injured in an accident?
ACC does not fund massage therapists, but it does fund registered osteopaths. If your pain started with an accident, our osteopath Akiko Nobuhara can treat you under ACC. Her sessions are a combination of osteopathy, massage therapy and manual therapy, given by a registered osteopath, so ACC can cover them. No GP referral needed.
Lymphatic drainage is not ACC-funded. If your swelling relates to an accident, our osteopath Akiko Nobuhara can treat the injury under ACC with ACC massage: sessions that combine osteopathy, massage therapy and manual therapy, $65 for 45 minutes. Our ACC-registered physiotherapists are another option, and we can help you work out which to book. We are a Southern Cross Insurance Provider and claim at the time of payment, subject to your policy. Afterpay is available over four fortnightly payments, and we also accept cash, EFTPOS, Visa and Mastercard. Prices are on our prices page.
Available at our Orewa clinic on the Hibiscus Coast, six days a week including Saturdays. No referral needed. Book online any time, or call and we will find you the earliest slot.
