Health Practitioners talk about how important the GUT is for just about everything, could that really be true? Well, science is beginning to show that there is in fact a link between joint pain and your gut microbes. That an unhealthy gut caused at least in part by an imbalance in those little bacteria colonies living in our gut can set up cascade of events that lead to many pain states and chronic health conditions. And that this is done, among other things, via changes in metabolism; altered nutrient availability and absorption; and inflammation, both local and system wide. Scientists are discovering multiple ways in which these bacteria begin and worsen disease processes such as osteoarthritis. So it is becoming more and more clear that gut health is vital to our ability to be truly healthy and that your gut microbe populations have a direct impact on your joint pain.

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Here it is…

Is Joint Pain and osteoarthritis causing you dis-ease? Are you interested in exploring a new frontier? Watch on, as I discuss how the microbes in your gut could be an answer to your pain!

Osteoarthritis, a chronic and debilitating disease, severely affects the quality of life for millions of people worldwide. But what if there was a new therapy on the horizon that could target the root causes of the disease? Recent research suggests that gut microbiota modulation could hold the key to improving osteoarthritis symptoms and slowing disease progression.

The activation of the innate immune system, particularly macrophage-associated inflammation, is implicated in the generation and progression of OA. Changes in the gut microbiota can activate the innate immune system, leading to increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines that can affect the joints.

Gut microbiota composition, specifically the abundance of certain bacteria, has been associated with OA-related knee pain and joint inflammation. Obesity-related changes in the gut microbiota can also contribute to systemic inflammation and joint tissue damage.

Bacterial components derived from the gut microbiota can stimulate synovial fibroblasts and pro-inflammatory cytokines. This exacerbates inflammation and cartilage degradation in OA.

But researchers have discovered that gut microbes may not be confined just to our gut. They can travel to our joints, affecting the delicate balance of our joint environment. When an imbalance occurs, it can lead to inflammation and cartilage degradation, contributing to the progression of osteoarthritis.

To restore balance and promote joint health, scientists have explored the use of pre and probiotics. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that can be taken as supplements, while prebiotics provide the nourishment and changes to the environment that these bacteria need to thrive.

Studies have shown that specific strains of probiotics, such as Bifidobacterium longum CBi0703 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus, can reduce cartilage damage, inflammation, and pain associated with osteoarthritis. They have also demonstrated potential prophylactic effects on OA development.

Prebiotics, such as oligofructose, have also demonstrated the ability to reverse the negative effects of an unhealthy diet on joints and improve knee joint health. Pre and probiotics can ameliorate OA status by modifying gut microbiota, reducing joint damage, microbial dysbiosis, endotoxin levels, and insulin resistance.

Our diet plays a crucial role in modulating gut microbiota and, consequently, our joint health. Certain nutrients and nutraceuticals have shown promise in improving osteoarthritis symptoms by influencing the composition and metabolism of gut microbiota.

Nutrients like L-arginine, L-glutamine, chitosan, resveratrol, green-lipped mussel extract, and glucosamine sulfate have shown positively impact joint health through their interaction with gut microbiota. They have been associated with improvements in joint structure, collagen expression, weight loss, and anti-inflammatory effects. Helping reduce inflammation, protect cartilage, and alleviate symptoms associated with osteoarthritis.
Other nutraceuticals like chondroitin sulfate disaccharides and pycnogenol have demonstrated anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and cartilage protection effects by modifying the structure and function of the gut microbiota.

Regular exercise not only benefits our overall health, insulin sensitivity and weight management, but also plays a role in modulating gut microbiota. Exercise promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut, reduces inflammation, and enhances joint health.

Another intriguing approach is fecal microbiota transplantation, or FMT. By transferring feces from a healthy donor to an individual with osteoarthritis, FMT aims to restore a healthy balance of gut microbiota, not only in the gut but also in the joints.
Ok, so this might seem a little extreme… adding someone else’s poo to your gut, surgically! And I agree, but the interesting thing is, that these changes can make a difference to pain, inflammation and weight… immediately. But they have also seen, that without diet and lifestyle modification, these changes won’t last… So what does this mean for you and me? Well, we have the power to make these same changes, albeit a little more slowly, using the same basic diet and lifestyle modifications. So, you can hold the key to your own health, doesn’t that feel a little exciting?

Gut microbiota modulation is an exciting new area of health research, offering not only new probiotic and dietary therapies but also empowering individuals to support their own health by modulating their own microbiome. By targeting the gut microbiota and its interaction with our joints, we can potentially improve symptoms, slow down disease progression, and enhance overall well-being.

If you’d like my cheat sheet for how to improve your gut health, for happier, healthier joints… comment YES and I’ll DM you.
Remember to comment any questions, so that I can further assist you!
If you found this useful, please comment, like and SHARE

See you next time, when I discuss how gut microbes affect the lining our your gut and how this creates inflammation, pain and food sensitivities…
Bye for now

Interested in further reading?

Healthline: 9 ways to improve your gut based on science 

Improving the Gut Microbiome and Arthritis Symptoms with Diet 

how circulation is involved in pain, as well as one thing you can do daily to support good circulation

About Blossoming Me

BlossomingMe offers a fully integrated approach to your wellbeing. Located on Sydney’s Upper North Shore. Sarah is our Craniosacral and Remedial Massage Therapist and health and lifestyle coach. She can help relieve those problematic knots, tightness and other specific ailments to promote a healthy recovery. These complementary massage therapies can be combined to suit your needs, and include: craniosacral therapy, shiatsu, acupressure, reiki, remedial, swedish, and body-mind-massage. 

Our qualified Osteopath, Alexis, offers a drug free, minimally invasive, “hands on” treatment focusing on the musculoskeletal system with its associated muscles, tendons, ligaments, membranes, bones and joints. Alexis takes a functional approach. This means that she focuses on the way a component (body part, tissue or group of tissues) performs its role, as well as the way the body works, performs and integrates as a whole. Our team can support you to improve your posture and therefore your overall health.

ional advice or care. Please seek the advice of a qualified health professional before you make any changes to your health regime, before dealing with new symptoms, and, if something you have read here has raised any questions or concerns regarding your situation.

Do you suffer multiple food sensitivities; LOW ENERGY; chronic fatigue, post viral syndrome, inflammatory issues, digestive complains, constipation, diarrhoea, one or multiple chronic health conditions or eczema/psoriasis/ skin sensitivities? Do you know that the causes can all be from the ONE thing and that there could be something you CAN do to IMPROVE your situation? …if you decide to listen to your body and make some healthful changes!

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Here it is…

How would you know if you need a detox? What might your liver be telling you?

Hi I’m Alexis Weidland, osteopath at BlossomingMe and if you’ve ever wondered what your liver and your body might actually be telling you, watch on.

When talking about building Optimal Health from the foundations up, we previously discussed the importance of nutrients getting into the cell as the first step, and waste removal as being the second part of the equation.

When we discussed circulation, we looked at ways that nutrients might not easily get into the cells. Things like: blood pressure issues; anaemia; and kinks in the pipes that might reduce the blood getting to all required locations. When we discussed lymphatics, we talked about how the lymphatics support the circulatory system in mopping up and removing waste and toxins. So this leads us then, to the discussion about what happens to all waste toxins and debris once they’re collected.

Well the body must process these various particles and molecules, including negatively charged free radicals, all of which can cause damage to cells; organelles like mitochondria; and the DNA. The body must inactivate them so that they can no longer cause harm. By either binding them, engulfing them, or partially breaking them down. And that allows them to be filtered and then finally removed. So as we’ve already discussed, the immune system is an active process essentially within these systems, and it involves neutralising and inactivating both living and non-living threats. And then the circulation and the lymphatics are essential in the transport and removal of all of these particles from the body. The liver then, is the next step. It is vital in the detailed processing systems to remove all toxins, bind them for safe removal ,and transfer them either to the kidneys for water-soluble if they are water soluble or to the bowels if they are not.

The kidneys is the final filtration before all unwanted water-soluble particulate and some extra water, are moved through to the bladder for holding and then for excretion. Non-water-soluble particles are sent to the intestines via two pathways. Directly from the digestive system; and then from the liver, via bile. Here it’s then combined with other digestive waste and compiled into faeces and removed. The liver further supports circulation and the lymphatics by the production of certain proteins. These will modulate blood volume; and blood pressure; and kidney function. Some of these proteins if not, um, balanced, then can lead to fluid retention and things like leg swelling; or incorrect clotting; or anaemia from low ferritin which is the blood, sorry… which is the iron binding protein found in blood. The liver is also essential in carbohydrate protein and fat metabolism; in cholesterol creation and removal; in bile production, which assists with fat digestion; and absorption; and in that removal of, by binding, toxins. And removing them to the bowels as I just mentioned. The liver also is essential for hormone production and balance; plus, it is also responsible for the breakdown of medications, poisons, alcohol, cellular waste, and old cells. Finally the liver is instrumental in detecting pathogens and mutated cells and initialising the immune response.

So when your liver isn’t functioning as well as it could be, there are a myriad of ways that it could present. if you suffer from multiple food intolerances or sensitivities your liver might be overloaded.

if you suffer from difficulties in balancing your blood pressure, it may in fact be that your liver is part of the problem.

if you have swelling or sub-optimal circulation your liver also could be overloaded.

if you have detoxification processes that are slow your liver definitely is involved.

if you suffer from mould exposure; chronic fatigue; Lime-like disease, your liver will definitely be impacted and supporting it could be of assistance.

if you suffer from hormone imbalances and period dysfunction, your liver could also be a component in that.

So if you’re ready to make a positive change in your health and your energy in just 14 days, click the link that I’ll have below and check out my 14-day ENERGY BOOSTING DETOX. it will be starting tomorrow.

I hope you found this useful and please remember to comment, like, and share!

Till next time, bye for now.

Interested in further reading?

Learn more about the amazing organ the liver

To find out a little more about detoxification, see what Dr Cabot has to say.

Two factors you need to address at the begging of any foundational approach to building vital and glowing health that is sustainable are your circulation and your lymphatics. Find out why your lymphatics are an under-estimated part of any health solution, what’s all the fuss is about lymphatics… and how circulation is involved in pain, as well as one thing you can do daily to support good circulation

Find out how Mitochondria are important in the health of each cell… another foundational part of True Health

Poor Circulation Symptoms

Anaemia

Peripheral Vascular Disease

About Blossoming Me

BlossomingMe offers a fully integrated approach to your wellbeing. Located on Sydney’s Upper North Shore. Sarah is our Craniosacral and Remedial Massage Therapist and health and lifestyle coach. She can help relieve those problematic knots, tightness and other specific ailments to promote a healthy recovery. These complementary massage therapies can be combined to suit your needs, and include: craniosacral therapy, shiatsu, acupressure, reiki, remedial, swedish, and body-mind-massage. 

Our qualified Osteopath, Alexis, offers a drug free, minimally invasive, “hands on” treatment focusing on the musculoskeletal system with its associated muscles, tendons, ligaments, membranes, bones and joints. Alexis takes a functional approach. This means that she focuses on the way a component (body part, tissue or group of tissues) performs its role, as well as the way the body works, performs and integrates as a whole. Our team can support you to improve your posture and therefore your overall health.

ional advice or care. Please seek the advice of a qualified health professional before you make any changes to your health regime, before dealing with new symptoms, and, if something you have read here has raised any questions or concerns regarding your situation.

Detoxification is another word for cleansing the body of toxins. You are exposed to toxins every day – in the food you eat, the water you drink and bathe in, the air you breathe, in products you use on your skin or to clean with and more. It’s impossible to avoid exposure to toxins, but the body in its wisdom, has many actions that allow it to neutralise these toxins and remove them from harms way. While these toxins are present, un-processed, in your system, they create damage, affecting the function of cells damaged as well as inflammation. If the body has all the nutrients required and a detoxification system that is fully functioning (not hindered in any part of the process), then these toxins will be removed , somewhat easily. If however, there is a block in the process, toxins build up. This block, can just be a bottleneck, due to an overload of toxins compared with the speed at which the body can process them. While there are many parts to this process, there is ONE component that you can easily keep an eye on and do something about if it gets sluggish… This is the ONE thing that you MUST ensure is working when you proform any detox… or yor detox, whether you know it or not, won’t be useful or health giving! So what is this ONE thing? 

Want to read the transcript instead?

Here it is…

Have you ever thought about doing a detox –  for General Health; to Reduce Fat; or specifically to help Improve a Health Condition? If so let me tell you the one thing that you need to make sure that you do no matter what detox you choose!

Hi I’m Alexis Weiland, osteopath at BlossomingMe.

if you’d like to recap on my previous Health Focus chats and see how circulation and the lymphatics are both essential to detoxification, please go to our blog page to our YouTube channel or scroll through our Facebook page, but for now let’s jump to the end stage of the digestive system and see how digestion is important and in fact essential to the detoxification process. I’m going to ignore how we create improve digestion or even identify the signs of poor digestion and look straight at the large intestines. If digestion is slow, incomplete, creates lots of gas, or moves just with difficulty through the digestive tract, or worse it gets sticky and so you get buildup of Gunk along the digestive …sorry… the intestinal lining, or you get constipation, (and this Gunk build up, and, uh, backup can happen even when you have, uh, regular bowel movements). Then extra load is placed on your bowels; there is increased pressure and stretch – which can cause discomfort and pain; there is build up of the waste in the bowels, that you’re trying to push through, which makes your body have to work much harder. Plus the longer the faeces stays in the bowels, the more water is removed, making the faeces harder. And this means that you have to work even harder still to push everything through, to remove it.

AND, during its Extended Stay, there’s two other important things that happen: undigested food that remains in your faeces can putrefy, creating further toxins; and, both these new toxins, and any toxins that are already present in your faeces can both become can both reabsorb into the bloodstream via the intestinal lining.

This single point is the one reason that every detoxification program that you do must always include a way to directly and completely get the bowels empty… during the beginning of the program as well as throughout the program. If you don’t, then any toxins that are sitting there, uh, waiting removal, from your detoxification program, that your body has worked so hard to remove is likely to be reabsorbed.

This means that your body has to work harder still trying to – recapture these toxins; re-inactivate them; and bind them; and either try to remove them again or if they can’t complete that process then store them in fat tissue.

This is the reason that people will feel tired; sick; or (just or) achy; or just yuck, during their detox!  As your body is chasing its tail trying to recapture and inactivate these toxins again, it causes damage to the cells to the mitochondria and to tissues – reducing function from anything (tissue) that’s been damaged; and putting extra stress on your immune system – as your immune system has to re-inactivate any potentially dangerous pathogens or toxins.

So, this will lead to the feeling of you having a cold or a flu, or to other aches and pains from the inflammation that’s created.

So if you’re doing a detox you need to allow your body to fully and completely remove the toxins that you’re clearing out of your cells. You need to allow your detoxification system to catch up from any of the overload that it’s had over that period of … over your previous period of time since your last detox or since forever. 

if you don’t give it that time to catch up and you don’t give it that rest time during the detox then sadly the aim that you were creating with doing the detox – to allow your body to remove extra toxins is sadly not happening. But further, people are often trying to lose weight by doing a detox, and if toxins re-enter your system, then your body… if your body does not have enough antioxidants and other nutrients to again neutralise and again bind, so that it can completely leave, then your body has no choice but to keep itself safe by encapsulating those toxins into the fat tissue. Meaning that you won’t lose weight in fact you’ll probably gain more weight you might still lose …sorry, let me just be clear – you won’t lose any FAT, in fact you’ll probably gain extra fat. You will probably still lose weight, but that will likely be water loss and possibly even muscle loss. So this is why, when you do a detox, it doesn’t matter which detox you do, but you want to focus on one that’s right for you; and you don’t need a drastic approach.

You just need to eat cleanly

You need to remove all irritants and allergens from your diet

You need to eat extra vegetation, especially those dark green leafy vegetables

and you need to just do some simple things that stimulate your body’s natural detoxification processes including natural ways to clear your bowels

This allows your body to be able to neutralise and bind and completely remove any toxins that it worked so hard to remove from your cells.

Ensuring that you start with a real food-based detox or even maybe a juice fast is really important because these ensure that you get the extra nutrients needed for your body to completely detoxify effectively!

I hope you found this helpful

(though I’m not actually sure if it’s worked given that my computer is saying something strange, I’m hoping all is okay)

anyway… I hope you found it interesting and please if you found it useful, please like and comment and share

Also I have just created a detox program so if you’d be interested in finding out more, I will add a link in the comments section that you can go to, to find out about my 14 …14 day Whole Food detoxification process to allow you to BOOST YOUR ENERGY!

(Video went strange…)

That’s all for now, have a great day!

Bye for now

Interested in further reading?

To find out a little more about detoxification, see what Dr Cabot has to say.

Two factors you need to address at the begging of any foundational approach to building vital and glowing health that is sustainable are your circulation and your lymphatics. Find out why your lymphatics are an under-estimated part of any health solution, what’s all the fuss is about lymphatics… and how circulation is involved in pain, as well as one thing you can do daily to support good circulation

Find out how Mitochondria are important in the health of each cell… another foundational part of True Health

Poor Circulation Symptoms

Anaemia

Peripheral Vascular Disease

About Blossoming Me

BlossomingMe offers a fully integrated approach to your wellbeing. Located on Sydney’s Upper North Shore. Sarah is our Craniosacral and Remedial Massage Therapist and health and lifestyle coach. She can help relieve those problematic knots, tightness and other specific ailments to promote a healthy recovery. These complementary massage therapies can be combined to suit your needs, and include: craniosacral therapy, shiatsu, acupressure, reiki, remedial, swedish, and body-mind-massage. 

Our qualified Osteopath, Alexis, offers a drug free, minimally invasive, “hands on” treatment focusing on the musculoskeletal system with its associated muscles, tendons, ligaments, membranes, bones and joints. Alexis takes a functional approach. This means that she focuses on the way a component (body part, tissue or group of tissues) performs its role, as well as the way the body works, performs and integrates as a whole. Our team can support you to improve your posture and therefore your overall health.

ional advice or care. Please seek the advice of a qualified health professional before you make any changes to your health regime, before dealing with new symptoms, and, if something you have read here has raised any questions or concerns regarding your situation.

A well functioning Lymphatic system is essential to health, and yet it is an area that is often not discussed. So what is the fuss then? Well if you don’t realise the importance of the lymphatic system and you don’t know that there are things you can do to support it… then you might be needlessly suffering with pain or stiffness or excess weight or swollen limbs. So what things can affect the lymphatic system, what symptoms do we get when it isn’t functioning so well and how do we know when we need to support our own lymphatic system?

Want to read the transcript instead?

Here it is…

Are your lymphatics an often ignored Secret in your Health?

So the lymphatic system…affects many things. How will you know if it’s a major component in your health and why is it seen as so important? To find these answers please watch on.

Hi I’m Alexis Weidland, osteopath at BlossomingMe. As an osteopath I focus on optimising the movement of fluid. This can help to reduce pain and swelling; increase healing; support lymphedema after surgery and Cancer Treatments; and improve your overall health.

So what can affect the lymphatic system?

Genetics; surgery; radiation; some other medical interventions; scar tissue; tissue or vessel damage; poor circulation; posture; and tissue strains; and anything that increases the load on your lymphatics such as sluggish… sluggish detoxification; reduced cardiovascular function; or high toxic load.

Genetics:

Genetic mutations that cause dysfunction in methylation or other absorption issues as well as detoxification issues and including those that make people more susceptible to mold will create many negative effects. This will adversely affect your immune system; increase your likelihood of toxicity from mold, heavy metals, and more; disrupt cellular nutrition; and cellular function; and just generally add increased load and therefore stress on your lymphatic system.

Primary Lymphoedema

Hereditary disorders such as Meige and Milroy disorders cause genetic mutations and poor lymphatic tissue cell structure. These will cause primary lymphedema.

Secondary Lymphoedema

The damage to your lymphatic tissues your lymphatic system from surgery, radiation, and other medical interventions will cause structural damage to your lymphatic tissues and as a result will increase the pressure. Making it harder for the lymph to move along its path. This causes sluggish movement and congestion. Swelling, deformity and pain will result. This is called secondary lymphedema and it’s common after radiation and surgery that is common in treatment of, for example, breast cancer. Where they use lumpectomy mastectomy and often axillary node-ectomy which is the nodes under your arms, as well as radiation, to reduce the number of cancer cells.

Anything that increases lymphatic load

Because the lymphatic system is part of our rubbish Disposal system, anything that adds to the amount of rubbish that our body needs to use energy to process to inactivate and to move and remove, will increase the work of our lymphatic system. Increasing the risk that our lymphatic system can become overloaded and then sluggish in its ability to move and remove everything. So any illness then where the organs of detoxification or circular… circulatory system are affected will increase the load on your lymphatic system increasing our likelihood of lymphatics becoming slow, sluggish and struggling.

What makes our Lymphatics so vulnerable to issues

So because the lymphatic vessels contain no musculature in them, it’s dependent on movement to pump the fluid around. This coupled with the lack of vessels in, sorry –  of valves in the vessels, makes it more susceptible to gravitational pressures. So a lack of movement then such as exercise, and mobility in general, will increase the stress and reduce the effectiveness of your lymphatic system to be able to work okay.

What are some complications when it isn’t working properly?

So there are a lot of things that can actually affect your lymphatic system … but What can go wrong and… if your lymphatic system is not functioning effectively?

Reduced Immune System

So because your lymphatic system is a major part of your immune system you’re more likely to be at risk of cancers, as your body is less able to neutralise and remove overactive cells. You can also have a dampened immune response, meaning that you’re more easily able to catch any illness that you come in contact with. So this may result in you suffering recurrent colds and flus, or another presentation might be regular episodes of tonsillitis or laryngitis or ear infections.

Infection

With more severe lymphatic disruptions like stage 3 lymphedema, infections such as lymphagitis which is the infection in the lymphatic vessels themselves and cellulitis or an infection in the deeper layers of the skin and fat tissues, are more common. These both cause swelling, redness, and pain, and can be dangerous if left untreated…

Doesn’t sound so fabulous!

How do we know when We have an issue with our Lymphatic system?

So how can we identify if you may have a problem with your lymphatic system?

if you seem to continually get sick; or have regular swelling and deep aches in your legs especially after standing, after exercising, or at the end of the day, you may likely have a sluggishness and a struggling lymphatic system.

if you notice swelling reduce range of movement and a dull pain in your neck. Maybe nasal congestion, ear pain, headaches, even visual disturbances, pressure in your sinuses, and even it can affect breathing, swallowing, and talking – All of these could be signs that you may have reduced lymphatic flow and function within your head and neck.

A First Sign

Often one of the earlier signs of lymphatic disruption is when you have things like swelling in the extremities especially after exercising, at the end of the day, and pitting edema.

Pitting edema

Is when there is a pit or a dent left in the skin when pressure is removed. So if you push on this … on the tissues above your ankle with your thumb for example, no dent should remain when you remove your thumb. If it does you have what’s classified as stage one lymphedema. Another thing to identify that, would be if you… when you take your socks off the lines of your socks remain (on your skin)

A limb that is affected by lymphedema may have symptoms initially just of pitting edema. Then you may notice skin discolouration changes, then swelling, reduced range of motion, a sense of heaviness, a dull ache, pain, blisters, fluid leaking from the skin, and infection. 

Other Signs

Also if you have poor circulation, any illness that affects the healthy functioning of your immune system, a reduced detoxification system, or if you struggle to lose weight, then you likely have a lymphatic system that could use assistance!

I hope you guys found this helpful?!  Please remember to comment, like, and share. If you have any questions please send them in the comments section so that I can answer them for you. If you’d like my e-guide “5 ways to move your lymph” comment “yes” below and I will get that to you.

Next week I’ll be discussing detoxification so if you have any specific questions please comment them or email us at nurturing@blossomingme.com.au

That’s all for now, have a great day!

Bye for now

Interested in further reading?

Find out how Mitochondria are important in the health of each cell… another foundational part of True Health

Poor Circulation Symptoms

Anaemia

Peripheral Vascular Disease

About Blossoming Me

BlossomingMe offers a fully integrated approach to your wellbeing. Located on Sydney’s Upper North Shore. Sarah is our Craniosacral and Remedial Massage Therapist and health and lifestyle coach. She can help relieve those problematic knots, tightness and other specific ailments to promote a healthy recovery. These complementary massage therapies can be combined to suit your needs, and include: craniosacral therapy, shiatsu, acupressure, reiki, remedial, swedish, and body-mind-massage. 

Our qualified Osteopath, Alexis, offers a drug free, minimally invasive, “hands on” treatment focusing on the musculoskeletal system with its associated muscles, tendons, ligaments, membranes, bones and joints. Alexis takes a functional approach. This means that she focuses on the way a component (body part, tissue or group of tissues) performs its role, as well as the way the body works, performs and integrates as a whole. Our team can support you to improve your posture and therefore your overall health.

**Disclaimer** The information provided by BlossomingMe, on our website, in our courses, and in our blogs and posts, is for educational and informational purposes only. The information provided on this site and social outlets is not, nor intended to be, a substitute for profess

ional advice or care. Please seek the advice of a qualified health professional before you make any changes to your health regime, before dealing with new symptoms, and, if something you have read here has raised any questions or concerns regarding your situation.

A well functioning Lymphatic system is essential to health, and yet it is an area that is often not discussed. So what is the fuss then? Well if you don’t realise the importance of the lymphatic system and you don’t know that there are things you can do to support it… then you might be needlessly suffering with pain or stiffness or excess weight or swollen limbs. So first we need to understand what the lymphatic system is, how it works and what it does. Then next week we can dig into what happens when the lymphatic system isn’t working well and what you can do, at home, to support your own healing journey.

Want to read the transcript instead?

Here it is…

Have you ever been told that you have a sluggish lymphatic system or that your body just holds water? Maybe you take a diuretic? Maybe you struggle to lose weight? Or notice that you often have swelling in your ankles or the extremities of your limbs?

If so please keep watching and I’ll share a little bit about the lymphatic system and how it could be an answer for you

Hi, I’m Alexis Weidland, osteopathic at BlossomingMe. As an osteopath, I focus on optimising movement of fluid. This helps to reduce pain and swelling as well as increase healing. It supports lymphedema after surgery and Cancer Treatments and it improves all areas of Health.

Cells are filled with fluid and our cells are also bathed in fluid – this is the extracellular space. The cells take their nutrients from here as well as leaving their waste metabolites behind. It’s now actually been shown that the health of this environment, the extracellular space, is a major factor in the signaling process of healthy …signaling process of cells and not just that, but it’s able to switch on and off genes. So it’s of vital importance to our health. Some of this fluid is returned directly to the venous system where it goes through the kidneys and is filtered and then removed. Some however, stays behind in this extracellular space and that is where the lymphatic system is responsible for mopping up this excess and ensuring correct balance.

So if debris and excess fluid are not mopped up properly by this clever little waste system then we can get oedema, which is swelling… in a specific location. This can be short term, such as at the end of pregnancy, we notice it in women’s ankles or it could be long-term and chronic. This often happens for example when the lymphatic system is actually damaged after radiation or surgery and this can lead to a chronic condition that we call lymphedema.

So what then is our lymphatic system and how does it work?

Well, the lymphatic system is like a network of tiny tubes or roads. It has nodules or nodes, uh, like collecting stations; and organs that are like the building and maintenance depots. The roads carry the lymphatic truss … sorry the lymphatic trucks with waste, toxins, pathogens, and debris to the collecting stations. The collecting stations are small areas where the lymphatic fluid collects and waits and in this location our innate and acquired immune system begin to do their jobs and they neutralize and inactivate pathogens before it’s then…before it’s then drained into the lymph… sorry… into the venous system and from there it’s moved through the kidneys and filtered further and then removed. The organs or the Depots in this analogy, are the monitoring system and they detect and respond to pathogens and malignant cells. And this is also where our lymphocytes and macrophages or white blood cells, that do the fighting of the infection and that help assist with tissue healing, are actually produced.

So the lymphatic system then is made up of:

The lymphatic trucks

or the lymph fluid, which contains water; proteins; fats; sugars; salts or electrolytes; and the immune cells.

The lymphatic vessels

in this analogy are the roads, in which the fluid travels.

The primary lymphoid organs

are the building and maintenance depots in this analogy, and this is where the B and T lymphocytes are produced. So these include the Bone Marrow and the Thymus Gland.

The Secondary Lymphoid Organs

are the collecting stations in this analogy and this includes the Thymus, the Spleen, the Lymph Nodes, the Adenoids, the Tonsils, the Appendix and in the gut we’ve got the Mesenteric Lymph Nodes as well as the Peyer’s Patches. And this is where three of main functions occur…

3 Main Functions of the Secondary Lymphoid Tissues

So in our secondary system we have the maturation of our lymphocytes; we have the collection and filtration of the lymph tissue… sorry of the lymph fluid; and we have the immune activity. And when our immune system is activated this is where we get an extra collection of the lymph tissue that’s active …sorry again, lymph fluid which is active in our nodes and this causes the swelling that is characteristic and present in many infections and illnesses.

So what functions exactly does the lymph system perform

As I’ve I’ve touched on these so I’m going to just expand a little further…

first the lymphatic system is a major part of our immune system. Both the innate and the acquired immune functions occur within the lymphatic system. So the body neutralises and engulfs basic unwatered particles allowing them to be safely removed, this is our innate response. And then the acquired immune response identifies and remembers specific bacteria and viruses and inactivates them in a targeted manner.

Our immune cells including the macrophages and B and T lymphocytes and they are produced in our lymphatic tissues they mature in our lymphatic tissues and they’re active then, within this Lymphatic Road Network.

Second the absorption of fats and fat soluble nutrients from the intestines is made possible within the lymphatic tissues itself in the small intestine.

The lymphatic system monitors and balances our extracellular fluid allowing the cells to be nourished and not sitting in waste – avoiding toxin and waste buildup and debris that just gets in the way – essentially, is toxic. Further it ensures that the electrolyte balance is maintained and this allows proper hydration of the cells. This well-balanced, nutrient-rich pool allows the cells to access nutrients when they need it as well as effectively removes the waste, just like an efficient rubbish service on our roads in our cities. So they use the roads to keep our houses, or our cells as well as the city, or our body clean. So the lymphatics are then essential for hydration of the cells as well as cellular nutrition and waste removal.

The third essential role of our lymphatic system is the fluid balance and Flow, what I mean by this is when the lymphatic system is working properly the amount of extracellular fluid is enough to keep the cells nourished and safe without there being any excess and and swelling or toxic sludge around the cells. The lymphatic system works in conjunction with our circulatory system; our liver; our kidneys; and our endocrine or hormone systems to keep this fluid balance in our body and when the fluid is kept moving effectively everything is on the healthy side but when this doesn’t work so well and the fluid doesn’t move quickly enough there isn’t enough turnaround, so you get congestion, you end up with swelling. This as I just said is like a form of congestion, and stagnation of fluid which leads to an accumulation of debris or unwanted waste and metabolites as well as pathogens and this reduces the cell’s ability to perform its everyday tasks as well as its ability to heal; it also increases exposure to inflammatory chemicals which will lead to inflammation and pain; and further it increases the likelihood of infection.

The buildup of fluid also adds to the strain on our heart, as the volume of water sits in our extracellular space and limbs instead of in the arteries. This creates thicker blood which is harder to push around. This increased resistance means a higher blood pressure.

So finally as a sort of a combination of all of those it shows that the lymphatic system is an integral part of our natural detoxification system. It acts as a filter; it carries wastes and toxins and debris; it inactivates pathogens; and it helps to transport them for elimination.

As you can see, the lymphatic system performs functions that are vital to our everyday existence and it supports or in fact is essential to the healthy functioning of our circulatory system, our cellular health and hydration and nutrition, our immune system, and our detoxification.

So if you hold fluid or if you have heavy, swollen limbs or if you have trouble losing weight or if you generally have pain and inflammatory states. Then working to support your lymphatic system is essential.

I hope that you found this informative and helpful and if so I’d love you to please comment or like or share .

if you have any questions please make sure to comment those so I can assist you

And if you’d be interested in accessing my 5 ways to Move your lymph guide ,please comment YES and I’ll DM you.

Thank you so much for watching, next week I’ll be discussing a little bit further about the, um, what affects our lymphatic system and how do we know if it’s not working properly… Until then, bye for now.

Interested in further reading?

Find out how Mitochondria are important in the health of each cell… another foundational part of True Health

Poor Circulation Symptoms

Anaemia

Peripheral Vascular Disease

About Blossoming Me

BlossomingMe offers a fully integrated approach to your wellbeing. Located on Sydney’s Upper North Shore. Sarah is our Craniosacral and Remedial Massage Therapist and health and lifestyle coach. She can help relieve those problematic knots, tightness and other specific ailments to promote a healthy recovery. These complementary massage therapies can be combined to suit your needs, and include: craniosacral therapy, shiatsu, acupressure, reiki, remedial, swedish, and body-mind-massage. 

Our qualified Osteopath, Alexis, offers a drug free, minimally invasive, “hands on” treatment focusing on the musculoskeletal system with its associated muscles, tendons, ligaments, membranes, bones and joints. Alexis takes a functional approach. This means that she focuses on the way a component (body part, tissue or group of tissues) performs its role, as well as the way the body works, performs and integrates as a whole. Our team can support you to improve your posture and therefore your overall health.

**Disclaimer** The information provided by BlossomingMe, on our website, in our courses, and in our blogs and posts, is for educational and informational purposes only. The information provided on this site and social outlets is not, nor intended to be, a substitute for profess

ional advice or care. Please seek the advice of a qualified health professional before you make any changes to your health regime, before dealing with new symptoms, and, if something you have read here has raised any questions or concerns regarding your situation.

Want to read the transcript instead?

Here it is…

Are you wanting to improve your General Health, whether or not you have any specific health conditions? If so please keep watching and I will share with you a little bit about circulation and how you can start building your health from the foundations up.

Hi I’m Alexis Weidland osteopath at BlossomingMe. As an osteopath for over 17 years I have come to respect the body more and more its intricate connections and the way it works together. My special interest with true foundational Health has only deepened and I love working with clients who are willing to take action to improve their health.

Circulation is essential for healthy cells; tissues; organs; and systems. In order to have good circulation we need healthy blood vessels that can allow the blood flow, unimpeded by plaques; that constrict and dilate as needed; a strong healthy heart; good oxygen supply; and (healthy blood, healthy,) healthy blood cells that don’t clump together, that are produced correctly, that are not destroyed too fast, and that can effectively transport oxygen to the cells.

Issues in any of those above things can result in one form of anemia or a perfusion problem, and this will result in substantial circulation issues. If anything (everything) from that above list is within acceptable limits, then you won’t have a medical condition that is directly affecting your circulation. But there is a range between a diagnosable medical condition and your optimal circulation.

So if you have anemia or a perfusion issue then you need to start there before you can move to your next step in re-creating your health. Ensuring that you have the nutrients for good blood circulation; and production; oxygenation; and supporting a strong heart; as well as flexible, plaque free vessels is essential.

You may need to be taking medications but it’s always best where possible to minimize the dosage of your medications by optimizing what you can via diet and lifestyle.

Do you have varicose veins… anywhere? Varicose veins occur in locations where there is an increase in pressure and twisting, affecting one or a few veins. The twists and strains will cause increased local pressure which will cause the muscles of the vein to weaken. The one-way valves in your veins then may no longer work properly, allowing the blood to flow backwards and this increases the blood volume and the pressure in the lower parts of your body. This can cause an increased likelihood of veins to bulge and limb swelling.

The American Heart blood and lung Institute states that sitting and standing for a long period of time… is a risk factor for varicose veins and I would put that another way… is a risk factor for putting pressure and strains on all body tissues including blood vessels.

Western medicine sees this twisting and increased pressure on the veins in am, in more obvious Health Threatening Conditions, but this same basic principle occurs on a smaller limit (no) a smaller level also. This is where the same thing is occurring in any one or many parts of the body but your body isn’t (no) IS essentially coping with it…  but “coping” isn’t the same as “happy”.

So back to creating true health … Once you know that your blood is oxygenated and it’s getting where it needs to go, the next step is to ensure that the veins and the lymphatic system are able to return the blood to the heart, and to mop up all excess fluid from surrounding the cells. Your arteries have strong muscles within the walls. Veins however do not have any muscles and as I said earlier they do have one-way valves that assist the movement in the correct flow (direction). Lymphatic vessels don’t have one-way valves and they don’t have any muscles at all. They rely solely on external muscles such as the calf muscles, and therefore activity, to move the fluid back to where it will rejoin the venous system ,where it can then move to the kidneys to be processed and then excreted.

So our next step in building true, sustainable health, is to improve venous return and lymphatic function. How do we do this the best way is to keep active and avoid periods of longer than 20 minutes of sitting or standing in one position.

So you could do this by setting a regular alarm on your phone and every 20 minutes go and get a glass of water; go to the toilet; do a few stretches; or take a few deep breaths. Each 20 minute break really only needs to be about 30 seconds long and then every hour or three 20-minute Cycles take an extra five minute break where you can increase your movement further.

I hope that you have found this helpful and if so please comment, like, or share… and if you’d like a copy of my circulation booster from home cheat sheet please comment CHEAT SHEET below.

Thank you so much for watching!

Next time I will be discussing the lymphatic system, what it does and how it’s affected.

Till then bye for now.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20351360

Interested in further reading?

Find out how Mitochondria are important in the health of each cell… another foundational part of True Health

For more about circulation… Check these out

Poor Circulation Symptoms

Anaemia

Peripheral Vascular Disease

About Blossoming Me

BlossomingMe offers a fully integrated approach to your wellbeing. Located on Sydney’s Upper North Shore. Sarah is our Craniosacral and Remedial Massage Therapist and health and lifestyle coach. She can help relieve those problematic knots, tightness and other specific ailments to promote a healthy recovery. These complementary massage therapies can be combined to suit your needs, and include: craniosacral therapy, shiatsu, acupressure, reiki, remedial, swedish, and body-mind-massage. 

Our qualified Osteopath, Alexis, offers a drug free, minimally invasive, “hands on” treatment focusing on the musculoskeletal system with its associated muscles, tendons, ligaments, membranes, bones and joints. Alexis takes a functional approach. This means that she focuses on the way a component (body part, tissue or group of tissues) performs its role, as well as the way the body works, performs and integrates as a whole. Our team can support you to improve your posture and therefore your overall health.

**Disclaimer** The information provided by BlossomingMe, on our website, in our courses, and in our blogs and posts, is for educational and informational purposes only. The information provided on this site and social outlets is not, nor intended to be, a substitute for profess

ional advice or care. Please seek the advice of a qualified health professional before you make any changes to your health regime, before dealing with new symptoms, and, if something you have read here has raised any questions or concerns regarding your situation.