Interview to Dr. Denisa Giardini, president of A.I.D.M.O.V.
Prevention to avoid oedematous situations, to contrast the accumulation of liquids and prevent the formation of cellulite relies on a life in which rational movement is an integral part of the day; balanced diet and herbal supplementation are the right energy supply and the relaxing massage is the technique that guarantees the functionality of the reflux. We are well aware of the problems related to movement, it has always been discussed; the saying "in motu est vita" (in movement there is life) has become the axiom of well-being. Equally discussed and approved are the indications that the science of nutrition ratifies to maintain the well-being. It is also accepted that massage, in its various technical forms, is synonymous with "enjoyment" and realizes that state of pleasant sensation that relaxes and de-stresses. An important aspect, however, is not known to most people and is not conveniently discussed in order to make it culture; we refer to the lymph, its circulation and how it can be helped to flow. Lymph or "white blood" is primarily responsible for the onset of stagnation, which often determines the appearance of the inflammatory state from accumulation of toxins and leads to edema and cellulite; it is the "poor cousin" of blood, but its importance is crucial to living well. Everyone knows that there is a blood circulation (with arteries and veins), with a heart that pumps and lungs that oxygenate, but very few know the lymph and what it is made from, how and where it is formed, how it circulates, where are the lymph node stations, where it goes! Lymph is, in everyday culture, a "mysterious object". We talk about lymph when we see a very swollen arm or swollen ankles, but we do not know the reasons and, if it happened to us, we would not know who to turn to for a selective treatment! There is a lot of talk about "lymphatic stagnation" or "lymphedema" or "cellulitis resulting from a disturbance of the lymphatic circulation", but the lymph continues to be, in the collective imagination, something that exists, but of which we only know the name! Only after a correct medical diagnosis, lymphatic decompensation appears in its alarming reality, because only a few hands can move it and make daily life more serene. Lymph is not massaged, but drained. It is not enough to do muscular kneading or controlled friction to put it back into circulation. The lymph must be "pushed" into its channels and made to arrive at the nodal collection stations with a very precise manual technique and absolutely calibrated for location, speed and pressure. Lymphatic drainage obeys very precise rules, canonized by in-depth scientific studies and made practical by strict teaching. The technical reasons that justify drainage have become "wellness science" and the way to teach how to functionalize the lymphatic pathway is entrusted to those who can justify its scientific nature. Lymphatic drainage is a "therapeutic moment" in which the exact medical diagnosis of access, manual sensitivity, technical precision and appropriate execution time come together. This is for therapeutic treatments. Is there, however, a preventive drainage? Is there a way to prevent the organization of the first form of retention, from which cellulite or initial lymphedema may arise? Is there a possibility to combine the drainage treatment with the intake of herbal preparations to increase the wellness effect?
It is not possible, with a short interview, to explain the complex world of lymph and its precious function. The purpose is to present those who, like Dr. Denisa Giardini, have dedicated their professional lives to the study of lymph and technical training in Vodder Manual Lymphatic Drainage. D. What is lymph? A. Lymph is a whitish liquid that flows in its own "channels", only in a centripetal sense (from the periphery to the center), at "low speed" (in some places of the body it is very slow) and is not driven by its own heart. Known by ancient Greek medicine and known by the Arab world, in mid-1600 the "venae lactae" were discovered on animals; after a century, the first mapping of lymphatic vessels of a lower limb was made, and only in 1876 the first, scientific and still valid mapping of lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes of the whole body was drawn. In the meantime, methods of examining the paths and velocities of lymph were experimented with, culminating in modern lymphoscintigraphy. D. What is Vodder Manual Lymphatic Drainage? A. Dr. Emil Vodder named lymph massage "drainage" because it is the act of draining away stagnant fluid (in hydraulic engineering, the action of draining away excess fluid is called drainage).