# What ways are there for a person to clean out their lymph system

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ways-are-there-for-a-person-to-clean-out-their-lymph-system/319959>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 4, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ways-are-there-for-a-person-to-clean-out-their-lymph-system/319959 "2005-09-04T00:47:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ways-are-there-for-a-person-to-clean-out-their-lymph-system/319959/1 "2005-09-04T00:47:23Z")

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I have heard regular exercise, massage and deep breathing help get lymph flowing, is there anything else a person can do to improve circulation or movement in the lymphatic system?

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**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ways-are-there-for-a-person-to-clean-out-their-lymph-system/319959/2 "2005-09-04T02:42:37Z")

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A healthy lymphatic system doesn’t need any help.  
The exceptions are, parasite infestation (ex. Elephantiasis or [Lymphatic Filariasis](http://www.who.int/topics/elephantiasis_filarial/en/) , Removal of the lymph nodes in an area, (ex. If the axillary nodes are removed because of breast cancer, the the patient develops [lymphedema](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10219851&dopt=Citation).)  
Or occlusion (as in [SVC Syndrome](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Retrieve&list_uids=90253058&dopt=Citation))  
Occasionally a single lymph node will become engorged, but it rarely (if ever) interferes with the normal function of the lymph system.

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**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ways-are-there-for-a-person-to-clean-out-their-lymph-system/319959/3 "2005-09-04T02:51:22Z")

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I’m not sure there’s anything else “to get lymph moving” other than what you mentioned.

You may be interested in [this paper](http://bja.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/91/2/265). In particular, take a peek at the section entitled, **"Dynamics of Lymph Flow"**

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**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ways-are-there-for-a-person-to-clean-out-their-lymph-system/319959/4 "2005-09-04T03:59:16Z")

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If you have a blocked lymph vessel, trust me, you’re going to know it. If your legs are of a somewhat normal size and your scotum isn’t the size of a basketball, you probably don’t have anything to worry about.