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Supportive lymphatic care · South Berkeley
I do not want to be the only person working on you.
If you are living with something chronic, you have almost certainly been failed by somebody. Your doctor may genuinely not have the time, the training or the energy for what you are dealing with. I can help, and I want to, but the first thing I will ask is who else is on your team, because you deserve one.
- Approach
- Supportive, alongside your team
- Focus
- Toxin clearance, nervous system
- Also important
- A good medical practitioner
- First step
- A free phone call with me
How I think about this
Two jobs, and only one of them is mine.
Your body cannot heal, or even digest properly, while it is stuck in fight-or-flight. A great many people with chronic illness have been living there for years, because pain and uncertainty and not being believed are all things a nervous system reads as danger. Getting you into a parasympathetic state is not a nice extra. It is the ground everything else stands on.
The second job is helping with the clearance of what your body is trying to get rid of. That is a real and specific role, and it is genuinely useful alongside proper medical care.
What I will not do is pretend to be the whole answer. I want you to have a naturopath, or an acupuncturist who does herbal medicine, or a functional medicine doctor, and a good medical practitioner who will run the tests so you actually know what you are dealing with.
I really want someone like that to have a team.
What I work with
Named plainly, because people search for these.
I have worked with all of these. None of them is something I treat. All of them are things I can support.
Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue
Two of the most common reasons people find me, and two of the most commonly dismissed.
Lyme and co-infections
Including the neurological and psychiatric presentations, which are frequently the last thing anyone connects.
Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis
Autoimmune conditions where inflammation and fluid are part of daily life.
EDS and POTS
Frequently together. Gentle is not a compromise here, it is a requirement.
Mold and chemical sensitivity
Where the work is largely about supporting clearance while you deal with the exposure itself.
PTSD and nervous system load
Not a lymphatic condition, but the parasympathetic work is often the most useful hour of someone's week.
What to expect
Slow, gentle, and honest.
With chronic illness I go slowly. Some bodies respond strongly to lymphatic work and need less than you would expect, particularly with EDS, POTS or significant fatigue. I would far rather under-do a first session than have you flattened for three days.
We agree what we are watching for, and we adjust based on what actually happened rather than what should have happened.
Bring me your medications and your diagnoses. Not so I can comment on them, but because they change how I work.
Worth saying plainly
Where my part ends.
I do not treat or diagnose anything
I am not a medical provider. I will never tell you what you have or what to take.
I will not tell you to stop anything
Not medications, not treatments, not your doctor. That is not my place and it never will be.
I am one part of your care
If you do not have a good medical practitioner, my most useful contribution may be helping you find one.
I cannot promise a response
Some people feel a great deal from this work and some feel little. We will find out honestly, and I will tell you if I do not think it is helping.
Before you call
Questions I get asked.
Can lymphatic drainage help fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue?
It can help some people considerably, mostly through nervous system regulation and supporting clearance. It is not a treatment for either condition, and I will not tell you it is. We start gently and find out.
I have EDS and POTS. Is this safe?
Usually, and it is often very well tolerated because the pressure is so light. Tell me everything about your situation, including any positional issues, and we will go slowly.
Can this help with mold or chemical exposure?
It can support your body in clearing what it is dealing with. It does not address the exposure itself, which is where your medical practitioner and, quite possibly, a building professional come in.
Do I need a diagnosis?
No. Plenty of people arrive still trying to get one. What I do want is that you have someone medical in your corner, and I will say so if you do not.
How many sessions before I know?
Usually a few. With chronic illness I would rather build up slowly than push, and we will be honest with each other about whether it is worth continuing.
Will it flare me up?
It can if we go too hard, which is exactly why we do not. Tell me how the last session left you and I will adjust.
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The next step
Tell me what you are dealing with.
Fifteen free minutes on the phone with me. Tell me what is going on, what you have already tried, and who is on your team. I will tell you honestly whether I can help and, if there is a gap in your care, what I would be looking for.