Manual Lymphatic Drainage
MLD The Vodder Method MLD | At Sunshine City Massage and Spa in St. Pete, FL

Manual Lymphatic Drainage feels unlike any other bodywork you have had. The touch is light, slow, and rhythmic, almost hypnotic in its repetition. The pressure is gentle enough to move only the skin, never compressing the deeper layers, yet precise enough to shift how fluid moves through your body. It is a therapy of flow: helping the lymphatic system clear what it has been holding onto, and supporting the circulation that carries it away.

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WHAT IS
MANUAL LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE?
at SUNSHINE CITY MASSAGE and SPA in ST. PETE, FL

Clients often describe the sensation as soothing and wave like. The repeated, rhythmic strokes lull the nervous system into deep rest, and it is common to drift into a meditative or near sleep state during a session. That same rhythmic, stop and release quality also tends to ease discomfort, since light, repetitive touch has a naturally calming effect on how the body registers pain. Afterward, most people report feeling clearer, calmer, and noticeably lighter, sometimes with visibly reduced puffiness through the face and body.

Manual Lymphatic Drainage feels unlike any other form of bodywork. The touch is incredibly light, slow, and rhythmic, almost hypnotic in its repetition.

The pressure is gentle enough to move the skin without compressing the deeper layers, yet powerful enough to shift the body’s internal flow.

Clients often describe the sensation as soothing and wave-like. The movements lull the nervous system into deep rest, and it is common to drift into a meditative or dreamlike state. The repeated stop-and-go rhythm of each stroke has a mild analgesic effect, confusing the pain signals of the central nervous system while reducing inflammation in the tissues. The result is a deep sense of comfort and relief that feels both physical and emotional.

Afterward, people report feeling clear, calm, and noticeably lighter. You may also see visible changes such as reduced puffiness, more defined facial contours, and a subtle softening through areas that were once congested. The skin appears brighter, the eyes less tired, and the body feels refreshed from the inside out.

Post-surgical and post-injury recovery

Supports the body through healing by easing swelling and inflammation, minimizes bruising, and helps to boost immune response.

Lymphedema support

A cornerstone technique for maintaining lymphatic flow, including after lymph node removal or cancer related surgery, always alongside your medical team’s care.

Chronic inflammation and fluid retention

Clients managing autoimmune conditions or long standing water retention often report feeling less swollen and more comfortable after a series of sessions, in coordination with their physician.

Digestive comfort and bloating

Manual Lymphatic Drainage can help ease bloating and encourages the nervous system to enter into parasympathetic mode which is when our body rests, digests, renews, and restores itself.

Skin health and facial clarity

Improved circulation and lymphatic flow that supports a brighter, less puffy complexion. Regular MLD can help facilitate clearer and brighter skin because our lymphatic system is responsible for detoxification and without proper lymphatic flow skin can become dull and is more prone to acne.

Nervous system regulation

A shift into parasympathetic rest, the state the body relies on for digestion, repair, and recovery.

IVF and fertility preparation

Jordan works alongside acupuncturists who specialize in prenatal and fertility care, using MLD to help reduce inflammation and support optimal circulation ahead of IVF. Some clients have also used MLD as part of a broader approach to conception. Every case is different, and MLD is always a complement to your fertility team’s care, never a substitute for it.

Jordan has seen remarkable outcomes using MLD across many types of clients and conditions.

Pre-surgical optimization: 

Receiving MLD within 72 hours before surgery, and again as close to the procedure time as possible, can help prepare the body by reducing inflammation, improving circulation, and supporting the immune system for a smoother recovery

Post-surgical recovery: 

Clients recovering from cosmetic, orthopedic, and reconstructive procedures experience faster healing, reduced swelling, and improved scar mobility. MLD helps minimize swelling, bruising, and post-operative pain while enhancing comfort and range of motion. For best results, a series of five to seven sessions is recommended during the early healing phase.

Facial rejuvenation: 

A favorite among those seeking a natural, product-free glow. Regular MLD sessions visibly reduce puffiness, define the jawline, and promote clarity by moving stagnant fluid and improving microcirculation.

Chronic inflammation: 

Clients with autoimmune conditions or long-term water retention often notice measurable reductions in swelling, improved digestion, and increased energy after several sessions.

Stress and nervous system regulation: 

Many clients who live in chronic fight-or-flight mode find MLD to be one of the few therapies that fully resets their system. It promotes deep parasympathetic rest, the state where healing, digestion, and regeneration actually occur.

Lymphedema management: 

MLD remains a cornerstone in both clinical and integrative approaches for maintaining lymphatic flow, especially after lymph node removal or cancer-related surgeries.

Fertility and hormonal balance: 

Jordan collaborates with acupuncturists specializing in prenatal care to use MLD as part of fertility support. Treatments help prepare the body for IVF by reducing inflammation, improving circulation, and optimizing the internal environment for implantation. The same techniques have also helped women conceive naturally by encouraging hormonal balance, regulating the nervous system, and creating ideal conditions for conception.

Clients often describe a sense of renewed lightness and clarity after treatment, as if their entire body has exhaled.

Manual Lymphatic Drainage was developed in the 1930s by Danish physiotherapist Dr. Emil Vodder and his wife Estrid. While working in a clinic along the French Riviera, they noticed that many of their chronically ill patients had swollen lymph nodes and sluggish immune systems. Traditional massage was too heavy to help, so they began experimenting with feather-light, rhythmic skin movements that mimicked the body’s natural lymphatic pulse.

The results were immediate and surprising. Clients not only began to recover faster from illness, but their faces appeared thinner, more sculpted, and glowing with vitality. Word spread quickly through the Riviera, and soon local women began lining up, asking for the beauty treatment that left their faces radiant and refined.

Long before the medical community fully recognized its scientific value, it was the esthetic community that embraced the technique. European skincare specialists used it to improve tone, clarity, and the youthful lift of the skin, long before the lymphatic system itself was fully understood.

Vodder’s Manual Lymphatic Drainage techniques are the gold standard and has a century of laboratory studies backing up the results, yet it still feels like magic. It was developed before the lymphatic system was even fully mapped, which makes its accuracy and effectiveness even more remarkable.

Decades later, live dissection and imaging technology finally revealed the vast scope of the lymphatic network and confirmed what Vodder’s hands had discovered through intuition and observation.

Today, MLD is used in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, fertility clinics, and wellness practices around the world, recognized for its powerful effects on healing, immunity, and recovery.

The lymphatic system acts as the body’s inner cleansing network, responsible for moving fluid, filtering waste, and maintaining immune balance. Unlike the circulatory system, it has no pump. MLD provides that gentle mechanical encouragement, moving lymph fluid toward healthy nodes where it can be filtered and recirculated.

Each stroke follows a precise sequence and direction that mirrors the body’s natural lymph rhythm. The technique is pressure-regulated to avoid collapsing delicate lymphatic capillaries, allowing maximum flow and efficiency.

MLD calms the autonomic nervous system, shifting the body into parasympathetic rest. In this state, digestion, cellular repair, and immune function all improve. The rhythmic, stop-and-release nature of the work also produces a mild analgesic effect through dual mechanisms: first by confusing pain receptors in the central nervous system, and second through the reduction of inflammation that contributes to chronic discomfort.

The combined effects reduce swelling, ease pain, support detoxification, and enhance tissue health at the cellular level. When practiced consistently, MLD helps the body maintain fluid balance, hormonal regulation, resilience, and natural radiance from within.

MLD is both therapeutic and aesthetic. It is used in medical settings for post-surgical recovery and in spa environments for facial rejuvenation.

Before cosmetic procedures: 

MLD prepares tissue by reducing inflammation and increasing lymphatic flow, creating a healthier foundation for injectables or surgery.

After cosmetic procedures: 

It helps minimize swelling, bruising, and fluid buildup while supporting faster, more comfortable recovery.

MLD can be introduced as soon as incisions are closed and you are cleared by your surgeon. It is safe, gentle, and often recommended following any surgery to help alleviate inflammatin. For major surgeries or reconstructive procedures, timing and frequency depend on your body’s healing phase and your provider’s approval.

A MLD Series will usually yield the best results following major surgery.

In home mobile MLD appointments are possible with advanced notice when doing a post-operative series. Please reach out to Jordan well in advance to arrange for mobile appointments as scheduling in advance is crucial to ensure availability.

The technique for Vodder Manual Lymphatic Drainage is very gentle, but the effects it can have on the body are profound, it is contraindicated and should be avoided or modified in certain conditions:
• Congestive Heart Failure
• Active infection, fever, or untreated illness
• Open wounds or unclosed surgical sites
• Severe cardiac conditions
• Acute kidney failure or compromised renal function
• Active cancer or metastatic disease unless cleared by your oncologist
• Blood clots, thrombosis, or phlebitis
• Pregnancy complications or first-trimester pregnancy without medical clearance
If you have a medical condition or recent surgery, Jordan will tailor your session to ensure safety and optimal results.

Jordan is incredibly passionate about the benefits of Manual Lymphatic Drainage and incorporates it into his daily wellness regime. He is trained in the Vodder method of Manual Lymphatic Drainage, one of the most precise and respected forms of lymphatic therapy in the world. His approach combines anatomical understanding with intuitive touch, ensuring each session is both clinically effective and profoundly relaxing.

He often integrates MLD with advanced fascial techniques such as Connective Tissue Manipulation to support clients through recovery, regulation, and renewal. His goal is not only to reduce swelling or tension but to help the entire system find flow, balance, and vitality again.

At its essence, MLD is a therapy of flow. It reminds the body how to move with ease, clear what no longer serves it, and return to a state of effortless balance.

Book with Jordan

Manual Lymphatic Drainage
Lymphatic Flow and Node Clarity

We can help support your body’s natural detox pathways through targeted lymphatic care.
Anatomical diagram of the human lymphatic system showing lymph nodes and vessels, used to explain MLD therapy benefits.

The lymphatic system acts as the body’s inner cleansing network, responsible for moving fluid, filtering waste, and maintaining immune balance. Unlike the circulatory system, it has no pump. MLD provides that gentle mechanical encouragement, moving lymph fluid toward healthy nodes where it can be filtered and recirculated.

Each stroke follows a precise sequence and direction that mirrors the body’s natural lymph rhythm. The technique is pressure-regulated to avoid collapsing delicate lymphatic capillaries, allowing maximum flow and efficiency.

MLD calms the autonomic nervous system, shifting the body into parasympathetic rest. In this state, digestion, cellular repair, and immune function all improve. The rhythmic, stop-and-release nature of the work also produces a mild analgesic effect through dual mechanisms: first by confusing pain receptors in the central nervous system, and second through the reduction of inflammation that contributes to chronic discomfort.

The combined effects reduce swelling, ease pain, support detoxification, and enhance tissue health at the cellular level. When practiced consistently, MLD helps the body maintain fluid balance, hormonal regulation, resilience, and natural radiance from within.

Book with Jordan

READ GOOGLE REVIEWS
FROM REAL MLD CLIENTS at SUNSHINE CITY MASSAGE and SPA IN ST PETE

  • I just had a manual lymphatic drainage treatment by Jordan. I can’t adequately express the relief I feel right now. I’ve had many massages over the years and Jordan is the the best! This procedure is new to me. Jordan recommended it as part of my recovery from a broken ankle and surgery. I am amazed at the results; my ankle is literally pain free. I am looking forward to my next visit in a week or so. If you’re interested in MLD, Jordan is your man.

    I need to add that due to a heart condition, I was advised to get medical clearance prior to the MLD session. Jordan went above and beyond in assisting me with the process as it required some extra effort. He is very helpful, professional and knowledgeable. I feel like I am receiving the best care.
    Christopher Nee
  • I’ve been seen my Jordan for MLD a number of times while I was going through cancer treatment. He made me feel incredibly relaxed and well informed from the very first session I attended. He’s a wealth of knowledge when it comes to massage therapy, whether for vanity or medical purposes. You will be in amazing hands and leave your session feeling better than when you arrived. I couldn’t recommend Sunshine City Massage any more for your place to feel rejuvenated and cared for.
    Marina Goldshteyn
  • I felt comfortable in this environment and appreciate the work Jordan was able to accomplish on my black eye, for an interview the next day. He was cautious not to cause more pain, and helped with the flow of blood.

    Purchased the Lymphatic Face Brush, and love it. Use it very often on my face & neck.
    Montana Johnson
  • … This is my second time coming to Sunshine City, I also got an MLD facial a couple months ago with Jordan and it was just as amazing. It helped reduce puffiness and made my skin feel lighter, more sculpted, and super refreshed. Both services delivered visible results and left my skin feeling its best.

    If you’re looking for treatments that are calming and effective, I can’t recommend these facials enough. I’ll definitely be coming back to see them!
    Thank you guys for making me glow for the holiday week!
    Megan Loth
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT MANUAL LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE at SUNSHINE CITY MASSAGE and SPA

It feels like gentle, rhythmic waves that move across the skin. The touch is light yet deeply soothing. Many clients fall asleep or feel as though their body is floating.

Most clients feel lighter, calmer, and clearer. Because MLD increases lymphatic flow, it also increases overall fluid movement through the body, which is why hydration afterward helps the process along.

The techniques are the same for Manual Lymphatic Drainage on the body and the face, but Jordan has additional advanced training specifically for the MLD Facial including Intra-Oral Lymphatic Drainage.

For post-surgical recovery or active swelling, MLD can be done several times a week initially. For general wellness, monthly or biweekly sessions maintain optimal lymph flow and immune support.

Yes. MLD pairs well with Connective Tissue Manipulation and facial treatments, supporting circulation, detox pathways, and nervous system regulation together.

MLD is safe for most people, but those with active infections, untreated medical conditions, or significant cardiovascular issues should seek medical clearance first.

Jordan performs every Manual Lymphatic Drainage and Connective Tissue Manipulation session personally. He has advanced training and has spent years gaining mastery of these techniques.

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