What is the lymphatic system?
image of a transparent human body showing the lymphatic system
You’ve heard of the lymphatic system, but do you actually know what it does? Don’t worry — most people don’t. Here’s a quick simple breakdown that’ll make it all click.
What Is the Lymphatic System?
If your blood vessels are the highways of your body, your lymphatic system is the neighborhood street crew quietly picking up debris, rerouting traffic, and keeping things flowing smoothly. It’s one of those behind-the-scenes systems you don’t really notice until it slows down — and suddenly you feel puffy, sluggish, or just “off.”
Your lymphatic system is a network of vessels, nodes, and organs that helps maintain fluid balance, absorb old cells, proteins, and fats, and support your immune system. Think of lymph (the clear fluid moving through those vessels) as a gentle river collecting excess fluid, waste, and immune cells from your tissues and returning them to your bloodstream.
Along the way, the fluid passes through lymph nodes — tiny filter stations located in areas like your neck, armpits, elbows, abdomen, and behind your knees. These nodes trap unwanted particles, like bacteria or damaged cells, so your immune system can deal with them.
There are also key “hubs” — like the cisterna chyli deep in your abdomen, where lymph from the lower body gathers before being sent upward — and clusters around the popliteal (behind the knee) and elbow areas, which help drain the limbs.
Unlike blood, lymph doesn’t have a heart to pump it. It relies on movement, breathing, and muscle contractions — which is why exercise, deep breathing, and manual lymph drainage are so helpful for circulation and detoxification.
So the next time you take a walk, do some stretches, or get an MLD session, remember: you’re helping your body’s cleanup crew stay on top of its game.
Finding Support in Colorado Springs
Your lymphatic system’s doing a lot for you behind the scenes — it deserves some love back.
Here’s how MLD helps keep things flowing →