Lymphatic drainage massage · Amsterdam
Lymphatic drainage Amsterdam
A lymphatic drainage massage done by the LymphoMed, with a measurement of your lymphatic system before you start. We explain everything in English at our studio in Zaandam, half an hour from most of Amsterdam. You can book without a referral.
- Method
- Drainage by device, not by hand
- Each session
- 45 minutes, whole lower body
- Rhythm
- Two sessions a week
- Measured
- At the introduction, then every fifth session
- Language
- English spoken in the studio
- GP referral
- Not needed
- From Amsterdam
- ± 15 km, 15 to 30 minutes by car
Client stories
What clients noticed
Heavy legs
“Ik heb daarna gekozen om een introductiebehandeling lymfedrainage te doen omdat ik bij het staan steeds na 10 minuten last van zware benen kreeg. … Nu na 10 behandelingen heb ik geen zware benen meer, zelfs niet na een hele dag staan en werken! Ook houd ik geen vocht meer vast. Ik voel me er goed bij!”
Translated from Dutch“I then chose to have an introductory lymphatic drainage treatment, because whenever I was standing my legs started to feel heavy after 10 minutes. … Now, after 10 treatments, I no longer have heavy legs, not even after a whole day of standing and working! I also no longer retain fluid. I feel good about it!”
Sock marks on the ankles
“Na vijftien keer waren al mijn blokkades opgeheven. … In mijn enkels waar altijd de afdrukken van mijn sokken stonden zijn nu de afdrukken van mijn sokken vrij rap verdwenen. …”
Translated from Dutch“After fifteen sessions all my blockages had cleared. … In my ankles, where the marks of my socks always used to be, those sock marks disappeared quite quickly. …”
These are personal experiences; how it works out for you differs from person to person.
By hand or by device
Looking for a lymphatic drainage massage in Amsterdam?
Search for lymphatic drainage in Amsterdam and you mainly find massages by hand, at massage studios, wellness centres and therapists. Those treatments have their place. What we offer works differently.
At Body Unlimited the massage is given by the LymphoMed. Pads on your body send rhythmic pulses that feel like a firm massage and set your whole lymphatic system moving. Nothing is kneaded or rubbed.
The real difference is the measurement. Before your first drainage session the device shows how your lymphatic system is functioning, and every five sessions it is measured again. So you are not relying on how your legs happen to feel that week: the figures show what has changed.
The basics
Why fluid stays in your legs
Your lymphatic system is the drainage network of your body. It collects excess fluid and waste from your tissues and carries it, via your bloodstream, to your kidneys, so you can pass it out with your urine. That is why you need the toilet more often after a treatment.
It has no pump. Lymph only moves when your muscles tighten, so every step and every push on the pedals helps. Long hours at a desk, a job where you stand in one place or a period of illness slow the flow down. With a blockage on top of that, more stays behind in your tissues than your body would like.
You feel it as heaviness, you see it as swelling around your ankles, and sometimes you notice it in your energy.
A slow lymph flow can mean:
- Fluid that builds up
- Waste that stays in your body longer
- Legs that feel heavy, tired or sore
On the treatment table
What a session feels like
You lie on the treatment table while we fit the pads and bands on your lower body. Then the LymphoMed starts. Most people describe the sensation as a firm, pulsing massage. The first few times it takes some getting used to, but it should never hurt; if it feels too strong, we lower the intensity.
We always treat your entire lower body, even when you only feel the problem in your calves or ankles. A blockage higher up, in your abdomen or groin, can hold back the drainage from your legs. When your upper body needs attention as well we add it, although in practice that is seldom necessary.
A session lasts 45 minutes. The LymphoMed was developed in Germany together with doctors, and Body Unlimited has been treating with it since September 2011.
New to Dutch healthcare?
Physiotherapist, skin therapist or the LymphoMed
If you moved to Amsterdam from abroad, the Dutch options can be confusing. Manual lymph drainage is usually given by an oedema physiotherapist (oedeemfysiotherapeut) or a skin therapist (huidtherapeut). They work with their hands, using slow, rhythmic movements, which is a proven method. With a medical indication part of it may be covered, depending on your policy.
Body Unlimited sits outside that system. We are a treatment studio: you book directly, without a GP referral, and pay for the treatments yourself. What you get in return is a measurement before you start, your whole lower body in every session, and progress you can follow in figures.
| Manual lymph drainage | LymphoMed at Body Unlimited | |
|---|---|---|
| How | With the hands, by feel | Pads giving rhythmic pulses |
| Before you start | Conversation and physical examination | Measurement of your lymphatic system |
| Area | Around the affected spot | Your whole lower body |
| Progress | Judged by feel, complaints and size | New measurement every five sessions |
| GP referral | Often needed for reimbursement | Not needed |
| Insurance cover | Varies with your policy | None |
Swipe the table sideways to see all columns.
Complaints
Signs your lymphatic system may be slow
Not every complaint on this list comes from your lymphatic system, which is exactly why we measure instead of guessing. These are the reasons people from Amsterdam most often book an appointment:
- Legs that are sore when pressed or bumped
- Legs that feel like lead by the evening
- Ankles that swell, with sock marks that stay visible
- Holding on to fluid, in your legs or your hands
- Restless, tingling legs once you lie down
- Early varicose veins with a nagging feeling around them
- Lipoedema
- Lymphoedema in a leg or an arm
- Swelling that remains after surgery or liposuction
- Waking up tired and running on reserve all day
- Weight loss that stalls despite a healthy routine
Lipoedema
Lipoedema: less pain, lighter legs
With lipoedema the pain often weighs heaviest: thighs or lower legs that hurt as soon as someone leans against them. Many women also describe tired, heavy legs, unrest in the legs and less strength than before.
Drainage does not remove the fat, and we will never tell you it does. What most clients do notice is that their legs hurt less and feel lighter and calmer. We also often see the complaints progress more slowly once treatment has started. With lipoedema we always treat, whatever the first measurement shows.
Lymphoedema
Lymphoedema in a leg or an arm
Lymphoedema often develops after lymph nodes have been removed or damaged, for instance during cancer treatment, and it can affect a leg as well as an arm. Stockings and oedema therapy mainly keep the swelling in check. With the LymphoMed we aim to get the drainage working again across your whole lower body, and in our experience the outcome is clearly better than with stockings and oedema therapy alone. That is why many clients end their oedema therapy after a while.
Lymphoedema after breast cancer? We start once all your cancer treatments have been completed and your doctor recommends lymphatic drainage; you still do not need a referral. Even when the swelling is in your arm, we begin with the lower body and add the upper body where needed.
You decide for yourself whether to keep wearing your compression stockings. Many clients end up using them only occasionally, for a long flight, a heatwave or a day of sitting still. This does not apply to compression garments after liposuction: keep wearing those until the clinic that treated you says you can stop.
After an operation
Swelling after surgery or liposuction
Fluid or swelling that lingers after an operation is one of the reasons people come to us. Once the wounds are closed, you are welcome to start. You do not have to ask your doctor first: often the surgeon or clinic recommends lymphatic drainage, and many people find us themselves through Google.
That goes for knee and hip operations as much as for a facelift, eyelid correction or jaw surgery. Whatever the operation, we start with the lower body.
Before you book:
- Your wounds are fully closed
- Put the operation and its date on your questionnaire
- No referral needed
Step by step
From booking to tapering off
- You choose a time online and pay for the introduction straight away. With your confirmation comes a health questionnaire: fill it in as soon as you can, because we read it before you come.
- During the introduction (€52) we go through your questionnaire and explain how the LymphoMed works. Then the measurement follows, we discuss what it shows and you have half a treatment.
- Want to go on? Then we see you twice a week, 45 minutes each time.
- After every fifth session we measure again, so you can follow how your body responds.
- Once you are where you want to be, we taper off. At the end there is one final measurement.
- If your body cannot hold on to the result by itself, you can take out a subscription for maintenance sessions.
After a session:
- You need the toilet more often: that is waste leaving your body
- Aim for two litres of water a day
- Feeling a bit tired after the first sessions is normal and usually passes within a day
What to expect
How many sessions, and what you notice
We cannot tell you in advance how many sessions you will need. The first measurement shows how high your blockages are and whether treatment is needed; the next ones show how your body is reacting. Based on those, we advise you to continue or to taper off.
Our experience: nearly everyone needs ten sessions or more, and most people fifteen. A few are done after five, and very occasionally we advise twenty.
What people notice first varies: lighter legs, sock marks that fade sooner, calmer nights. Sometimes complaints get worse at first. That is unpleasant, but a good sign that something is moving. Drainage does not remove varicose veins or lipoedema fat, and it is not a slimming treatment, although a better-working lymphatic system can make losing weight easier.
Safety
Before your first visit
We read your health questionnaire before you come and go through this list with you. We do not treat in case of:
- An active infection or fever
- Wounds that have not yet closed
- Cancer, while you are still being treated or are not yet cancer-free
- Thrombosis
- Severe heart or kidney failure
- Pregnancy
- A pacemaker or other electrical implant
Blood thinners are no obstacle, and metal plates usually are not either. A breast prosthesis or reconstruction is no problem; with other prostheses it depends on where they are, as we must be able to place the pads. If treatment turns out not to be wise, you hear from us in good time and get your money back, so you never travel from Amsterdam for nothing. If we are unsure, we ask you to check with your doctor first.
Prices
Prices and booking in English
Our prices are on the website, so you know beforehand what you will pay. The introduction is €52 and combines an intake, a measurement and half a treatment. After that you pay per block of five sessions.
You pay for the introduction when you book online. That keeps no-shows to a minimum, and with them our prices. Would you like a conversation first, without measuring or treating? A separate intake costs €12. Dutch health insurance does not cover our treatments.
The booking page is in Dutch. Pick “Lymfedrainage”, then “Introductiebehandeling”. If you get stuck, call or WhatsApp us on 06-15086764 and we will book it with you.
| Treatment | Price |
|---|---|
| Introduction treatment | € 52,- |
| Single treatment | € 78,- |
| 5 treatments | € 322,- |
| Maintenance | By arrangement |
Questions
Questions from Amsterdam
Is there a Body Unlimited studio in Amsterdam?
No. Our only studio is in Zaandam, at Paltrokstraat 16. From Amsterdam-Noord it is about fifteen minutes by car; from the other districts allow around half an hour, longer in rush hour. Parking at the door is free, and by train you get off at Zaandam Kogerveld, two minutes on foot.
Is a LymphoMed treatment a lymphatic drainage massage?
It feels like one, but nobody uses their hands. Pads on your body give rhythmic pulses that feel like a firm massage. The aim is to move lymph fluid, not to loosen your muscles.
Do you offer manual lymphatic drainage as well?
No, we work only with the LymphoMed. In the Netherlands, drainage by hand is given by oedema physiotherapists and skin therapists.
Do I need to speak Dutch?
No. Appointments are in English, with the odd Dutch word when that happens to be easier. Only the booking page is in Dutch.
Do I need a GP (huisarts) referral?
No. You book directly, without a letter from a GP or specialist.
Is lymphatic drainage covered by Dutch health insurance?
Not at Body Unlimited. We are a treatment studio rather than a healthcare provider, so there is nothing to claim from your insurer.
What happens at the introduction?
We discuss your health questionnaire and tell you what the LymphoMed does. Then we measure your lymphatic system and talk you through the outcome. You finish with half a treatment, so you know what it feels like.
Do you measure at every visit?
No. Your lymphatic system is measured at the introduction and after every fifth session. The visits in between are drainage only.
How many sessions will I need?
We cannot say beforehand. The measurements show how your body responds, and that decides our advice to carry on or to taper off. Almost everyone needs at least ten sessions and most people fifteen, at two sessions a week.
Does the treatment hurt?
No. It feels like a firm massage, which takes a few sessions to get used to. If it is too strong for you, we turn it down.
Can you help with lipoedema or lymphoedema?
Yes, we treat both at the studio, and with these conditions we always treat. The condition itself does not go away, but pain, heaviness and tension in the legs regularly become less.
My lymphoedema is in my arm. Where do you start?
We begin with your lower body, as we do for everyone; it is the biggest part of your body. Where the upper body needs it, we include that as well.
Can I come after surgery or liposuction?
Yes, as soon as the wounds are closed, and without asking your doctor first. Write the operation and its date on your health questionnaire.
What will I notice after a session?
You will need the toilet more often than usual, which is how your body gets rid of waste. Around two litres of water a day helps. A little tiredness after the first sessions is common and usually gone within a day.
When can you not treat me?
Among other things with a fever or active infection, wounds that have not closed, thrombosis, severe heart or kidney failure, cancer while you are still being treated or are not yet cancer-free, and during pregnancy. We also do not treat you if you have a pacemaker or other electrical implant.
How do I book when the booking page is in Dutch?
Choose “Lymfedrainage” and then “Introductiebehandeling”. Stuck? Phone or WhatsApp 06-15086764 and we will book it together.
Visit us
Where to find us
You will find the studio at Paltrokstraat 16 in Zaandam. Parking at the door is free, and from Zaandam Kogerveld station it is a short two-minute walk. Appointments are possible on weekdays between 10:00 and 21:00.
Our clients come from every part of Amsterdam, from Zaandam and from further afield, such as Haarlem.
