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circulation, or lymph circulation below the fascia, muscles, intercostal spaces, viscera, or periosteum. Each has a special quality that is palpable. As you become more attuned to the fluid dynamics of the body, you are better able to read and discern the signs of both pathologic and healthy tissue. This gives the practitioner an important skill that heightens the effectiveness of his treatment. It can clearly indicate and direct attention to the areas of the body that are pathological, which can easily be overlooked. The ideal pressure has been calculated, and has been suggested to be no more than 33 millimeters of mercury per square centimeter. 32 The standard pressure used is often similar to the pressure applied in craniosacral work. This pressure can change in different areas of the body and in different conditions. Quality An assessment of lymph quality is another important element of LDT. Lymph is usually watery, but it can also be quite viscous in cases of chronic lymph retention, such as those caused by allergies, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic inflammation, leaky gut syndrome, etc. Recognizing the quality of lymph can bring a deeper awareness of the conditions a client may be challenged with, or suffering from. Emotions can also affect the natural fluidity in lymph. When we are unable to process our emotions, they are unable to flow. This can have a direct effect on our lymph, creating a feeling of fatigue and physical heaviness. A treatment can help the client release emotional duress and stress, and return to a calmer and more balanced state of being. We are becoming more aware of the direct relationship between our emotions and our fluid—a true physical expression of our emotional body. Application of LDT to the CNS A 1994 study showed LDT has a real influence on CNS, and can reduce intracranial pressure dramatically. 33 The stimulation of lymph flow through the lymphatic nodes also activates the immune system, increasing the production of lymphocytes by about 30 percent. Lymphocytes are important in sustaining a healthy immune system, and there are two main types: B cells and T cells. The B cells make antibodies that can handle toxins and aggressive bacteria, while the T cells attack body cells themselves. Lymphocytes are often present at sites of chronic inflammation, so a 30 percent increase can certainly be a great advantage to sustaining or reinstating health. LDT can help with reabsorption and cleansing of some constituents of CSF through the perineural lymphatic pathways. This has become more important as our environment and food become increasingly more toxic and our bodies are being challenged more than ever. LDT is a valuable tool that can sustain a balance of health as it deeply cleanses overloaded tissue. One of the benefits of manual LDT is its gentleness and noninvasiveness, which gives the client an opportunity to deeply rest and receive. The touch itself stimulates the parasympathetic system, opening the possibilities for deeper healing. As the hand becomes more trained in the realm of fluid dynamics, it is able to address a number of potential systems and pathologies, beginning with inflammation, chronic pain, swelling, and/or detoxification. It can also be seen as a very effective preventive approach. AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DEEPER HEALING It is so exciting that the classical models of CSF physiology and the lymphatic anatomy in the CNS have both been dramatically updated with recent research. Our vision and understanding of lymphatics has profoundly expanded, giving us entry into deeper levels of healing, which now includes the brain. This new scientific evidence also opens the way for new manual techniques to arise that are more consistent with this evidence, giving the practitioner's work a higher level of credibility and acceptance in the health-care field. The new scientific findings concerning the CNS, lymph, and the glymphatic system reveal far-reaching and exciting benefits for the lymphatic system and its manual treatment. We are in awe at the new potential that has opened to us. These new models, along with more precise anatomical maps, will be able to take our awareness and attention to much more refined levels. The world of our inner fluid dynamics is wide open. Notes 1. A. T. Still, Philosophy of Osteopathy (1899): 105. 2. G. Aselli, "De Lactibus Seu Lactis Venis, Quarto Vasorum Mesaraicorum Genere Novo Inventa," Dissertatio Mediolan (1627). 3. S. Hajdu, "A Note from History: Discovery of the Cerebrospinal Fluid," Annals of Clinical and Laboratory Science 33, no. 3 (2003). 52 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k j a n u a r y / f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 6 Our vision and understanding of lymphatics has profoundly expanded, giving us entry into deeper levels of healing, which now includes the brain.