The Lymphatic System
Meet Larry Lymph — He Likes to Keep Things Moving!
Our lives depend on the lymphatic system and its ability to circulate, collect, and recycle. Unlike the cardiovascular system, it has no heart providing a central pump. Instead, it depends on movement, pressure, valves, and the rhythmic contraction of smooth muscles within lymphatic vessels to keep lymph moving through the body.
Understanding this system is important to understanding how Vancoction salves work.
In this article, we take the time to explain the lymphatic system, how smooth muscles help move fluids, and why stimulating movement and circulation gives the great results people experience with our salves.
There are ONLY three kinds of muscles in the body.
Cardiac muscle, or heart muscle.
Skeletal muscle, which we use to move our bodies.
Smooth muscle, also called involuntary or organ muscle. It works behind the scenes in many of our organs and vessels.
Our Salves Tighten Up Smooth Muscles
They tighten up the skin; they help circulate the synovial joint fluids and help move fluids throughout the body. They help the nasal passages open up and clear out excess mucus.
People Feel So Much Better Using Our Salves
Going to the bathroom, moving food through the digestive system, regulating our blood vessels and airways, and the movement of lymph fluid through our body all depend in part on good working smooth muscles. When they don’t work well, fluids can accumulate and tissues can swell. Swelling and inflammation can cause pain. Think of the joints, muscles, organs, and vessels in the body as parts of a pumping and transport system.
See The Breathing Pumping Belly
When fluid circulation and drainage are working properly, tissues receive nutrients and oxygen while metabolic products and excess interstitial fluid can be carried away. Maintaining this balance helps limit excess swelling.
This is why so many use our salves for everyday problems involving irritated, swollen, dry, uncomfortable, or injured tissues, including acne, allergies, arthritis, back pain, dry skin, eczema, edema, joint pain, knee pain, skin injuries and lip problems, sprains, wound care, and more.
Inside lymphatic vessels, smooth muscle in the walls of collecting lymphatics contracts rhythmically, helping propel lymph forward. One-way valves help prevent lymph from flowing backward.
Sections of collecting lymphatic vessel between two valves are called lymphangions. Their smooth-muscle contractions, together with the valves, help propel lymph forward and prevent backward flow. Lymph nodes filter lymph and participate in immune surveillance.
Larry the Lymphatic System
Larry collects excess fluid, proteins, fats, cellular debris, and other materials from tissues throughout the body and returns them to the bloodstream at the base of the neck.
Simple Salve
The skin has an extensive network of lymphatic vessels just beneath its surface, continually collecting excess fluid, proteins, cellular debris, and other materials from the surrounding tissues.
We recommend the Simple Salve, made of only beeswax and castor oil, be used for everyday skin and body maintenance, as well as, tired eyes, dry skin, hands, feet, wrinkles, resilient joints, and to bring about a glowing complexion and beautiful skin.
Acne, Tighten the Skin, Cellulite and Wrinkles
The lymphatic system helps drain excess fluid and carry cellular debris and other materials away from the skin and underlying tissues, helping keep things moving instead of accumulating.
When it’s cold out and you see goosebumps in your skin, you are seeing the organ muscles of your skin contract. Our salves stimulate these kinds of contractions. It will tighten the muscles of the pores in the skin and naturally move out what doesn’t belong.
Allergies and Congestion
The lymphatic system is also deeply involved in our response to allergens, collecting excess tissue fluid and transporting immune cells and materials through lymph nodes as the body responds to pollen, mold, pet dander, and other irritants.
Any of our salves can be used for allergies to mold, pollen, and pet dander because it helps clear nasal passages and sinuses. Place a pea-sized amount on the tongue, and push up into the roof of the mouth. As the smooth muscles in the cells of the roof of the mouth contract, the palate will feel very smooth. In about 30 seconds an increase in saliva will occur because the salve is causing the smooth muscles of the salivary glands to contract, literally causing them to pump out saliva.
→ The Science Behind: Managing Allergies
Arthritis and Other Pain
Around our joints, the lymphatic system continually collects excess fluid, proteins, cellular debris, and other materials from the tissues. When that drainage can't keep up with accumulation, swelling can increase pressure and contribute to stiffness and pain.
Inside lymph vessels, against gravity and other forces, muscular wave like motions, called peristalsis, move fluids upwards. Lymph nodes and valves prevent fluids from being pulled back down again.
The lymph system works like a series of straws pulling and pushing fluids to the base of the neck at the collar bone. If it gets plugged up, fluids can’t move upwards.
The lymphatic system has no central pump. Instead, lymph moves up to the Right Lymphatic and Thoracic Ducts. It occurs from ciliary and valve activity in lymphatic capillaries, compression from adjacent skeletal muscle, and arterial pulsation.
As an example, for knee pain, rub the entire knee, front, sides and especially the back of the knee where the lymph nodes are located, then pull up into the thigh and hamstring.
Our cells and tissues are constantly producing and exchanging fluids and materials. The lymphatic system helps keep things moving, collecting what accumulates and returning fluid to circulation.
Vancoction exercises organ muscles, like a coach working your cellular team!
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→ The Origins of Life: Electron Transfer & Membranes
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→ Vitamin B2: The Spark of Life
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Continue Exploring
Curiosity has a way of leading to unexpected places. Explore the articles below and discover new ideas, old knowledge, practical routines, and the hidden connections that shape how we feel and function every day.
Simple Salve - Simply Perfect
Two ingredients. Thousands of years of historical use. Discover the science behind Simple Salve and why castor oil and beeswax have remained trusted for generations.
→ Simply Perfect: Simple Salve
The Breathing, Pumping Belly
Beneath every breath is a hidden world of pressure, motion, and rhythm. Explore how breathing and the abdomen naturally work together to balance circulation, flexibility, and fluid movement.
→ Explore Breathing: Pump Up The Belly
EP3 and Histamine
Histamine is part of the body’s natural response system, but movement and fluid clearance help determine whether allergies and irritation linger or resolve.
→ The Science Behind: Managing Allergies
Smooth Muscle
Movement is built into the body at every level. Explore how rhythmic smooth muscle activity helps circulate fluids, regulate vessel tone, and reduce swelling throughout the body.
→ Active Living: Exercise Your Organs
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