When pain, swelling, or discomfort lingers, one contributing factor can be slowed fluid and drainage flow in the body. This influences how well tissues receive nutrients, how waste and inflammatory signals are cleared, and how easily healing can progress.
What is the lymphatic system?
Blood delivers oxygen and nutrients to tissues throughout the body. After this exchange, the fluid surrounding cells — containing waste products and inflammatory by-products — needs to return to circulation so it can be processed and cleared. This is the role of the lymphatic system.
Lymphatic vessels collect this “used” fluid (called lymph) and return it to the bloodstream, helping prevent fluid buildup, support immune balance, and assist tissue repair.
Why fluid movement affects pain and healing
Nerves, muscles, joints, and fascia exist in a fluid-rich environment, and that fluid is meant to move continuously. Unlike blood circulation, the lymphatic system has no central pump. Instead, fluid movement depends on breathing, everyday movement, healthy tissue glide, balanced nervous system activity, and gentle pressure changes between the chest, abdomen, and pelvis.
When these supports are reduced — such as after injury or surgery, during prolonged stress or inflammation, or with long periods of inactivity — fluid movement can slow. As this happens, pressure may build within tissues, irritating nearby nerves and reducing how efficiently inflammatory signals are cleared. Over time, tissues may feel stiff, swollen, sensitive, or slow to settle after activity or injury.
Brain, drainage, and brain fog
The brain has its own lymph-like drainage system that helps clear waste products and inflammatory by-products, especially during rest and sleep. Research shows that when this clearance system isn’t working well — such as during periods of stress, poor sleep, or illness — people may experience symptoms like brain fog, headaches, or fatigue.
Why this matters for joint health
Joints aren’t just mechanical structures made of bones, ligaments, and cartilage — they’re also fluid environments. Blood flow delivers nutrients and oxygen, while lymphatic drainage helps clear waste and inflammatory by-products, supporting cartilage nutrition and joint lubrication.
Fluid inside and around a joint also plays an important role in how forces are managed during everyday movement. This isn’t about blood pressure or circulation alone, but about how joint and tissue fluid is locally regulated through movement and subtle pressure changes.

Joints aren’t designed to handle load purely through hard surfaces pressing together. Instead, they rely on fluid, elastic tissues, and gentle pressure shifts to help spread forces and absorb shock as you walk, stand, or change position. A healthy joint behaves less like a rigid hinge and more like a pressure-sharing system.
This fluid dimension of joint health is often overlooked. While the spine is a familiar example (pictured above), a similar pressure-sharing principle supports joints throughout the body, helping them stay resilient and adaptable over time. Supporting healthy fluid movement helps create the conditions joints rely on to manage pressure, recover from irritation, and tolerate movement more comfortably. 

Gentle bouncing or rebounding creates rhythmic changes in pressure and muscle activity that support fluid movement through the body. Similar dynamic, elastic movement can also help maintain connective tissue responsiveness and joint comfort over time.

Alongside regular movement, simple self-care techniques can support fluid movement, such as the Big 6 routine that follows.

Lymphatic Self Care at Home: The Big 6

What is the BIG 6 ?
The Big 6 is a simple self-care sequence designed to support healthy fluid movement in the body. It works with key areas involved in lymphatic drainage and blood flow, helping nutrients move into tissues and supporting the removal of waste products and inflammatory by-products.

This sequence is done in a specific order to encourage fluid to move from areas of higher pressure toward areas of lower pressure, particularly toward the drainage points near the collarbone. You can follow along with the video below, taught by Perry Nickelston from Stop Chasing Pain.
by Perry Nickelston from Stop Chasing Pain​
What are the BIG 6 points?
The six areas are:
  1. The collarbone (above and below)
  2. The side of the neck (around the upper cervical area)
  3. The pectoral and armpit region (shoulder drainage area)
  4. The abdomen
  5. The groin crease (inguinal region)
  6. Behind the knees
For best results, the Big 6 should always be performed in this order, as each step helps prepare the body for the next.
Before you start
Before doing the Big 6, make sure you are:
  • well hydrated
  • not constipated
Both are important for healthy fluid movement.
How often should you do the Big 6?
For most people, once a day is a good starting point. Pay attention to how your body responds.

When first starting, some people notice temporary reactions such as tiredness, brain fog, mild soreness, or a short-term increase in symptoms. These responses are generally linked to changes in fluid movement and immune activity as the body adjusts. If this happens, take a break and wait until you feel more settled before repeating the sequence.

Once your body tolerates the Big 6 comfortably, additional sessions can be added if needed.

When to be cautious
Do not perform the Big 6 if you:
  • are pregnant
  • have significant heart or circulation conditions
  • have an acute infection
  • have been diagnosed with cancer
This technique is not a substitute for medical care. Always check with your healthcare provider before starting any new self-care program.
Source: Stop Chasing Pain: The Big 6
How informed manual therapy supports fluid flow
Modern manual therapy — including fascial, visceral, neural-informed, and pressure-based approaches — doesn’t just focus on muscles and joints. It can also work with the tissue environment in ways that may support the body’s natural fluid dynamics.
Lymphatic vessels (in green) weave through the body’s fascial layers, helping collect tissue fluid and guide it back into the circulation (source).
Hands-on work that supports breathing, tissue movement, venous return, and overall pressure relationships may help create conditions that are more favourable for fluid exchange through the tissues. This can be part of a broader approach when tissues feel congested, puffy, pressured, or slow to settle.

If blood flow is the body’s supply line, the lymphatic system is its drainage landscape — slow-moving rivers and deltas that help tissues avoid becoming waterlogged and irritated.
⚠️ Disclaimer:
This page is here to support—not replace—medical advice. If you're experiencing intense, unusual, or worsening symptoms, it's a good idea to check in with your GP or health care provider.

🩺 For Referrers:
We’re always happy to collaborate with referring providers. Feel free to get in touch to discuss an approach or referral.
Sources & Further Reading:
Compiled by Joe Liguori
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