How to Boost Your Lymphatic System, Improve Bone Healing

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The lymphatic system consists of thin tubes and lymph nodes that run throughout the body. It’s part of the immune system and keeps body fluid levels in balance. It also plays important roles detoxifying the body of cellular debris. Bones were believed to lack lymph tissue because the hard tissue of bone made studying what happened inside the bones so difficult.

Now, researchers from the University of Oxford have used an animal model to confirm that bone contains lymphatic tissue and this tissue plays a significant role in bone healing.

Lymphatic Vessels Are Impaired in Aged Bones

The researchers identified and drew the lymphatic vessels of bone in high-resolution 3D, using light-sheet imaging. They also identified certain key signals occurring among lymph vessels, blood stem cells, and bone stem cells.

The discovery of these signals could lead to new ways of encouraging the healing of injured bones in older patients.

Lymph vessels were shown not only to be present in bone, but also to play a role in bone and blood cell regeneration. Furthermore, researchers found that aging bones showed reduced growth of lymphatic vessels in response to injury.

The lymphatic system not only serves as an immuno-surveillant and fluid transporter, but also “plays a critical role in shortening bone-healing times,” and maintaining bone strength, according to Dr. Akash Kanwal Attreya, a family medicine doctor in Albuquerque, New Mexico, affiliated with Piedmont Macon North Hospital and Holy Rosary Healthcare–Miles City.

He said he believes that this knowledge can be used to improve outcomes in bone care and improve quality of life for patients. From a global health view, it can also reduce morbidity and mortality.

“The administration of young lymphatic endothelial [stem] cells restores healing of aged bones, thus providing a future direction to promote bone healing in elderly,” Dr. Junyu Chen, a co-author of the study, said in a statement.
Scientists intend to expand on these findings to look at what role lymphatic vessels play in bone-based diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, and to discover new approaches to treat bone and blood diseases.

When Do Bones Start to Heal More Slowly?

There’s no particular age when our bone-healing ability diminishes, according to Dr. Kate Nixon, an osteopathic physician in neuromuscular medicine.

However, there is “a progressive loss of bone density and size as we age,” she told The Epoch Times. “We see an increase in brittleness and a change in stress and strain properties, making us more susceptible to material failure.”

This becomes more pronounced after menopause for women—around age 50, as it tends to correspond with a decreasing level of estrogen. For men, it’s more obvious after the age of 70 because it correlates with decreasing testosterone levels.

Stimulating Your Lymphatic System

There are two methods to stimulate your lymphatic system, and they may help increase your bone healing ability by helping lymphatic fluid to better circulate through your body.

Lymphatic Massage

Also called manual lymphatic drainage, this is a special kind of medical massage that can help treat lymphedema, which is swelling due to a collection of lymphatic fluid.
Lymphatic massage is used to improve the flow of lymph fluid, which reduces swelling. It’s performed by people specially trained in it, and research shows that it can help relieve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine

Osteopathic manipulative medicine is a method used by osteopaths to manipulate the body to treat muscle, tendon, or bone pain. Physicians apply gentle pressure to the body to encourage the body to heal itself.
Kathleen Becker, who holds a doctorate in molecular biology and biochemistry and is an assistant professor at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, said that this method can affect the lymphatic system.

Other Ways to Maintain Your Bone-Healing Ability

Older adults can better maintain bone health by doing weight-bearing exercises such as strength training with weights and walking, according to Dr. Kathryn Brandt, chair of primary care at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine.

They should also eat a diet high in vegetables and low in processed foods.

Becker added that it might also be helpful to eat sufficient protein (because bone is also made of protein), and get adequate vitamin D—“particularly during the winter months,” Becker said.

Brandt considers the University of Oxford’s research to be very interesting and believes it challenges some old assumptions about the resilience of bone.

“The more we learn about what controls bone rebuilding and healing, the better we can figure out new ways to help with healing,” she said.

George Citroner
Author
George Citroner reports on health and medicine, covering topics that include cancer, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative conditions. He was awarded the Media Orthopaedic Reporting Excellence (MORE) award in 2020 for a story on osteoporosis risk in men.
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