Running a massage clinic means spending most of your time taking care of others. For years my days were filled with fully booked schedules, conversations with clients, hands-on massage therapy, and learning more and more about how people’s bodies respond to stress, tension, and daily life. Every treatment teaches you something new about the human body.
Last year something changed.
I decided to slow down a little with taking new clients. And honestly, the only reason I was able to do that is my incredible team.
My girls are truly some of the best massage therapists in Málaga. Because of them I felt confident sharing many of my regular clients and trusting that they would receive the same level of care and professionalism that I always wanted Massage UNYC Málaga to be known for.
This allowed me to take a step back and do something I had been thinking about for a long time: study again.
Going Back to Study
Last year, when I felt like I barely had time for anything, I came across a Master’s program that immediately caught my attention: Master’s degree in Dermatofunctional Physiotherapy.
Something inside me said, apply. Even though my schedule was already full, I knew that learning more about the body, aesthetics, and functional therapies would make me a better therapist and a better clinic owner as well.
Looking back now, I am incredibly grateful that I had the ambition to take that step.
During this program I met amazing professionals from all over Spain and Latin America. Doctors, physiotherapists, researchers, and therapists who are passionate about understanding the body on a deeper level.
The amount of new knowledge I gained during this year was incredible.
And since Massage UNYC Málaga is truly my baby, I knew exactly what I wanted to focus my Master’s thesis on. Something I see every single day in my work.
A Problem I See in the Treatment Room All the Time
Many clients who come to our massage studio complain about very similar things.
Heavy legs.
Fluid retention.
Swelling in the thighs or calves.
Cellulite that seems to appear or worsen depending on the day.
These concerns are extremely common, especially for women, and they often have something important in common: the lymphatic system.
The lymphatic system plays a crucial role in moving fluids through the body and helping eliminate toxins and waste. When this system slows down or becomes congested, fluid can accumulate in the tissues. That’s when people start feeling heaviness, swelling, and tightness in the legs.
As physiotherapists and massage therapists we often use manual lymphatic drainage to support this system.
But for my thesis I didn’t want to rely only on experience. I wanted to actually measure what happens in the body.
So I turned our clinic into a small research lab.
The Study Inside Our Clinic
The research was conducted directly in Massage UNYC Málaga.
Two participants took part in the study. Both had mild to moderate cellulite and a tendency toward fluid retention in the legs. The treatment protocol was simple and very similar to what we use in real treatments.
Each participant received manual lymphatic drainage using the Vodder method, one of the most recognized techniques in lymphatic therapy.
The study lasted four weeks.
Two sessions per week.
Eight sessions in total.
Each treatment session lasted around 45 minutes.
To track the changes, we measured the circumference of the thighs and calves at specific anatomical points before the study, during the process, and after the final sessions. We also asked participants to report subjective feelings such as heaviness in the legs, swelling, and overall satisfaction with the treatment.
What the Results Showed
The results were very interesting. Over the four weeks, both participants showed a progressive reduction in leg circumference, especially in the upper thigh area.
The reductions ranged between 0.6 cm and 2 cm depending on the area measured.
This does not mean that fat disappeared. Lymphatic massage is not a fat-loss treatment.
What it does is support the movement of fluids through the lymphatic system, helping reduce tissue congestion and fluid retention. As the body started moving fluid more efficiently, swelling decreased and the tissues felt softer and lighter. Both participants also reported something that I hear constantly in the treatment room:
“My legs feel so much lighter.”
A Very Real Detail We Observed
One particularly interesting moment during the study happened during week three. Both participants reported feeling more swollen again, and the measurements confirmed it.
The reason was not the treatment failing.
It was the menstrual cycle. Hormonal fluctuations can naturally increase fluid retention, which reminded us that the body is a complex system influenced by many factors.
However, by the fourth week, the measurements improved again and the positive trend continued. This was a great reminder that the body works in rhythms, not straight lines.
What This Means for Real Clients
Doing this research confirmed something that many massage therapists already observe in practice. Manual lymphatic drainage is not a miracle solution overnight. But when done consistently, it can genuinely support the body by:
reducing fluid retention
improving tissue congestion
helping the lymphatic system work more efficiently
creating measurable reductions in swelling
and most importantly, making the body feel lighter and more comfortable
And the best part is that it does this in a gentle and natural way.
Why This Journey Was Important to Me
This year of studying reminded me why I fell in love with massage therapy in the first place. Yes, massage is relaxing. But it is also science, anatomy, circulation, and a deeper understanding of how the body truly works.
Doing this research reminded me how important it is to combine intuition from years of hands on work with scientific observation.
And for me, Massage UNYC Málaga has always been about exactly that: caring for people while constantly learning how to do it better.
If Your Legs Often Feel Heavy or Swollen
If you often experience swelling, fluid retention, or heaviness in your legs, especially after long days sitting, standing, or traveling, lymphatic drainage massage can be a very supportive treatment. At our massage studio in the city center of Málaga, this treatment is designed to help the body reset and encourage natural fluid movement.
Sometimes what the body needs most is simply a little support to restore balance. And after spending a year researching it, I can say that with even more confidence.
Book a Lymphatic Drainage Massage in Massage UNYC Málaga
If you experience heavy legs, fluid retention, or swelling, lymphatic drainage massage can support your body’s natural detox process. At Massage UNYC Málaga we offer personalized treatments designed to improve circulation and help your body feel lighter and more balanced.
Discover more about our treatments here:
massagemalaga.es/services
Your therapist Eva
Massage UNYC Málaga