Page 1 of 8

In 1932 Dr Emil Vodder and his wife Estrid were working as massage therapists in Cannes on the French Riviera on English patients who were there to recover from chronic colds caused by the damp British climate. The Vodders discovered that these patients had swollen lymph nodes, in their necks. At that time it was regarded as taboo to interfere with the lymphatic system or the lymph nodes and so little was understood that it was thought of as a Pandora's box. Intuitively, Vodder dared to work on the lymph nodes, lightly pumping and massaging and achieved great success. Together with his wife, he continued to expand on his knowledge and understanding, but the scientific world was not quite ready for their findings and would not accept their hypothesis and empirical evidence. Vodder held lectures and gave demonstrations and with his wife taught other massage therapists this new technique, which they called Manual Lymphatic Drainage. Gradually, more massage therapists, aestheticians and physicians took up the therapy and used it with great effect.