Five Elements Bodywork

02/05/2026

🌿 Your Armpit Lymph Nodes: The Unsung Heroes of Upper Body Detox 🌿
💚 A Medical & Lymphatic Breakdown of the Axillary Region

Tucked quietly in your underarms are 20–40 powerful lymph nodes — clinically referred to as the axillary lymph nodes — forming one of the body’s most critical immune surveillance and drainage hubs.

They filter up to 75% of lymphatic fluid from the breast, the entire arm, and portions of the thoracic wall, shoulder, neck, and upper back — making them central to immune function, hormonal regulation, and detoxification.

🔬 Anatomy & Classification: The 5 Axillary Lymph Node Groups
1. Pectoral (Anterior) Nodes
• Location: Along the lateral edge of the pectoralis minor muscle
• Drains: The anterior thoracic wall, upper abdomen, and a significant portion of the breast
• Clinical Relevance: Often the first site of spread in breast cancer metastasis
2. Subscapular (Posterior) Nodes
• Location: Posterior axillary fold near the subscapular vessels
• Drains: Posterior thoracic wall, scapular region
• Key Role: Supports drainage from the back and shoulder girdle
3. Humeral (Lateral) Nodes
• Location: Medial aspect of the humerus (near the axillary vein)
• Drains: Most of the upper limb (excluding lymph from hand and fingers, which may also partially drain into supratrochlear nodes)
• Commonly affected in: Infections of the hand or cellulitis
4. Central Nodes
• Location: Embedded in axillary fat, centrally located
• Receive input from: Pectoral, subscapular, and humeral groups
• Important in: Detecting generalized upper body inflammation or fluid backup
5. Apical Nodes
• Location: Apex of the axilla near the first rib and clavicle
• Drain into: The subclavian lymphatic trunk, then the right lymphatic duct (right side) or thoracic duct (left side), before lymph enters systemic circulation via the venous angle (junction of subclavian and internal jugular veins)

🩺 What Happens When These Nodes Are Overwhelmed?
When axillary lymph nodes become congested or inflamed, they may swell (lymphadenopathy) or fail to efficiently clear lymph. This can result in:

• Regional Lymphatic Edema – Puffiness of the breast, chest wall, or arms
• Axillary Nerve Compression – Causing tingling, weakness, or discomfort in the arm
• Toxin Accumulation – Due to impaired filtering of bacteria, viruses, metabolic waste, and xenobiotics
• Increased Risk for Infection – Lymph stagnation = immune dysfunction
• Poor Wound Healing – Especially in post-surgical recovery or trauma

📍 Where the Lymph Flows: Axillary Drainage Pathways
• From Upper Limb → Humeral Nodes → Central → Apical
• From Breast & Chest → Pectoral Nodes → Central → Apical
• From Back & Shoulder → Subscapular Nodes → Central → Apical
• From All Axillary Groups → Apical Nodes → Subclavian Trunk → Venous Circulation

Remember: 90% of lymphatic fluid from the left upper body drains via the thoracic duct, while the right side drains via the right lymphatic duct. These ducts empty into your bloodstream at the venous angles of the neck.

⚠️ Clinical Signs of Axillary Node Dysfunction or Swelling:
• Palpable, tender lump in the armpit (may feel rubbery or firm)
• Aching or dragging sensation down the arm or breast
• Heaviness, burning, or altered sensation in the upper limb
• Limited range of motion in the shoulder joint
• Skin dimpling or tightness over the breast or chest wall
• Unilateral swelling or puffiness of the hands or arms
• Increased sweat gland activity due to detox congestion

🌸 Therapist’s Tip: How to Support Your Axillary Nodes Gently
✔️ Manual Lymphatic Drainage — focus on proximal to distal drainage
✔️ Axillary pumping (arm above head + deep breathing)
✔️ Castor oil wraps over pectoral region (never during active infection)
✔️ FIR sauna to stimulate lymphatic soft tissue detox
✔️ Movement! Walking, shoulder rolls, and wall angels activate natural drainage
✔️ Hydration + electrolytes = optimal lymph viscosity

💚 Your axilla is not just a fold — it’s a filter, a gatekeeper, and a lifeline for your upper body’s healing potential.
If you’ve ever experienced swelling, sensitivity, or soreness in this area… your lymph is asking for support.

02/03/2026

The Enteric Nervous System

After a beautiful week of helping my fellow therapists dive deeper into the enteric nervous system, I realized how many of us may not fully understand this incredible inner steward. It is quiet, vigilant, and continually tracking our inner terrain. How often does this system get overlooked?

Most people know it as “the gut.” The stomach. Digestion. Something that should quietly do its job in the background as long as we eat well enough and manage stress properly. But the enteric nervous system is not passive, and it is not secondary. It is intelligent. It is responsive. And it is deeply involved in how we experience safety, emotion, and regulation.

This inner caretaker lives entirely within the digestive tract, stretching from the esophagus to the colon, woven through layers of smooth muscle and connective tissue. It contains hundreds of millions of neurons, more than the spinal cord itself. Communicating constantly with the brain, the heart, and the immune system, yet it can function on its own. It makes decisions. It adapts. It remembers.

The enteric nervous system manages digestion, yes, but it also monitors threat, modulates stress responses, and plays a decisive role in emotional processing. It is exquisitely sensitive to rhythm, environment, and touch. That is why emotions so often show up in the belly before they reach our lips.

Anxiety often tightens the belly before fear ever finds words, and grief dulls appetite before the heart understands what has been lost. And under chronic stress, the gut becomes a holding place.

When the nervous system perceives a threat, resources are diverted from digestion. Blood flow shifts, stress hormones rise, and peristalsis slows or becomes erratic. The microbiome adapts to a body preparing for survival instead of nourishment. Over time, this state becomes familiar, and familiarity begins to feel like a baseline.

Because the enteric nervous system does not respond to logic or reassurance, you cannot talk it into safety; it learns through sensation, through rhythm, through the difference between being rushed and being met. It is exquisitely attuned to touch, pace, and presence, just as any living creature would be.

This is why the belly is such a powerful place to begin.

Research consistently shows that gentle, intentional abdominal contact increases parasympathetic activity, improves vagal tone, and supports heart rate variability. Stress chemistry begins to soften, digestion improves, and inflammation quiets. The nervous system receives a clear message that it no longer has to stay on guard.

What many of us don't realize is that most of the body’s serotonin is produced in the gut. Mood, sleep, and emotional resilience are intimately tied to this system. When the enteric nervous system is overwhelmed, even the most self-aware person can feel emotionally unsteady. When it feels safe, things begin to reorganize quietly, often without conscious effort. This is why I return here again and again within my work.

Not to uncover stories, or to chase emotional release, but to honor the system that has been carrying a heavy load from the very beginning. The system that adapts silently, holds stress without complaint, and keeps the body moving forward when life demands more than feels possible.

The abdomen is not just another place to work, but a neurological crossroads, a sensory hub, and often the first place the body tells the truth. When we understand this, our touch, our pacing, and our outcomes change.

Tomorrow, I want to take you further into this landscape and show you how abdominal work becomes a conversation rather than a technique, and why beginning here can change everything that follows.

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❤️

Credit: Zanna Keithley

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