Why do I have heavy, swollen legs at the end of the day?
The most common explanations are standing or sitting for a long time, heat, hormones and veins that return blood poorly. But heaviness and swelling can also come from medicines or from heart, kidney or liver conditions. You cannot tell from the sensation alone, because it is the same. That is why Luxmed always starts with an assessment consultation with the doctor, and only then considers any treatment.
Are heavy legs and fluid retention the same thing?
Not necessarily. Heavy legs are a feeling of heaviness and tiredness, which can exist without visible swelling, for example when the veins work less well. Fluid retention is a build-up of fluid in the tissues, which can be seen and which, when pressed with a finger, may leave a mark. They can appear together or separately, and each has different causes, which changes what makes sense to do. That is why the first step is always to work out which of the two, or whether both, describes what you feel.
What is lymphatic drainage?
It is a gentle massage, with slow movements, designed to help mobilise fluid that has built up in the tissues. At Luxmed, the drainages are Toque Pernas Leves, Toque Corpo Leve and Ritual Drena. The scientific evidence on manual drainage is limited: the international society of lymphology mainly refers to studies in lymphoedema after breast cancer, and the effect in other situations is unknown. That is why the clinic speaks of relief, and not of promises.
Does lymphatic drainage need a medical recommendation?
At Luxmed, yes. Drainage is only carried out after an assessment consultation with Dr Michelle Campagnoli, who decides whether it is suitable. The reason is safety: swelling in the legs can come from causes, such as thrombosis, infection or heart and kidney conditions, in which massage can do harm. The clinic's other massages can be booked directly. The recommendation is not a formality: it is the moment when someone with medical training looks at your legs and at your history.
When should lymphatic drainage not be done?
As a precaution, the clinic does not carry out drainage unless the doctor has ruled out certain situations, such as suspected thrombosis, infection or fever, uncontrolled heart or kidney disease, and others the doctor considers case by case. Telling us everything, including surgeries, medication and pregnancy, is essential. If at the consultation the doctor concludes that you should not have it, she explains the reason and what she proposes instead.
A leg swollen on one side only: what to do?
If the swelling is sudden, in one leg only, and comes with pain, warmth or redness, it may be a deep vein thrombosis, which needs a quick diagnosis with blood tests and an ultrasound scan. Call SNS 24 (808 24 24 24) or go to the emergency department, and do not massage the leg. With shortness of breath or chest pain, call 112. It is not something to wait for an aesthetic consultation about.
When should I see a doctor first?
Whenever the swelling is new, persistent or getting worse, is in one leg only, leaves a mark when pressed, comes with varicose veins or skin changes, or after surgery or radiotherapy. Also if you have started a new medicine. At Luxmed, that first step is the assessment consultation with Dr Michelle Campagnoli, before any drainage. If there is pain, warmth or redness in a leg, or shortness of breath, it is an emergency, not a consultation.
How many drainage sessions are needed?
There is no number that suits everyone, and the clinic does not promise one. It depends on the cause, on how intense the symptoms are and on what the doctor recommends. That is why the plan, including the pace and the number of sessions, is set at the assessment, with reviews over time. The price and duration of each treatment are explained when you book. The swelling may also return, because the causes remain, and reassessing is normal.
What is the difference between Toque Pernas Leves and Toque Corpo Leve?
Toque Pernas Leves is a drainage massage for the legs, which stimulates circulation, for heavy, tired legs. Toque Corpo Leve combines drainage and relaxation for the body, to reduce swelling and unwind at the same time. The doctor recommends which makes most sense for you, and whether either does at all. Both are carried out by massage therapists, and only after the medical recommendation at the assessment consultation. Neither is a choice you make on your own over the phone, even if the description seems to match what you feel.
Are Ritual Drena and the drainage massages the same thing?
No. Ritual Drena is a body mesoaesthetics ritual, for fluid retention, swelling and the feeling of heavy legs, and it is also only carried out with a medical recommendation. The Pernas Leves and Corpo Leve massages are part of the therapeutic massages. In any case, the decision on which to choose, and whether it is suitable, rests with the doctor at the assessment consultation, and is not a choice from a catalogue. In neither case is a result promised, because the response varies from person to person.
Do compression stockings help with heavy legs?
They can help in some cases, such as certain vein conditions, and there are medical consensus statements that recommend them for venous symptoms. But reviews do not show enough evidence that they work, on their own, as a first treatment for varicose veins. And they are not suitable for everyone, for example if there is arterial disease. That is why they should be recommended by the doctor, in the right size and strength, and not chosen on your own. If you wear stockings and your legs still bother you, tell the doctor, rather than tightening them more.
Does lymphatic drainage treat cellulite or help you lose weight?
No, and that is not what the clinic offers it for. Drainage is intended to relieve heaviness and swelling when the doctor recommends it. Cellulite has other approaches, described on another page, also after assessment. And drainage is not a method for losing weight or inches: what you notice after a session, when you notice anything, is mainly less swelling, and it varies from person to person.
What should I bring and tell the doctor?
Bring the list of medicines and supplements you take, recent tests and scans, and a note of any surgeries, thromboses and heart, kidney or vein conditions you have had. Say how long your legs have felt heavy, whether it is in both, what time of day it gets worse and what makes it better. Photographs of the swelling at the end of the day help. In Algés, you can book by phone, WhatsApp or through the form on the website. If you do not have everything to hand, come anyway: the doctor works with what there is and asks for the rest.
Can I book drainage straight away without a consultation?
No. The assessment consultation with the doctor always comes first, and drainage is only booked after the recommendation. You can, however, book any other massage at the clinic directly, such as the relaxation ones. If you would like guidance on choosing, speak to the team in Algés, who explain how booking works, the price and the duration. If drainage is the massage you are looking for, the quickest way is to book the assessment consultation straight away, where the doctor decides whether you can go ahead and, if there is a recommendation, the drainage is booked next, without repeating the conversation.
