What to expect before your first visit.
A little preparation makes your first visit calmer and more useful. Here is what the session is like, how to get ready, what helps afterward, and how we handle payment. If anything here raises a question, call us and we will walk you through it.
Four small things that help.
Fill out your intake form first
Complete your health intake before you come in, so none of your treatment time is spent on paperwork. If you have had surgery, include the date, your surgeon's name, and your current medications.
Rest and hydrate
Get a good night of rest and drink water before your appointment. Your body works with the drainage, and it does that best when it is rested and hydrated.
A phone consult is welcome first
A 10-minute phone consult with our founder or a clinic director, at no cost, is recommended, so we can confirm this work is a fit for your situation before your first visit.
Please come fragrance-free
We kindly ask that you avoid wearing perfume, cologne, or strongly scented lotions to your appointment. Clients with noticeable fragrance may be asked to reschedule.
Bring a note if you need one
If you are pregnant or in active cancer treatment, please bring a note from your doctor saying that manual therapy is appropriate for you.
What the 70 minutes are like.
01Seventy minutes, gentle throughout
A full session runs about 70 minutes in a modest, comfortable, massage-therapy setting. The pressure is light to medium and matched to your condition. It does not hurt.
02The order of the work
Most patients lie face down while the therapist begins at the collarbone, then the neck, arms, and legs. You then turn over for the collarbone, arms, abdomen, and legs, all with the light pressure the Vogel Method uses.
03If you cannot lie flat
After a facelift, breast surgery, a tummy tuck, a C-section, or other abdominal surgery, you can sit or stand with a drape for modesty for the first part, then rest under a sheet for the rest. We work around a healing site, never on it. We do not open incisions, syringe seroma, or remove drains, ever.
04A patient advocate, if you would like one
If having someone in the room would help you feel more comfortable, just ask when you arrive and we will arrange it.
Helping the work last.
Rest and water
Expect to feel relieved and probably a little sleepy. Your body needs rest and water to process the fluid that was just moved. Drink plenty of water and take it easy afterward.
Keep the fluid moving
Simple self-care between visits helps the work last: opening the terminus at the collarbone, light skin sweeping, and slow belly breathing. Your therapist will show you how.
Go easy on your body
For a day or two, favor whole foods and go light on sugar, alcohol, and processed food. Some patients feel a little tired before they feel better as the body catches up. That settles.
Private pay, with help toward reimbursement.
We are a private-pay clinic and do not bill insurance directly. We accept HSA and FSA, and we provide an itemized receipt you can submit to your insurer for possible reimbursement. A script from your doctor for lymphedema or edema, dated before your visit, helps that process.
First visits are prepaid. We appreciate 48 hours of notice to change or cancel, so the time can go to another patient who needs care. You can read the full policy on our cancellation policy page.
It is not right for everyone, and we will tell you.
Because lymphatic drainage moves fluid toward the heart, it is not appropriate for every patient. We do not perform drainage on patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib), COPD, emphysema, blood clots, or an active infection, and we refer those patients to a hospital lymphedema clinic where emergency care is on site. Every plan begins with an assessment, and if lymphatic work is not the safe choice for you, we will say so.
Before your first visit.
Do I need a referral to come in?
No referral is needed for most patients. If you are recovering from surgery or in active cancer treatment, please bring a note or script from your doctor saying manual lymphatic drainage is appropriate for you.
How long is a first visit?
About 70 minutes. Your first visit always begins with a short health review, so we can confirm the work is safe for you before anything hands-on begins.
Does it hurt?
No. The pressure is light to medium and matched to your condition. Most patients find it gentle enough that they nearly fall asleep.
What should I do before I come in?
Fill out your intake form, rest, and drink water. If you have had surgery, note the date, your surgeon's name, and your medications on the form so the therapist can plan around your healing.
Can I come in soon after surgery?
Often, yes, but we work around a healing site and never on fresh incisions. Bring your surgery date and surgeon's name. If you cannot lie flat, we begin seated or standing with a drape for modesty. We never open incisions, syringe seroma, or remove drains.
Do you take insurance?
We are a private-pay clinic and do not bill insurance directly. We accept HSA and FSA, and we provide an itemized receipt you can submit to your insurer for possible reimbursement. A script from your doctor for lymphedema or edema, dated before your visit, helps.
What if I need to cancel?
First visits are prepaid, and we appreciate 48 hours of notice so the time can go to another patient who needs care. You can read the full cancellation policy on our policy page.
Ready when you are.
Call us, tell us what is going on, and we will say honestly whether this work can help and get you in with the right therapist.