Brazilian Lymphatic Drainage
A firmer, sculpting-oriented style of lymphatic drainage that many patients book to feel less bloated and to support recovery after surgery. At National Lymphatic Centers, it is manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) delivered by therapists trained to move fluid the right way, across three clinics in Chicago's western suburbs.
4.8 · 1,000+ reviews across Google, Yelp & More
Concerns Brazilian Lymphatic Drainage Treats
The puffy, heavy feeling that comes when fluid sits in the tissue. Gentle, ordered drainage in the firmer Brazilian rhythm may help reduce the look of that bloating for a while.
A lighter feeling
Many patients feel less bloated soon after a session, sometimes the same day
Fluid moved
Pooled fluid drawn toward the nodes that clear it, in the order the body needs
Recovery support
Gentle drainage timed to your recovery and coordinated with your surgeon
Comfortable throughout
A firmer Brazilian rhythm that stays comfortable, and many nearly fall asleep
Why patients choose NLC.
Founder Sharon M. Vogel has spent more than three decades devoted to lymphatic drainage. A Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Lymphedema Therapist and Board-Certified in Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (LMT, CLT, BCTMB), she developed the Vogel Method and founded National Lymphatic Centers in 1991. Today her team of certified therapists carries that same standard across three clinics in Chicago's western suburbs: Hinsdale, Downers Grove and Joliet.
When Brazilian drainage isn't the right first call
It moves fluid, and that change is temporary
It moves fluid, so any change is real but temporary.
- • Brazilian drainage moves fluid and can help you feel less bloated for a while
- • It is not a fat-loss or weight-loss treatment
- • It does not contour the body the way surgery does
- • Any change you see is fluid moving, so it is real but temporary
Contraindications: we refer you on
Some conditions are outside our scope, and we will refer you.
- • We do not perform this work on AFib, COPD, emphysema, blood clots, or active infection
- • These are outside our scope of care
- • Some belong in a hospital lymphedema clinic where emergency care is on site
- • This is appropriate scope of practice, not a hedge
Managing a diagnosed condition? A different start may fit
For a diagnosed condition, a different treatment may fit better.
- • For diagnosed lymphedema or lipedema, standard drainage is usually the better start
- • Recovering from a specific procedure often points to post-surgical work first
- • We tell you which fits at your assessment
- • For post-op work, we clear the timing with your surgeon first
Medical massage for a variety of reasons.
The room is quiet and the pressure is intentional. Nothing happens without your say so, and sessions follow your anatomy and your condition. Here is how a session runs, start to finish.
Your therapist looks at where your body is holding fluid and sets the plan for that session. Your first visit includes a drainage assessment, so plan a little extra time.
Details+
- • Health history, prior surgeries, current conditions, medications
- • A look at where the body is holding fluid
- • Candidacy screen against the contraindications list
- • The plan for the session, explained before it begins
The work, explained by Sharon
The full team.
Hover to read each name. Certified care across all three Illinois clinics, every session to the Vogel Method standard.
Sharon M. Vogel
LMT · CLT · CDT · BCTMB · CVMLD™
All three clinics
Abdul Alagha
LMT · CLT · LANA
Downers Grove
Ludmila Lynch
LMT · CVMLD™ · CLT
Joliet
Stephanie Kos
LMT · CVMLD™ · CLT · LET
Hinsdale
Hana Echevarria
LMT · OMT · CDT
Downers Grove
Ricky Sharma
LMT · CVMLD™ · MLD
Downers Grove
Sharon M. Vogel
LMT · CLT · CDT · BCTMB · CVMLD™
All three clinics
Abdul Alagha
LMT · CLT · LANA
Downers Grove
Ludmila Lynch
LMT · CVMLD™ · CLT
Joliet
Stephanie Kos
LMT · CVMLD™ · CLT · LET
Hinsdale
Hana Echevarria
LMT · OMT · CDT
Downers Grove
Ricky Sharma
LMT · CVMLD™ · MLD
Downers Grove
What patients tell us
4.8★ across 1,000+ reviews on Google, Yelp & More
“The Vogel Method is the only manual lymphatic massage that has decreased my joint swelling and improved my quality of life. I am willing to drive over an hour to see Sharon and team. She keeps my vertigo and joint swelling at bay.”
Mary H.
Google · joint swelling & vertigo · May 2026
Three Illinois clinics.
Reserve your visit.
No referral needed.
Choose a therapist and a time that works for you, at any of our three Illinois clinics. Same-specialty care, whether it is your first visit or your tenth.
See pricingA self-pay clinic, with a superbill for your insurer.
We do not bill insurance directly. For medically necessary lymphatic therapy, we provide an itemized superbill you can submit to your insurer for possible reimbursement. Coverage varies by plan, so check with your provider.
Have questions about referrals or reimbursement? Our front desk is happy to help. 630-828-6582
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Not sure if Brazilian drainage is right for you?
That is a fair question, and it deserves an honest answer before you book. Call us, tell us what you are hoping for, and we will say plainly whether this work can help or whether standard drainage fits you better. If it fits, we will get you in at the clinic nearest you: Hinsdale, Downers Grove, or Joliet.