Post-Op Lymphatic Massage

Bodhi Bodywork IconBodhi Bodywork

5415 Kingston Pike A, Knoxville

5.0 66 reviews

  • Avatar whitney cox ★★★★★ a year ago
    Started going to David for post op massages for bbl and tummy tuck. I've only been a handful of times and plan on paying for more services throughout my healing process. Each time I leave I'm ready to go back. David is professional, … More knows what he is doing, and is great at conversations that make the experience enjoyable and makes you at ease.
  • Avatar Claudia Tejada ★★★★★ 2 years ago
    Davids lymphatic messages have been the key to my healing process after my surgery. He is professional, takes his time, and is knowledgeable. I am very happy with his services and am grateful for his help in my recovery.


Post-op lymphatic massage can be an effective treatment for pain, swelling, scarring, and accelerated healing after surgery.

Post-operative massage helps you heal faster after surgery by improving circulation of blood and movement of lymph.

Post-surgery massage can also decrease stress and anxiety.

Whether you’ve had a joint replacement or other orthopedic surgery… or you’re planning aftercare for a Brazilian butt lift (BBL), mommy makeover (MMO), liposuction, tummy tuck, or other cosmetic surgery, post-op massage can help!

We recommend a pre-surgery lymphatic massage close to your operation date to help detoxify your system before your operation, and I can start post-op massage as soon as you have your doctor’s approval — some surgeons recommend massage as early as 48 hours after surgery, others recommend waiting two or more weeks.

Scar release massage can start as soon as your scabs have fallen off.

In addition to manual lymphatic drainage and scar release, your post-op massage may also include EMS, radio frequency treatment, and therapeutic ultrasound to improve your results.

What we don’t do:

We don’t reopen incisions or drain fluid outside the body. That’s out of the scope of massage therapy practice, and unnecessary by the time you come to see us. Your body has mechanisms for reabsorbing and expelling the fluid.

Massage with negative pressure (cupping) can help increase lymphatic drainage, but is not used locally on the surgery site, as it can reverse the benefits of your compression garment.

Likewise, we do not use cavitation or wood therapy for post-op massages. While these are great treatments for those who want body contouring without surgery, they can be devastating to your surgical outcome.

These therapies can disrupt the healing process by preventing the skin from reattaching to the fascia (which could cause a seroma or fibrosis). Not only can cavitation cause sagging skin post-surgery, it can burn your organs, as it’s impossible to perform properly on inflamed tissue. Wood therapy carries the risk of reopening incisions, increasing the risk of infection and added scarring.

While cavitation, wood therapy and taping all have their place in the bodyworker’s toolbox, they should be avoided for six months to a year after surgery, depending on the surgery type.

More of the good stuff…

The use of essential oils is optional and included in your post-op massage.

We use essential oils like turmeric, ginger, and black pepper to decrease inflammation. These oils are also lipolytic, meaning they may help break down fat.

For scar tissue massage, we use cicatrisant oils which may help skin healing or diminish scars, like Helichrysum italicum, frankinsence, lavendar, and tea tree oils.

red and near infrared light therapy
Red and near infrared light therapy may reduce inflammation and speed healing. Contact me to add light therapy to your post-op massage sessions.

Red light and near infrared light therapies may boost collagen production for skin healing, tighten skin, and decrease inflammation and pain. Light therapy may also increase circulation of blood and movement of lymph to speed your healing process. Light therapy can be added to your post-op sessions and is safe at any stage in the healing process.

Let’s Schedule Your Post-Op Lymphatic Massages!

It’s important to plan your post-surgery massages well in advance, as we’re generally booked out several weeks ahead.

To set up your post-op lymphatic massages, please go to our Scheduling page. For more information, please use the contact form or call/text us at 865-357-0065.