the body speaks in rhythms

ISSUE NO. 2

There is a moment in Manual Lymphatic Drainage treatment that many therapists know well.

The room is quiet. The patient's breathing has slowed. Their shoulders have softened beneath your hands. The pace of the day seems to have fallen away.

​And then, from somewhere beneath the treatment table, comes a familiar sound.

Gurgle.   Rumble.   Growl.

As Manual Lymphatic Drainage therapists, we hear it often - particularly during central and abdominal work. For years, I suspect many of us have smiled to ourselves and quietly thought, "There it is."

But what, exactly, is "it"?

Recently, I came across an article discussing emerging research into borborygmi - the technical term for the rumbling sounds produced by our gastrointestinal system. Researchers are beginning to explore whether these sounds may offer meaningful insight into our overall health, reflecting aspects of digestion, autonomic regulation, inflammation, and even the gut microbiome.

It made me think of the treatment room.

Many MLD therapists have observed borborygmi during treatment, particularly following central and abdominal techniques. While we cannot conclude that we are directly stimulating the cisterna chyli, these audible changes may reflect increased parasympathetic activity, changes in gastrointestinal motility, diaphragmatic influences, and the intimate relationship between the abdominal viscera and the lymphatic system.

That distinction is important.

As healthcare professionals, we have a responsibility to remain curious without overstating what we know. Clinical observation is valuable. It is often where the best questions begin. But observation is not the same as proof.

What we can say is this: something appears to change.

Patients often arrive carrying the pace of their day in their bodies - breathing shallowly, thinking about their next appointment, holding tension they may not even realize is present. As treatment progresses, breathing deepens. The abdomen softens. The nervous system settles.

And then the body speaks.

Many MLD therapists recognize this moment immediately. Sometimes patients will comment that their stomach is rumbling or that they can feel movement through their abdomen. Other times, it is simply a quiet soundtrack in the treatment room that accompanies the work.

Over time, these shared clinical observations become part of our collective experience as therapists. We begin to recognize patterns - not as proof, but as invitations to remain curious.

What is changing within the body in that moment?

Is it a shift in autonomic tone? Changes in gastrointestinal motility? The influence of diaphragmatic movement? The close relationship between the abdominal viscera and the lymphatic system?

I suspect the answer is not found in a single structure, but in the conversation taking place between many of them.

The respiratory system.

The nervous system.

The gastrointestinal system.

The lymphatic system.

Each moving in relationship to the others.

As therapists, we spend much of our careers learning to observe these relationships. We feel changes in tissue tone. We notice breathing patterns. We listen to the stories our patients tell us. And occasionally, if we're paying attention, we hear a story told by the body itself.

The article I read suggested that bowel sounds may one day become a useful biomarker of health. Time ~ and research ~ will tell us more.

Until then, I find myself returning to a simpler thought:
The body speaks in rhythms.
The gut just happens to be one of the few rhythms we can hear across the room.

And perhaps that is enough.

Looking Back... Clinical practice has a way of teaching us humility.

Looking Ahead​...  The longer I work, the less interested I become in having all the answers and the more interested I become in asking better questions.

Borborygmi may never prove to be a marker of lymphatic function, but it does remind us of something important: the body is always communicating.

Our role is to listen.

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Thank you for reading The EluVett Journal.
If this article sparked a new question or a different way of thinking, I hope you'll join me again for the next conversation. To learn more about the EluVett Method, upcoming education, or clinical resources for massage therapists, visit eluvettmethod.com.

Patient stories shared in The EluVett Journal are educational reflections. Identifying details have been changed, generalized, or thoughtfully combined from multiple clinical experiences to protect patient privacy and confidentiality. All reflections are shared in accordance with PHIPA and professional ethical standards.

Reference:
ScienceAlert. "Your Stomach Rumbles May Help Reveal a Lot About Your Overall Health." July 2026.
Photo Credit: Pexels.com Andrea Piacquadio