Manual lymphatic drainage at TORQ is delivered by Kim Rawlings, PTA — a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant with medical clinical training and extensive coursework in the manual technique. Where lymphatic drainage is often offered by massage therapists or aestheticians, Kim brings the added foundation of clinical anatomy, contraindication awareness, and the ability to coordinate directly with your surgeon. She specializes in post-cosmetic surgery recovery, post-orthopedic support, and dedicated wellness sessions. Slow, precise, and grounded in the manual technique itself.
Manual lymphatic drainage isn't a massage. It's a specialized, hands-on technique developed over decades to work with the body's lymphatic system — the network of vessels that clears fluid, waste, and inflammatory debris from tissues.
When the lymphatic system is flowing well, you don't think about it. When it's not, you feel it: swelling, puffiness, slower recovery, a general sense of feeling stuck or heavy in your own body.
The technique itself is deliberately slow. Rhythmic, precise pressure applied with the hands, following the natural direction of lymphatic flow. Very different from typical massage. Not deep tissue work. Not stress relief. Something entirely its own — gentle, methodical, and surprisingly restorative.
At TORQ, the manual technique comes first. Kim's hands and her clinical training are the core of what we offer. When it's helpful for certain patients, we can complement her manual work with pneumatic compression using our on-site NormaTec system — but the hands-on work always leads, and the devices support.
Kim welcomes patients managing lymphedema. She provides the manual drainage portion of the care — the hands-on technique that helps move stagnant fluid — but does not apply compression wrapping or bandaging. That specialized wrap-based work is a separate discipline (Certified Lymphedema Therapy, or CLT). Many lymphedema patients see their CLT for wrapping and compression management while working with Kim separately for the manual drainage. It's a common and effective way to structure ongoing care.
Manual lymphatic drainage supports a wide range of bodies for a wide range of reasons. Here are the populations we see most often at TORQ.
BBL, tummy tuck, liposuction, breast augmentation, facelift, and more. Manual lymphatic drainage is frequently recommended by cosmetic surgeons to reduce post-op swelling, support tissue healing, and help you see your results faster.
After joint replacement, ligament repair, or other orthopedic procedures, swelling can slow your recovery. Manual lymphatic drainage complements your PT program and helps the affected area feel lighter and move more freely.
Everyday puffiness in the face, hands, feet, or midsection that doesn't shift with rest, hydration, or activity. Manual lymphatic drainage helps stagnant fluid move again, session by session.
Patients who invest in regular hands-on wellness care as part of a broader self-care routine. Monthly or bi-weekly sessions keep the body feeling light, mobile, and cared for across the seasons of a year.
After an acute illness, infection, or period of reduced mobility, the body sometimes feels heavy and sluggish. Manual lymphatic drainage supports the return to a lighter, more comfortable baseline.
For women dealing with cyclical fluid retention around the menstrual cycle or hormonal fluctuation, a well-timed session can noticeably reduce that heavy, bloated feeling.
Every session at TORQ follows the same rhythm — a conversation about what your body needs, a brief physical assessment, the manual work itself, and simple guidance for what to do between sessions.
What are you here for? Post-surgical recovery, chronic puffiness, wellness care? A brief conversation to understand your goals, medical history, and any contraindications.
A short physical assessment. Kim maps the areas that need attention and considers where the body is holding fluid, tension, or stagnation.
The manual lymphatic drainage session itself. Slow, precise, rhythmic — following the natural direction of lymphatic flow. Most patients find it deeply calming.
Simple guidance for what to do between sessions — hydration, gentle movement, self-massage where appropriate — to support and extend the benefits.
Every body is different, but here's what patients most commonly experience — both in the hours after a session and across a series of visits.
Every manual lymphatic drainage session at TORQ is delivered personally by Kim Rawlings, PTA, TORQ's co-founder. Kim is a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant with extensive coursework in the manual lymphatic technique, and she continues to invest in deepening her practice of it.
Her approach is grounded in something rare in this space: medical clinical training paired with genuine devotion to the manual technique. Manual lymphatic drainage in this region is most often offered by massage therapists and aestheticians — legitimate professionals with their own scope of training. What Kim brings is different: the clinical foundation of a Physical Therapist Assistant. She understands anatomy at a medical level, recognizes the contraindications that matter for this work, and can coordinate directly with your surgeon or physician when your care benefits from it.
Kim also specializes in myofascial release, manual trigger point release, gait and running analysis, and shoe wear pattern assessment. If your session reveals other areas where she can help, she can offer that guidance too.
Read Kim's full bio →While Kim delivers TORQ's dedicated manual lymphatic drainage sessions, our other therapists also incorporate lymphatic drainage and retrograde massage techniques into their regular treatments — particularly during post-surgical recovery, when reducing swelling is central to progress.
If you're an existing PT patient at TORQ and lymphatic work would help your recovery, ask your therapist. They can integrate the technique into your session, or refer you to Kim for dedicated care when a full session is what you need.
Book a consultation and we'll get you scheduled with Kim. New patients often start with a single session to experience the technique before committing to a series.
Manual lymphatic drainage is a self-pay wellness service, not billed to insurance. Call and we'll walk you through pricing and scheduling.
When to begin manual lymphatic drainage after cosmetic surgery varies by procedure and surgeon. Follow your surgeon's timing guidance, then bring their recommendations to your first session.
Whether you're recovering from surgery, managing chronic puffiness, or investing in ongoing hands-on wellness care, we'd love to help. Book online or call — we'll answer your questions and get you scheduled with Kim.