What is the typical direction of lymph drainage during manual lymph drainage (MLD)?

• A. Towards distal areas away from trunk.
• B. Towards proximal areas toward trunk and nodes.
• C. In a clockwise pattern.
• D. Random direction.

Answer: (B)

MLD is guided by the way lymph naturally travels toward the body’s central drainage points. The strokes are directed from the distal parts of a limb toward proximal areas toward the trunk and then toward the regional lymph nodes. This distal-to-proximal flow helps move lymph into the main lymphatic vessels and toward the thoracic and right lymphatic ducts, ultimately into the venous system. So, moving from fingers or toes up toward the trunk and nodes (axillary, inguinal, cervical) aligns with how lymph drains. Pushing lymph away from the trunk, following a clockwise pattern, or using random directions do not support efficient drainage and are not used in standard MLD.