Methodology and sources

Rinpa teaches gentle lymphatic self-massage for healthy adults: self-drainage, the simplified version NHS lymphedema services teach their patients to do at home. We do not invent technique: every move, its direction, pressure and repetitions come from public clinical leaflets, which we cite on every page.

Who we are

Rinpa is a project by Utropia. We are not health professionals, and our content has not been clinically reviewed. Rinpa is not affiliated with the NHS, the British Lymphology Society or any of the organisations whose leaflets we cite. The owner’s details are in our privacy policy.

Sources of the technique

• West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust: self-lymphatic massage for the head and neck and for the legs.
• Lymphoedema Network Northern Ireland (CSP): simple lymphatic drainage for the arm and trunk.
• British Lymphology Society: simple lymphatic drainage guidance (2022).
• Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Trust and Macmillan Cancer Support: self-drainage leaflets.

Which numbers are ours

Some numbers do not come from any clinical guideline: they are our decisions, and we would rather say so. The pace of each move (two seconds to stretch and two to release), the pace of breathing (four seconds in, six out and a two-second pause) and the length of the routines, 3 to 15 minutes. The leaflets ask for 10 to 20 minutes a day, with people with lymphedema in mind, and nobody has studied whether short routines give the same result.

What we say, and what we do not

Done gently, and outside its contraindications, lymphatic drainage is well tolerated. In healthy people there are no trials showing effects beyond how it feels, so that is what we talk about: a feeling of lightness, routine and rest. We never say it helps you lose weight, flushes toxins, boosts immunity or treats any condition.

Safety

Before your first session, Rinpa runs a short screening based on the contraindications listed by the British Lymphology Society, the National Lymphedema Network and NHS leaflets. If something does not fit, it asks you to check with your doctor, adapts the routine or stops it. The area-by-area adaptations are our own precautionary rules and have not been clinically reviewed. Your answers stay on your device.

AI-generated videos

The guides and their videos are generated with artificial intelligence. Every clip is checked against the move described in its source leaflet (direction, range, and whether the hand glides or stays in place) before it is published.

If you spot a mistake

Write to us at hello@utropia.es and we will check it against the sources.

Disclaimer

Rinpa is education and wellbeing. It does not diagnose or treat any condition, nor replace a health professional. If you have lymphedema or lipedema, or have had surgery, follow your healthcare team.