When My Tonsils Were Drained: A Personal Experience with the Immune System’s Hidden Gatekeepers
I still remember it vividly. I was young, visiting family in Mexico, when I was hit with another painful episode of tonsillitis. My throat burned, swallowing felt impossible, and I was exhausted from the cycle of infection and swelling. But this time was different. Instead of heading to a doctor’s office, I was taken to see a local healer.
What happened next was one of the most intense experiences of my life. With no real explanation, the healer began what I would later understand as a form of drainage. She worked from my tonsils down to each wrist, first on the right side, then on the left. At the time, I had no idea what was happening. All I knew was the pain. I remember it was sharp, overwhelming, unforgettable. But then something happened: relief. From that moment forward, I never again suffered from tonsillitis.
Looking back, I can’t help but wonder, was this my first exposure to the power of lymphatic drainage? Could that painful moment have reset a system that was clogged and overwhelmed?
The Tonsils
Tonsils are often thought of as unnecessary. For decades, children with recurring sore throats were lead into surgery for a tonsillectomy. But the tonsils are not just extra tissue, they are part of the lymphatic and immune system, strategically placed at the entrance of the throat to catch invaders before they reach deeper into the body.
They are like border guards, constantly scanning what comes in through food, drink, and air. Their job is to trap bacteria and viruses in little pockets called crypts, triggering immune cells to respond. But when those crypts get overwhelmed, when debris, bacteria, or inflammation congest the area, the tonsils themselves swell and become the problem.
The Immune System’s Gateways
The mouth and throat are part of the digestive system, but they’re also immune checkpoints. Saliva carries antibodies. Tonsils carry immune cells. And deeper in the gut, nearly 70% of the body’s immune system is on guard.
This connection is known as the gut-immune axis. Everything we eat, every germ we swallow, is screened and either tolerated or attacked. The tonsils are the very first gate in this system. If they get backed up, it’s not just about a sore throat, it’s about a compromised checkpoint that can no longer filter properly.
Manual Therapy and the Lymphatic System
What struck me after reflecting on my experience in Mexico is that the healer didn’t remove my tonsils. She didn’t prescribe antibiotics. Instead, she worked with the body.
By draining, clearing, and perhaps stimulating lymphatic flow.
The lymphatic system is the body’s waste highway, carrying away excess fluid, debris, and pathogens. When it’s congested, swelling and chronic inflammation can set in. When it’s moving, tissues regain balance. Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), a form of bodywork, is now widely recognized as a way to help the lymphatic system do its job more effectively.
Could it be that lymphatic drainage around the tonsils offers a gateway to preventing tonsillectomies? My personal story suggests it’s worth considering. A large number of my friends growing up in the States did have a tonsillectomy procedure. But for me, from that painful but transformative day forward, my tonsils stopped being a source of illness.
This isn’t to say surgery or medicine doesn’t have its place, it certainly does. But what if, before cutting tissue out, we considered whether the body was simply congested and needed help restoring flow? What if swelling and repeated tonsillitis were not a signal to remove, but a signal to release?
For me, that childhood moment was more than just relief from tonsillitis. It was an early lesson, one that I didn’t recognize until much later in life, that the body can heal when given the right support. It may have been the first seed planted that eventually led me to a career built around hands-on healing and restoring balance in the body.
Supporting Your Tonsils, Your Immune System, and Your Health
If you or your children deal with recurring tonsillitis, here are some simple things to be aware of:
Check breathing habits. The mouth is for eating, the nose is for breathing. Chronic mouth breathing dries out tissues and makes the tonsils work harder than they should. Correcting this one habit can make a tremendous difference.
Support lymphatic flow. Gentle massage, movement, and staying hydrated all help keep the lymphatic system from getting congested.
Think prevention, not reaction. Don’t wait until swelling or pain shows up. Routine manual therapy is a quiet but powerful way to keep the immune system resilient.
Over the years, I’ve seen this pattern in my own practice: patients who commit to regular bodywork (not just when they’re injured) tend to age with more vibrance and fewer chronic health issues. They recover faster, they get sick less often, and they move through life with more energy.
Massage therapy and manual therapy aren’t just about pain relief, they’re immune system boosters. Silent helpers working in the background, giving your body the boost it needs to stay balanced and strong.
