The pressures that the Neuroglide Back/Neck Pad delivers to the skin are engineered to mimic a therapeutic technique known as Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD). Unlike conventional massage, MLD only stimulates the skin and the vascular tissues just below the skin, it does not apply pressure to deeper muscle tissues. 
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MLD therapy is known to be deeply relaxing and is clinically proven to be effective at relieving pain. Neuroglide replicates these therapeutic effects by mimicking the gentle pressures and tempo of the MLD technique. 
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In short, Neuroglide is automated MLD therapy that helps you relax, relieve, and recover.

No, it isn’t.
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“Lymphedema” is swelling of the limbs caused by pooling of fluid in tissues, when this pooling is the result of damage or dysfunction in the lymphatic system. Lymphedema is a risk for cancer patients who have radiation therapy or surgery that removes lymph nodes. 
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MLD therapy is commonly used to help the lymphatic system absorb excess fluid in the tissues and return it to the circulatory system, and to treat other symptoms of lymphedema disease. 
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However, the Neuroglide Back/Neck Pad is not designed to treat lymphedema, and has not been FDA-cleared for such treatment. 
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Neuroglide mimics MLD technique in order to stimulate the broader range of therapeutic benefits. 
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The Neuroglide Back/Neck pad is intended for treatment of pain and improved circulation in otherwise healthy people, and has been FDA-cleared for such treatment.

The Neuroglide Back/Neck pad has an array of air channels that run horizontally across the pad. These air channels inflate and deflate in sequence, starting at the bottom of the pad and moving up toward the neck, after which they start again at the bottom, and the cycle repeats.
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The pressure profile and tempo of the inflation sequence have been carefully designed to replicate the stretch-and-release action and tempo of MLD therapy technique.
 
The fabric around the air channels is highly elastic. Inflation creates a balloon-like stretch effect while deflation applies a release pressure against the skin, which stimulates the lymphatic vessels within the tissues below the skin. The pressure profile and tempo of the inflation sequence must be very specific to correctly emulate MLD technique. 

Note that Neuroglide Back/Neck pad does not use the MLD techniques used to re-route fluid in clinical settings to treat lymphedema. It does, however, use MLD techniques to stimulate the uptake of interstitial fluid via the lymphatic system.
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Fortunately, this is enough to trigger the nervous system response that helps the body to relax, relieve pain, and recover.

Conventional massage can be a wonderful therapy when practiced by a skilled massage therapist. But there are important differences that set Neuroglide’s automated MLD therapy apart: 
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1. MLD technique is very different from conventional massage technique. MLD is much lighter and gentler, and does not target the muscle tissues. Conventional massage directs stronger pressures to muscle tissue, and can cause pain or damage to areas that MLD can safely treat. 
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2. MLD technique has benefits that conventional massage does not. MLD has therapeutic benefits that are specific to its focus on lymphatic stimulation, such as reducing swelling and inflammation, activating the body’s immune response, enhances detoxification and activating the parasypathetic system for relaxation. 
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3. Automated massage devices and massage chairs use rigid rollers or percussive devices to stretch and compress muscles. Because Neuroglide uses air-filled elastic channels to compress the skin, it offers a much gentler and more soothing experience. The mechanical pressures and vibrations of massage chairs and hand-held percussive devices can be an intense experience. Many can only tolerate it for limited periods of time.

The experience of using the Neuroglide Back/Neck pad is deeply relaxing and pleasurable. 
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There are at least two neurophysiological mechanisms that contribute to relaxation effects:
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1. MLD technique triggers the “rest and digest” relaxation response. The soothing action of MLD stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps the body transition from a stressed “flight or flight” state to a relaxed “rest and digest” state. 
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2. The gentle pressures of the pad trigger the “affective touch” response. “Affective touch” is touch that is experienced as pleasurable and soothing. There is a distinct set of sensory nerve fibers in our body called “C-tactile afferents” that only respond to slow, gentle stroking of the skin. The brain interprets these signals as “social touch” that communicates a sense of belonging, safety and security.

Users of the Neuroglide Back/Neck pad report relief from systemic and local pain during and after therapy sessions. 
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There are at least three neurophysiological mechanisms that contribute to pain-relieving effects:
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1. MLD technique triggers the relaxation response, which reduces stress-related pain. Certain kinds of pain are reinforced and perpetuated when the body is in a stressed state. Relaxation helps to reduce these pains.

2. MLD technique reduces inflammation in tissues, which reduces inflammation-related pain. Certain kinds of pain are associated with inflammatory processes. MLD technique improves circulation that clears away chemicals and hormones that contribute to inflammation. 
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3. Touch inhibits pain. Pressure signals can inhibit the transmission of pain signals to the brain, a phenomenon called “analgesic touch”. The persisting, gentle pressures that Neuroglide applies to the skin provide a steady stream of pain-inhibiting signals.

Neuroglide users report feeling rested and refreshed after using the pad, and observational studies indicate that using the pad helps to improve sleep quality and measures of physiological recovery. 
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There are at least two neurophysiological mechanisms that contribute to short-term and longer-term recovery benefits, respectively:
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1. MLD technique triggers the relaxation response, generating short-term recovery benefits. When our body transitions to the “rest and digest” state, it sets to work repairing damaged tissues, delivering oxygen and nutrients to cells throughout the body, clearing waste and toxins from the body, and modifying neural connections in the brain. 
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2. Regular MLD therapy sessions can help to improve “autonomic balance”, yielding longer-term recovery benefits. “Autonomic balance” describes the body’s ability to adaptively switch between states of higher attention and arousal (dominated by the sympathetic nervous system), and states of rest and recovery (dominated by the parasympathetic nervous system), on an as-needed basis. Improving autonomic balance improves learning and performance, and reduces vulnerability to acute and chronic stress conditions.