International Association of Manual Lymphatic Drainage

Dr. Emil Vodder was born in Copenhagen on February 20, 1896 and died there on February 17, 1986.
He became interested in the lymphatic system very early on and studied the writings of Bartholin, Carrel and Cecil Drinker in particular.
The entrance of Dr. Emil Vodder in the world of Lymphology dates back to 1932, when he began to study and develop his Manual Lymphatic Drainage method.
In the spring of 1936 there was the world exhibition “Santé et Beauté” in Paris, during which Emil Vodder made his method, which he called “Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD)”, known to the public for the first time.
Mrs. Estrid Vodder, a naturopath, effectively collaborated in the elaboration of MLD, since its discovery by her husband Emil Vodder in 1932.
She supported him in his work and in his series of courses, up to the last that he held in Lausanne in 1982. Emil and Estrid Vodder did not cease teaching and spreading their discovery, founding several schools throughout Europe.
In 1981 Dr. Vodder created the AIDMOV Association in Lausanne, of which he was President.
The homage paid to Emil Vodder in 1984 by the German Physical Therapy Foundation (Hamburg) must be noted here. This Foundation awarded him the Rohrbach medal on November 13, 1984.
This high honour is bestowed by the Foundation of Physical Therapy to those who have rendered great services in the fields of Physiotherapy and Massage Therapy.
Dr. Vodder was the eighth person to receive this medal.
Emil Vodder, supported by his wife Estrid, defended and promoted his method tirelessly all of his life, often at the cost of many sacrifices.

Emil Vodder, supported by his wife Estrid, defended and promoted his method tirelessly all of his life, often at the cost of many sacrifices.