How much is lymphatic drainage massage in Calgary

At Renu in West Hillhurst, a classic lymphatic drainage massage is $95 for 30 minutes, $105 for 45 minutes and $130 for 60 minutes. A 60-minute post-op session is $140, and a massage and lymphatic combination is $130 for 60 minutes or $165 for 90. What you pay depends mostly on the length you need and on whether the session is planned around a recent surgery.

A lymphatic drainage massage at Renu costs between $95 and $165, depending on how long you book and what kind of session it is. Most people who come for swelling, puffiness or a calmer nervous system book the 60-minute classic session at $130. Below is the whole list in one place, with an honest word on what each length is good for, so you can choose before you open the booking page.

The lymphatic price list at Renu

Every lymphatic session we offer sits on one short list. These are the published prices for the lymphatic drainage massage service, in Canadian dollars.

Session	Length	Price	Per minute
Classic lymphatic drainage massage	30 min	$95	about $3.17
Classic lymphatic drainage massage	45 min	$105	about $2.33
Classic lymphatic drainage massage	60 min	$130	about $2.17
Post-op lymphatic drainage massage	60 min	$140	about $2.33
Massage and lymphatic combination	60 min	$130	about $2.17
Massage and lymphatic combination	90 min	$165	about $1.83

Two things stand out when you look at the per-minute column. The 30-minute session is the most expensive by the minute, because the check-in, the setup and the opening work at the neck take the same time whatever you book. And the longer sessions get steadily better value, which matters if you already know you will want more than one area treated.

What moves the price up or down

Three things decide where you land on that list: length, purpose and whether muscle work is included.

Length. Lymphatic drainage is slow by design. Our therapists use flat hands and about five grams of pressure, roughly the weight of a nickel, in repeated wave-like strokes. Every session begins at the neck and collarbones before working toward the area you came for (our page on why lymphatic drainage starts at the neck explains the reason), so a short booking spends a larger share of its time on that opening sequence.

Purpose. A post-op session is $140 for 60 minutes, $10 more than the classic hour. The work is planned around a fresh surgical site: incisions, drains that have only just come out, a garment to remove and put back on, and swelling that changes from visit to visit. If you are pricing sessions after an operation, our page on post-op lymphatic drainage cost in Calgary covers the 30, 45 and 90-minute post-op options as well.

Muscle work. The massage and lymphatic combination pairs therapeutic massage with lymphatic drainage in the same session. At 60 minutes it costs the same as the classic hour; at 90 minutes it is $165.

What does not move the price is the therapist’s name. Lymphatic sessions at Renu are delivered by Registered Massage Therapists with lymphatic training, including Leah Buschau (Vodder Level One MLD), Monica Von Gaza and Sasha Bernard, and by our founder Meeghan Mackenzie, a Certified Lymphedema Therapist. Lymphedema therapist certification in North America calls for a minimum of 135 hours of post-graduate training, one third theory and two thirds practical, which is why we route diagnosed lymphedema and lipedema to Meeghan rather than to the general list.

Which length fits your reason for coming

Choose the length by the job, not by the price. A rough guide:

• 30 minutes ($95): a first try, the face and neck, or one ankle or wrist that swells after a long day. Short enough to fit into a lunch break from the offices along Kensington Road or Memorial Drive.
• 45 minutes ($105): both legs, or the abdomen and one region. A useful middle ground when you want more than a taste but not a full hour.
• 60 minutes ($130): the usual choice for whole-body puffiness, travel swelling after a long flight home, or a full, unhurried relaxation session. It leaves time for the neck and trunk to be cleared properly before the limbs.
• Post-op 60 minutes ($140): after surgery, once your surgeon has cleared you.
• Combination 60 or 90 minutes ($130 or $165): when tight shoulders, a sore back or post-ski-season legs need muscle work and you also want the fluid moved.

If you are booking for lymphedema, lipedema or swelling that has lasted for weeks without a clear reason, start with a conversation rather than a guess at length. Lymphedema care is usually planned as complete decongestive therapy, which combines lymphatic drainage with compression and has its own structure and costs.

What the money buys, and what it does not

You are paying for skilled, slow manual work that helps move fluid toward working lymph nodes, and for most people a deeply restful hour. Cleveland Clinic describes lymphatic drainage massage as a treatment for lymphedema after breast cancer surgery and for conditions such as chronic venous insufficiency, lipedema, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and injury, with cosmetic uses such as facial puffiness.

You are not buying fat loss. Cedars-Sinai is plain on this point: there is no evidence that lymphatic drainage massage can help you slim down, and any trimming effect is temporary, more like spreading a stack of papers across a counter than removing any of them. It describes the technique as a powerful tool for people whose lymphatic system is compromised by surgery, illness or injury. If your main goal is a smaller waist, we would rather tell you that now than after several sessions. Our page asking is lymphatic drainage massage worth it goes further into when the spending makes sense.

Before you book: reasons to wait

A lymphatic session is gentle, but it is not right for everyone on every day. According to Cleveland Clinic, people with blood clots, deep vein thrombosis, cellulitis, a fever, an infection, heart disease, kidney failure or a past stroke should avoid lymphatic drainage massage. Practitioners also do not work directly over cancerous tissue or over skin damaged by radiation therapy.

Check with your doctor first, and do not book, if you notice:

• one leg or arm suddenly more swollen, warm, red or painful than the other
• a fever, or red, hot, spreading skin over a swollen area
• new shortness of breath or chest pain, which needs emergency care
• swelling that appeared quickly in both legs with breathlessness

Some people feel tired, headachy or slightly nauseated after a session, which Cleveland Clinic lists among the side effects. Plan a quiet evening after your first appointment.

Tax, receipts and benefit plans

Alberta has a 5% GST and no provincial sales tax, according to the Canada Revenue Agency’s rate table. Our page on GST on massage therapy in Alberta explains why massage services are taxable in Canada while some other health services are not.

If you plan to claim a session, read your plan booklet before you book: the yearly maximum, the percentage paid, whether a prescription is needed and which credentials the plan accepts all decide what comes back to you. Our pages on what a massage therapy receipt needs to show and how extended health plans cover massage therapy in Alberta walk through what to check.

When you are ready, choose the session and length in Jane. We are on 19 Street NW in West Hillhurst, open seven days a week, with evening appointments on weekdays. If you cannot decide between two lengths, call us at 403-270-2111 and tell us what is going on; we will point you to the one that fits.

Questions people ask

What is the cheapest way to try lymphatic drainage at Renu?

The 30-minute classic session at $95 is the lowest price on the lymphatic list. It suits a first try or one small area, such as the face and neck or one ankle. If you are unsure whether you will like the feel of the work, it is a sensible place to start before committing to longer sessions.

Does a lymphatic drainage massage cost more with a Certified Lymphedema Therapist?

Our published lymphatic prices are set by type and length of session, not by which therapist you see. What changes is who is the right fit: lymphedema, lipedema and complex post-surgical swelling are booked with Meeghan Mackenzie, our Certified Lymphedema Therapist, and lymphedema care follows its own complete decongestive therapy plan.

Is the combination session the same price as a classic lymphatic session?

At 60 minutes, yes: both are $130. The difference is what fills the hour. A classic session is lymphatic work only, while the combination pairs therapeutic muscle work with lymphatic drainage, which suits someone who wants tight shoulders addressed and puffiness eased in one visit.

Do I pay for the time spent talking at the start?

Your booked time includes a short check-in about your health and goals, because lymphatic drainage has real reasons to wait, such as an active infection or a recent clot. Mention anything new when you book so that conversation can stay brief and the hands-on time stays generous.

Sources

1. Cleveland Clinic: Lymphatic drainage massage
2. Cedars-Sinai: Lymphatic drainage massage FAQs
3. Lymphedema Association of Ontario: Therapist certification
4. Canada Revenue Agency: GST/HST rates by province

Page reviewed October 5, 2026. This page is education, not a diagnosis. For your own situation, talk to your doctor, surgeon or care team, or ask us.