Lipoedema Management Support
Lipoedema is often known as ‘the painful fat disorder’. It is a chronic condition caused by a connective tissue disorder affecting predominantly women. Around 11% of females are believed to have the condition which causes disproportionate and often lumpy fat growth, most frequently on the arms and legs. Symptoms often worsen, particularly during hormonal changes, for example during puberty, pregnancy and menopause. Whilst there is no known cure for lipoedema, understanding the disease progression, making healthy lifestyle changes and implementing management strategies can help both limit progression and ease symptoms.
Aside from disproportionate fat growth, mostly on legs and sometimes arms, heavy feeling limbs, painful/sensitive limbs that bruise easily are common, along with swelling at times. Diet and exercise does not support lipoedema fat to be lost, unlike regular fat , which can be very disheartening and frustrating.
With treatments including lymphatic drainage massage, the wearing of appropriate compression garments, sequential compression pump therapy and dietary and lifestyle changes, many of the symptoms can often be reduced and managed to some degree, depending on the severity of progression. Some women choose to undergo liposuction with a specialist Plastic Surgeon who is Lipoedema aware, to support them with removing diseased fat.
Early recognition of the disease can allow for early implementation of appropriate lifestyle choices and conservative management methods and slow the progression of Lipoedema. Unfortunately however, the condition is still not recognised or understood by much of the population, including many medical professionals, and is often overlooked, leaving many women struggling and not knowing where to turn.
