Lipedema is chronic health issue causing the fatty tissue mainly in the arms and legs to increasein size and swell (Lipedema Foundation). However, it does occur in other parts of the body, such as lower belly also known as apron or pannus. Lidedema can be very painful due toexcessive swelling and possible bruising. Unfortunately, lipedema has minimal publicawareness and is misdiagnosed frequently.Lipedema occurs mainly in women, but can affect men as well. This condition affects bothextremities beginning at the upper hip down to ankles, never affecting the feet (Scheiman, 2020).
Treatment for lipedema consist of: resolve or improve edema, pain and disproportion, preventdisease progression. Decongestion of the fatty tissue is done with wraps, manual lymphaticdrainage and/or pneumatic compression. Liposuction can be very helpful to reduce fatty tissue,but has other health concerns. In addition, weight management that includes caloric reduction aswell as quantity of food is a lifestyle change that should begin immediately.Our clinic is trained in lipedema and can help with pain, manual decompression therapy andcompression wraps.
References
Lipedema Foundation. (n.d.). What is Lipedema. https://lipedema.org
Scheiman, N. E. (2020, June 16). Edema Bootcamp [PDF]. https://www.summit-education.com