Support with lipoedema
Lipoedema is a fat and connective tissue disorder that mainly affects women. It often starts around puberty or early adulthood, but can become worse at times of hormonal change such as pregnancy or menopause.
How would I know if I have lipoedema?:
- You may notice changes in the shape of your legs with loss of ankle definition; some women notice fat bulges at their knees
- Your legs may feel heavy and sore at times, and painful if pressed
- You may notice bruising; women with lipoedema often have very soft skin that bruises easily
- You may notice that your upper body is out of proportion to your lower body, and your waist is slim while your buttocks are larger
- You may also develop oedema (extra fluid in tissues) as your veins and lympatics may not be able to work as efficiently, particularly if you have difficulty moving around.
Some possible challenges for you:
- Lipoedema is not well recognised and not always easy to diagnose, so sometimes it is wrongly mistaken for ‘obesity’ or lymphoedema
- There is no ‘cure’; treatments are based on managing and controlling lipoedema symptoms such as pain and swelling
- Many attempts to diet and lose weight might not be helping you as lipoedema fat does not always respond to dieting
- It is common to put on extra weight in lipoedema, and this can be difficult to lose, and psychologically challenging
- Research evidence shows that some women with lipoedema have problems with depression, anxiety, and disordered eating.
How can we help?
At Esklymphology we have a good understanding of lipoedema, and have been involved in supporting many women with lipoedema. We can:
- Give you information about the condition and assess your situation, helping you to plan your next steps
- Signpost you to NHS and other services such as Talk Lipoedema, where you can get support from people who understand the condition
- Measure and fit you for compression garments, and provide treatments such as MLD and kinesiotaping
- Give advice on exercise, eating plans, self-lymphatic drainage techniques and approaches that will help you to self-manage your lipoedema.
Remember, you are not alone with lipoedema, and we are happy to talk with you on the telephone, do an online Zoom consultation, or see you for a one-to-one session. We are also actively involved in research studies into many aspects of lipoedema, so if you want to find out more, please get in touch through our contact form.
