Lipedema

Managing Lipedema

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Allen and Hines recognised lipedema in 1940. Lipedema was not recognised as a disease by WHO until 2019. Lipedema has been treated by physicians depending on the presentation and stage of the disease. This is because lipedema is still not taught in most medical schools across the globe. There are very few professionals who are working on lipedema and there is little ongoing research to find out the causes and the solutions to manage lipedema. It has been found that there is a polygenic predilection and that there are 14 genes implicated with lipedema till date. Lipedema usually starts around puberty, pregnancy or menopause, or can be aggravated during those periods which also gives an indication that there is a hormonal effect. Though the actual incidence or prevalence of lipedema is not known, estimates are that nearly 11% of women are affected globally in some form and stage of the disease.

Lipedema and its treatment

Lipedema appears to be unaffected by diet. However, antioxidant, alkaline and keto diet seems to reduce the aggressiveness of the disease condition with low carbohydrate and preferably avoidance of sugars.

Exercises also are not very helpful and heavy exercises could be deleterious to the joints. Exercises like walking, jogging, cycling, yoga and swimming seem to be beneficial.

Exercises

Lymphatic Exercises

Dry brushing, manual lymphatic drainage, vibration plates, compression garments and lymphatic compression pumps have some benefit and should be considered as a part of the conservative management of lipedema.

The ideal treatment presently which seems to give the best long term results is removal of the excess unwanted lipedema fat while protecting the lymphatics and the venous system by water assisted liposuction or the tumescent technique for long term benefit by offloading the fat thereby relieving the lymphatics and the venous system to function in a more effective manner.

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