What Is Lipedema?

Lipedema is a chronic connective-tissue disorder that causes an abnormal, disproportionate accumulation of painful and inflamed adipose tissue. It most commonly affects legs and hips but may also involve the arms. Typically the feet and hands are spared.

Lipedema is not caused by obesity or a lack of diet and exercise. Common symptoms include pain or tenderness, easy bruising, heaviness, swelling, tissue nodules, and difficulty with mobility.

Inflammation within the affected tissue can increase pain and contribute to excess fluid in the spaces between cells, placing an additional workload on the lymphatic system. When clinically identifiable lymphedema develops alongside lipedema, it is called lipo-lymphedema.

At Lily Clinic, we provide compassionate, individualized therapy to help manage the symptoms of lipedema, support lymphatic function, and improve your ability to participate in everyday activities.

Our Lipedema Services

Gentle, specialized manual techniques may be used to encourage lymphatic flow, manage swelling, and decrease feelings of heaviness or discomfort. Treatment may also include carefully selected tissue-mobilization techniques to address areas of firmness or fibrosis while respecting pain and tissue sensitivity.

Compression Garment Education and Fitting

Compression for lipedema is not one-size-fits-all. We help patients understand their options and select compression based on their symptoms, tissue shape, comfort, mobility, and ability to independently put garments on and take them off.

Options may include:

• Circular-knit or flat-knit compression garments

• Micromassage garments

• Inelastic adjustable compression wraps

• Custom daytime or nighttime compression

• Donning and doffing aids

We provide education on proper fit, wear schedules, skin care, garment care, and strategies for incorporating compression into daily life.

Pneumatic Compression Pumps

When medically appropriate, a pneumatic compression pump may be considered as part of a home-management program. Lily Clinic can provide education, complete a pump trial, assess your response, and help determine whether a device may support lymphatic flow and improve the management of swelling, heaviness, or discomfort.

Pneumatic compression is not appropriate for everyone. Recommendations are made only after reviewing your medical history, symptoms, precautions, and individual needs.

Management of Fluid Overload

Although conservative therapy does not remove lipedema tissue, it may help manage the excess fluid, inflammation, pain, and tissue restrictions that can accompany lipedema. Reducing fluid overload may also lessen the ongoing burden placed on the lymphatic system.

Treatment of Lipo-lymphedema

Some individuals with lipedema also develop clinically identifiable lymphedema, a condition known as lipo-lymphedema. When lymphedema is present, Lily Clinic can provide complete lymphedema treatment, which may include:

• Complete Decongestive Therapy

• Manual Lymphatic Drainage

• Skilled compression bandaging

• Compression garment measurement and training

• Pneumatic compression pump education

• Skin care and infection-risk reduction

• Exercise and long-term self-management education

Care Designed Around You

Every person experiences lipedema differently. Your treatment plan will be based on your symptoms, medical history, functional needs, personal goals, tissue tolerance, and whether swelling or lymphedema is also present.

Our goals are to help you better understand your condition, manage symptoms, protect your lymphatic health, and develop a realistic long-term care plan.

To schedule an evaluation, ask your healthcare provider to send a referral to Lily Clinic.

Lily Clinic LLC
Lymphedema, Vascular Health and Wellness
540-200-8412
Fax: 540-301-9779 (To send referrals)
lymph@lilyclinicllc.com