Lipedema - treatment - Godoy Method First, let’s clear up a series of doubts about lipedema caused by a great confusion on social media networks.

First, let’s clear up a series of doubts about lipedema caused by a great confusion on social media networks.

1 – What is lipedema?

Lipedema is a common physical condition that runs in families (genetic).

2 – What is the physical characteristic of people with lipedema?

Lipedema is an atypical distribution of fat tissue with larger amounts of fat cells building up under the skin of the extremities, particularly the legs but sometimes the arms. It can involve the entire leg or just the thighs and buttocks (as pictured below). The same thing can occur in the arms. 

3 – Do people with lipedema have any health problems related to the lipedema?

People with lipedema may develop two well-defined pathophysiological changes, regional lymphostasis causing edema and sometimes mild to moderate pain. Another rare possibility is the necrosis of fatty tissue.

4 – How is lymphostasis treated?

Lymphostasis is treated with lymph drainage, such as Manual or Mechanical Lymphatic Therapy (RAGodoy) techniques, which mobilize macromolecules. These techniques are part of the Godoy Method. These techniques reduce the symptoms.

5 – Does treatment reduce the leg size?

Treatment reduces any increase in size caused by edema, but the legs remain with a ‘column-like look’ because it is their constitutional pattern. After treatment, what is left is just fat tissue and not edema; no physical therapy reduces the fat.

6 – Is the treatment of these patients important? When should lipedema be treated?

Lipedema should only be treated when there is lymphostasis as, if there is no lymphostasis, there is no disease, so there is nothing to treat. What you see in a limb with lipedema is its characteristic of being proportionally ‘fat’ (stout).

7 – Is reductive massage indicated for lipedema?

No, because it is not a form of treatment and it can lead to significant irreversible flaccidity over time.

8 - What aggravates lipedema the most?

There is no doubt that obesity is the worst thing for lipedema. In obesity, there is an increase in the number and size of fat cells. We see obese patients with lipedema reported on social networks where they state that lipedema is the problem. This is very misleading and bad for people because they are taking the focus away from the real problem, obesity, and transferring it to lipedema and thus diverting attention away from possible treatment of the real problem.

9 – What advice should be given to people with lipedema?

Control your weight and seek correct treatment if you have symptoms, with pain being the main complaint.

10 – What are the other precautions to be taken in the treatment of symptomatic lipedema?

Make the differential diagnosis of other causes of edema in particular, idiopathic cyclic edema, which is relatively common in these patients. About 10% of women with lymphedema at the Clinica Godoy have this alteration which, when left, becomes much more difficult to treat.