LYMPHEDEMA TREATMENT DECREASES PAIN INTENSITY IN LIPEDEMA

Abstract

Lipedema is a disproportional obesityfeaturing light pressure-induced or spontaneouspain. On the basis of our clinical observations,lymphedema therapy, as practiced in ourclinic, reduces the perception of pain beyondleg volume reduction. We therefore aimed tomeasure pain intensity prior and subsequentto treatment. 38 women with lipedema wereenrolled in the study with 19 patients undergoingtreatment and 19 serving as the controlgroup using exclusively moisturizers. Treatmentconsisted of once daily manual lymphdrainage (MLD), intermittent pneumaticcompression (IPC), and multilayered shortstretchbandaging performed throughout a5-day-course. Pain was evaluated with a10-item questionnaire, a pain rating scale(PRS), and the Wong-Baker Faces scale.Treatment resulted in a significant reductionof pain with a decrease in mean scores of allthree measures. In the control group, onlyPRS showed significant decrease. Our studyresults indicate that this treatment regimennot only reduces leg volume and capillaryfragility, but also improves pain intensity inpatients with lipedema.