Lipoedema Awareness Month Shines Light on an Often Misunderstood Condition
June marks Lipoedema Awareness Month, an important opportunity to increase understanding of a chronic condition that affects many women yet remains widely misunderstood and underdiagnosed.
Cancer Rehabilitation & Lymphatic Solutions (CRLS) on the Central Coast is encouraging greater awareness of lipoedema and the challenges faced by those living with the condition, many of whom spend years seeking answers before receiving appropriate support or diagnosis.
Lipoedema is a chronic condition involving an abnormal build-up of adipose tissue (fat cells), most commonly affecting the legs, thighs, buttocks, and sometimes the arms. It almost exclusively affects women and is often resistant to diet and exercise, despite symptoms frequently being mistaken for general weight gain or lifestyle-related concerns.
Common symptoms may include disproportionate fat distribution, pain and tenderness, heaviness in the limbs, easy bruising, swelling, and a nodular or “lumpy” tissue texture.
CRLS Founder Kate Perkins said increasing awareness and understanding is essential to improving outcomes for those affected.
“Many women living with lipoedema feel frustrated, dismissed, or misunderstood because their symptoms are often attributed solely to weight or lifestyle factors,” Kate said. “Lipoedema is a recognised medical condition that can significantly impact comfort, mobility, confidence, and quality of life. Greater awareness can help people access support earlier and feel validated in their experience.”
Lipoedema may also affect the lymphatic system over time, contributing to fluid build-up and the development of lipo-lymphoedema, where lymphatic insufficiency occurs alongside lipoedema.
At CRLS, supportive management strategies are tailored to the individual and may include compression therapy, manual therapies, exercise-based rehabilitation, and Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBMT) using MLS® laser technology.
PBMT is a non-invasive supportive therapy that uses red and near-infrared light to support cellular energy production and tissue function. It is often used alongside other conservative approaches to help manage symptoms such as pain, heaviness, inflammation, and tissue changes associated with lipoedema.
“While there is currently no cure for lipoedema, there are many supportive therapies that can help improve comfort, mobility, and quality of life,” Kate said. “Lipoedema Awareness Month is about helping people understand that they are not alone, and that support is available.”
CRLS provides evidence-based lymphatic and rehabilitation services for people managing cancer recovery, lymphatic conditions, chronic swelling disorders, and complex rehabilitation needs across the Central Coast.
For more information about lipoedema support or to book a consultation, contact Cancer Rehabilitation & Lymphatic Solutions on (02) 4312 7033.