June is Lipoedema Awareness Month

The Campaign

lipoedema Awareness Month's mission is to provide resources, raise awareness, educate and create a more open conversation around the condition. Frequently, lipoedema is still not taken seriously or is mistaken for obesity or lymphedema. That's why many patients have a long and often challenging journey to a correct diagnosis and holistic treatment. Giving patients and healthcare professionals the chance to share experience and knowledge lays the groundwork for a more open-minded and unbiased approach to the topic. Some campaigns also support research initiatives to fill the gaps in understanding the causes of lipoedema. If you want to know how JOBST supports lipoedema Awareness Month, you'll find more information here.

How Can Research Improve Lipoedema Management?

In 1940, Dr. Edgar Hines and Dr. Edgar Allen, both physicians at the Mayo Clinic in the United States, were the first to describe lipoedema. In the decades immediately after this, not much research was done on the condition. This situation has significantly changed within the last few years. Recently, a group of healthcare professionals from different disciplines and European countries agreed on a consensus document about lipoedema that cleared up several mis-understandings or 'myths' about the condition.¹ The current understanding of the condition is also reflected in a patient fact sheet, which has been created by the newly founded International lipoedema Association (ILA) that you can download in several languages.²  Still, more research activities are needed to further improve patient care.

What Can You Do To Raise Awareness?

While researchers and healthcare professionals gain more insight into the causes of lipoedema and improve treatment strategies, how can we contribute? Join us in raising global recognition of lipoedema. Take the opportunity to inform your family and friends that this condition affects more women than most people think. If you want to improve your understanding and knowledge of lipoedema, you can find more information here. Do you have any ideas for this important month? Share your ideas and thoughts with the LymphConnect community here.

¹ Bertsch T, Erbacher G, Elwell R. Lipoedema: a paradigm shift and consensus. J Wound Care. 2020 Nov 1;29(Sup11b):1-51. doi: 10.12968/jowc.2020.29.Sup11b.1.

² https://theila.net/ressources/fact-sheet