Your Dr and Lipoedema
One of the most significant findings of Lipoedema UK’s 2014 Big Survey was that only 5% of UK GP’s are aware of the symptoms and so obtaining a diagnosis may be difficult.
If your GP is one of the 60,000 who have not been trained to recognise lipoedema, encourage them to continue their professional development by taking the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and Lipoedema UK’s elearning course.
The elearning course is endorsed by the Royal College of Nurses and is available for all UK Allied Healthcare Professionals. It is especially suitable for practice nurses.
The course describes the presentation, pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of lipoedema in primary care.
“Lipoedema is an adipose tissue disorder causing bilateral symmetrical enlargement of the lower and in some cases the upper extremities in women leading to significant disproportion of the waist to hip ratio. Lipoedema is sadly rarely recognised in primary care and hence under-diagnosed. Due to lipoedema being misdiagnosed as obesity or lymphoedema, patients frequently embark on a never-ending cycle of diets and exercise regimes, resulting in further physical and psychological harm.”
The course is free to all members of the Royal College of General Practitioners and available for a small fee to non-RCGP members. After completing the course your GP will be able to make a diagnosis and direct you to treatments available in your area.
Lipoedema UK membership includes a GP Information pack for those who feel they have the symptoms of lipoedema but are unsure how to approach their GP.
UK Best Practice Guidelines – The Management of Lipoedema
Launched in 2017, Lipoedema UK were honoured to be involved in the development of the UK Best Practice Guidelines – The Management of Lipoedema, a comprehensive review of treatments available and Patient Pathway.
The September 2017 edition of Guidelines Handbook summarises the Best Practice Guidelines for primary and shared care in a convenient and easy to use format.
Link to Lipoedema in Guidelines
