Manual and Self-Lymphatic Drainage Combined With Exercise in Women With Lipedema

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Manual Lymphatic Drainage: Manual lymphatic drainage will be administered by a physiotherapist for approximately 30 minutes per session, twice weekly for 6 weeks. Slow, gentle, rhythmic manual techniques will be applied to facilitate lymphatic drainage.

Aerobic Exercise: Participants will perform supervised moderate-intensity treadmill-based aerobic exercise twice weekly for 6 weeks. Exercise intensity will be prescribed at 64-76% of maximum heart rate and monitored using the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale, targeting a score of 11-13.

Self-Lymphatic Drainage: Participants will be instructed by a physiotherapist on how to perform self-lymphatic drainage. They will perform the technique as part of their 6-week intervention program and will be regularly followed by the physiotherapist throughout the intervention period.

Physical Activity Guidance: Participants will receive guidance from a physiotherapist to engage in moderate-intensity physical activity during the 6-week intervention period. Walking intensity will be guided using the Talk Test, with participants instructed to maintain an intensity at which they can talk but not sing. Participants will be regularly followed throughout the intervention period.

Study summary

This randomized controlled study aims to compare the effects of two physiotherapy approaches in women with lipedema. Participants will be assigned to either manual lymphatic drainage combined with supervised aerobic exercise or self-lymphatic drainage combined with physical activity guidance. Both programs will be applied for six weeks. The study will investigate whether these two approaches differ in their effects on pain, lower extremity function, limb volume, mobility, quality of life, and depressive symptoms. Assessments will be performed before the intervention and at the end of the six-week program.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Pain Intensity — Baseline and 6 weeks
  Pain intensity will be assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Participants will rate their pain on a 10-cm horizontal line ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates "no pain" and 10 indicates "worst/unbearable pain." Higher scores indicate greater pain intensity.

Trial sites (1)

Other trials for the same condition