Cellulitis (Adipositas Circumscripta Oedematosa); Cellulite (Dermatopanniculosis Deformans)
In spite of the fact that cellulitis is not considered a serious medical problem, it can have a psychological effect. Even well-proportioned young women with slim legs can have colossal thighs. The external appearance of the skin surface is reinforced by domed irregularities. In a society in which a perfect body is an expression of beauty, youth, and productivity, cellulitis has become a source of great fear for many women, who are disproportionately affected by this disorder (approximately 90%). Among men, only 3% suffer from cellulitis.
With the hormonal changes related to puberty, girls form more fat and thereby assume their typical female shape—broader hips, a round bottom, a slender waist, and plump breasts. Adolescent boys, in contrast, develop more muscle mass. Both connective tissue and skin are structured differently and are clearly weaker in women than in men. The female fat cells that are stored in the subcutaneous tissue are larger and positioned more densely under the skin than the male cells. In a slim woman with normal weight, roughly a quarter of this can be fat, while it is only 12–14% of a man’s normal weight. These differences in body structure explain why cellulitis is primarily a problem in women and why the storage of fat cells not necessarily means overweight.
Cellulitis is defined as circumscribed fat storage (adipositas circumscripta oedematosa) with mild lymph congestion and edema formation in the area of the connective tissue, especially on women’s thighs. Cellulite (dermatopanniculosis deformans) refers to changes in the structure of the subcutaneous tissue, especially changes in the connective tissue, which separates the individual fat lobes from each other. The fat cell chambers can thereby become deformed, as a result of which the skin area appears quilted, initially only when pinched and later spontaneously. We speak of “orange peel” or “mattress” skin.
Two types of fat storage exist. In one, the number of fat cells increases, which leads to obesity due to cellular reproduction. In the other, the stored fat cells themselves increase in size.
Because the chronic pressure of enlarged fat cells inhibits the flow of blood and lymph, it disturbs the local metabolism that continuously takes place in every cell and in the bodily fluids. Little by little, this reduces nutrients as well as oxygen. At the same time, it inhibits the removal of metabolic waste products. As a result of this chronic nutritional deficiency and accumulation of metabolic waste products, the texture of the smallest blood vessels, as well as of the connective tissue in which the fat lobes are embedded, changes. As a result, we see palpable hardened knots, and, due to the congestion of lymph, the formation of edemas.
The fat reserves and tissue changes can only be prevented if the metabolism functions correctly. A normal metabolism is, after all, a prerequisite for the trouble-free execution of nutritional and detoxifying functions in all parts of the organism.
Suggested Therapy
Not starvation diets, but a nutritional program that pursues the goal of balancing out misdirected metabolic processes with an optimal composition. The main reason why cellulitis successfully resists dieting attempts is well known. Most diets are extremely low in calories. The body’s protective mechanisms respond to a diet that demands a drastic reduction in calories not only with increased hunger signals but also by adjusting the basic requirements and speed of metabolism. The body does not see a difference between a voluntary reduction of calories and involuntary starvation, as can happen during famines. In both cases, the body slows down its metabolism to preserve as much energy as possible.
For the treatment of cellulitis, cupping massage is recommended. Nevertheless, cupping massage can initially be quite painful on the affected locations and can therefore be quickly abandoned by many women.
• Because the thighs are the most painful locations for both cupping and cupping massage, we recommend using small suction cups and a weak suction force for the first treatment. A lesser suction force can also be obtained by a small flame.
• In the first session, the application should last no longer than 5 minutes.
• Further treatments are determined by the patient’s tolerance to cupping or cupping massage and by treatment success.
• Treatment can be supported by sufficient fluid intake as well as exercise such as bicycling or swimming.
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