Soon after the aforementioned cellulite fitting room meltdown, ANALYST came to another eye-opening realization: cellulite can be physically painful. Not only is it unpleasant to look at, but when she took the time to pay attention she could feel it was also tender to the touch.
It’s amazing how a small detail like this can escape one’s notice. By focusing so much attention on what cellulite looks like, perhaps we fail to realize what it feels like. Has anyone else noticed that cellulite hurts?
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I don't know if it's from the cellulite or what, but my legs bruise so easily. I'll end up with a HUGE bruise and not even remember what I knocked into. Could that be another side effect of the lymph problem?
That would make sense. Another lead that deserves further investigation… I did notice a lot less bruises following my dry brushing experiment.
The cellulite on my rump hurts if I poke it or bump it into things, and it isn't a normal hurt. It almost feels like stabing pain, and it lingers. The stuff on my thigh isn't as tender. I don't really bruse to easily. I could alo poke myself on say my belly and not feel the same lingering pain, as my rump, and both have a layer of fat, but only my rump has the cellulite. Never thought of it before now, thanks!
Hi, Rosy! Welcome to The Cellulite Investigation! I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who realized that cellulite hurts. I think a lot of docs (like our dear Dr. Oz; Love that guy!) find it easy to dismiss our concerns about cellulite because they see it as an aesthetic condition. But if they knew that it's actually painful, maybe they would take it more seriously.
Thanks for contributing to the cellulite case file! Please check back next weekend to see if you won the free dry brushing kit.
Best regards,
The ANALYST
Yes, cellulite does hurt. I don't have too much cellulite, but out of the spots that I have, it's the outer thigh that hurts the most. When I press down on it, it almost feels like a tight ball. And it isn't a consistent pain. It just flares up once in awhile. But when it does, it is definitely noticeable.
Hi, Victoria! That's funny because I noticed something very similar. The outer side of my right leg is definitely the most painful area for my cellulite, and it does seem to come and go. I wonder if it has something to do with the level of lymphatic congestion in my system at the time. I don't feel it nearly as much now that I've been treating my cellulite for awhile. In any case, the fact that cellulite can hurt is strong evidence that it's not something we should ignore. Thanks for contributing to the investigation!
Cellulite is very painful! I am a young woman and am very thin, but I struggle with cellulite. It is very painful when I get a massage.
You poor thing! Your cellulite must be very tender indeed if even a massage is painful. Does the massage only hurt on the areas with cellulite? Thanks for sharing!
Yes,cellulite does hurt. I've been stuggling with it since 17 years of age. I am now 37 and have lived with he pain and discomfort for along time. I usually find it hard to sleep, I have to change slleping positions all night long because I always end up hurting after sleeping on one side for too long. Is there no help for us??
Ladyjailer –thanks for responding to our RFI! I had the same problem with cellulite while sleeping. The best way I can describe it is it felt like my legs were being strangled from the inside out –like a constricting feeling. They were also very tender to the touch in certain spots, almost like a bruise.
And yet, I do think there is hope for us! I launched the Cellulite Investigation after I saw amazing results with dry skin brushing. I thought, if such a simple technique can ease the pain of cellulite, what other solutions could I uncover if I gave it my full effort? Since then, I've also found things like massage, yoga, and especially a nutrient-dense diet are important parts of treating cellulite. I hope you will join along in our investigation!
I am so tired of my hurting thighs! I can't sleep nights because I have to alternate the side I sleep on. If I stay too long on one side, it starts hurting. However, just to make it even harder, sometimes the thigh on top, the one I'm not lying on hurts. It just plain hurts, I can't give any other description. But the hurt is deep inside – touching hardly hurts at all.
The same areas is also very sensitive to cold. If once my thighs are cold, they don't warm up again. I frequently have to squat sideways in front of a heater to get circulation going again.
My doctor said it might be bursitis and wants to try steroid shots. What do you think
worried –this is a tough one. It must be so frustrating for you not to be able to sleep soundly because of the pain in your thighs. I'm not a doctor, so I don't want to tell you not to listen to your physician. But if you are at all hesitant about his/her advice for steroid shots (which I would be too!), it is always smart to get a second opinion, or a third/fourth until you find a treatment option that resonates with you.
The shots might help you feel better in the short term, but I don't see how they could be an effective long term treatment. What is your doc's long term treatment advice? Does s/he have any idea what is causing the condition? I would seek a health care professional who can answer these kinds of questions.
From what I've read of bursitis, it is often caused by vitamin B12 deficiency, combined with a diet that is low in minerals and poor digestion. Dr. James Howenstine explains it better in this article:
How Should Bursitis Be Managed"
Two easy steps you could take are adding homemade bone broth (for minerals) and pastured liver (for B12) into your diet. I'm not a fan of liver, but I found that liver from pastured calves is quite tasty sauteed in butter and onions. Also, dry skin brushing is an excellent way to jump-start the circulation. There's lots more to say about all this so email me or leave another comment if you have any more questions. Best of luck. Thanks for stopping by the Cellulite Investigation. Hope to see you around again!
I have celltite on the back of my thighs and it hurts. I had my husband to take a rolling pin to the lumps and bumps back there. It hurts the most when it is messaged. But I do believe that exercise incresing the circulation will cause it to diminish.
I've heard that a rolling pin actually works! My friend just told me a great story about that the other day. I am planning on writing a post about it soon. Thanks for contributing to the case on cellulite!
I too suffer from painful cellulite! I am a professional dancer and very slim and fit but I have had it on my thighs and butt for years and no matter what I do it stays put! It really hurts when massaged!
I've heard that professional dancers develop a different kind of cellulite that is harder to the touch. Is this true? Most women are incredulous when they hear that even professional athletes can have cellulite (we assume WE have it because we are lazy and out of shape). But cellulite is a lymphatic problem, not a laziness problem. Women like you are living proof of that! Thanks so much for stopping by the Cellulite Investigation. I'd love to hear more about Your Cellulite Story if you're up for it!
I to have the pain in my legs from what I belive it to be from cellulite. I was wondering if the pain could be caused by rapid weight gain? Most of the time
hurts to just wear clothes or to have anything touch my skin. I just started
having this pain within the past year. I going to try and lose about 6 to 10lbs
over the next couple of weeks to see if that will help relieve the discomfort.
I didn’t have any weight gain associated with my painful cellulite. It was from poor circulation which I’ve been able to remedy since launching the Cellulite Investigation (see, the Elusive Anti Cellulite Diet to read about the dietary changes I’ve made since then). This might sound counter-intuitive, but we’ve received many reports –both scientific studies and anecdotal evidence –that weight loss often makes cellulite worse. I definitely wouldn’t have thought that before I started this blog!
Thanks for contributing to the case on cellulite, Nic! Please keep us updated on how it goes for you!
This is a billion dollar industry and I am baffled that this fact is treated like an urban myth. Areas with Cellulite hurt when the skin is pinched between thumb and forefinger. Areas without cellulite do not. Researchers need to investigate the significance of this fact.
My thoughts exactly, Art! Noticing my cellulite was painful was one of the main reasons I launched the Cellulite Investigation in the first place. We’ve been at it for over a year already, but there is so much to learn. We’re just getting started. Thanks for your comment. So glad you found the site!
Hello,
I have just maybe discovered something very interesting while I was doing an elimination diet to see if I am lactose intolerant.
I stopped eating dairy for 2 weeks and then had 1/2 liter of cow’s milk to see if it would trigger any problems… Well, the same night, I was extremely gassy and my elimination became very disturbed. So I’m preety sure that my body doesn’t really like dairy (but I do!!). The one other thing I noticed the day after is that MY CELLULITE was VERY PAINFUL, wherever I have it. Around my legs and behind my arms. Then I did some research to see if dairy and cellulite were connected in any way, and I found that: (are you ready for this…?)
Excessive and partially digested proteins, highly refined foods, excessive sweets, and DAIRY increase lymphatic congestion. Limiting these foods improves lymph function.
Cellulite is well known to be linked to lymphatic congestion!!! What do you think? would this be why cellulite sometimes hurt and sometimes it doesn’t? It’s all based on our diet?
take care:)
Yes, Marie-Eve, you are definitely on to something! How fascinating that you could feel the difference in your legs directly. You are not the first women I’ve heard from who noticed that dairy affects cellulite. The lymph theory of cellulite is a focal point of your investigation –and yes, I agree that the causes and cures for cellulite are primarily based on diet (see Treating Cellulite With Food).
You bring up a very interest subject here. I haven’t written too much about milk yet, but processed milk from the grocery store is one food I make every effort to avoid. I believe milk can be a healthy and nutrient-dense food, but only if the cow is healthy. Unfortunately, this is not the case with most grocery store milk. Even “organic” milk is usually from unhealthy cows, which is why it has to be ultra-pasteurized. Ultra-pasteurized milk is particularly difficult to digest. Yogurt is a part of my regular diet, and I am a big proponent of kefir, another type of cultured milk product.
One of the books on my reading list is The Untold Story of Milk by Ron Schmid. You can also learn more about healthy milk at http://www.realmilk.com.
Thanks for contributing your experience to our investigation!
Yes cellulite hurts! I suffer from fibromyalgia but the cellulite on my legs is my most painful area. I often have bruises for no apparent reason and even clothes brushing against my thighs feels like a cigarette has been pushed deep inside my leg.
I also have “flareups” when it’s worse than other times. During these times my thighs, especially outer, feel lumpy and hard, almost like growths, and are soooooo tender it makes me cry.
Cellulite hurts, it really does!
Totally agree – cellulite hurts!!! I’m 40 and have been struggling with this since I was a teenager and at the time I was a skinny toothpick. My cellulite hurts the most when I’ve stopped exercising for a while and then begin again.
I’m curious about the lymph connection also because I’ve often had blood work done to check my lymph nodes due to other symptoms, but they always come back normal. I am also cold all the time when everyone else is fine. Any insight on that?
The Cellulite Investigation has lead me to a lot of research on thyroid issues. A consistent feeling of being cold is often associated with hypothyroidism. Doctors commonly use blood tests to check thyroid levels, but as Dr. Broda Barnes pointed out decades ago, blood tests are not an effective way to diagnose patients who are hypothyroid. He recommends taking your waking body temperature to gauge whether or not you might have a sluggish thyroid. I wrote more about that here:
Broda Barnes Self Test for Thyroid Deficiency.
I like monitoring my waking body temp because it can tell you a lot about your body. It’s been essential for my experiments with Lunaception, an intriguing technique for regulating hormones. I hope you find this info useful.
Thanks for your comment, Suzi. And thanks for contributing to the case on cellulite!
I see that the 1st post was in Sept. of ’09.. I don’t know if you’re still searching for the answer if “cellulite hurts’ but if you found an answer and ways to relieve the pain/ or cellulite itself I’d love to know the answer….. I too am a cellulite pain sufferer!
Thanks for contributing to the case, Terri. Yes, we are always looking for more evidence to add to the files. We have found answers, too. I am happy to report I no longer experience painful cellulite. You can read all about the effective treatments we’ve uncovered from any of the links on the left sidedar, especially How To Get Rid of Cellulite. Let me know if I can be of any assistance in your quest!
I just saw your post on dry brushing with a link over here. Yes, my cellulite and fat pocket areas would hurt. I lost weight and now they don’t. I also dry brush and detox bath now too. After dry brushing I would also get a red, raised rash on my chest for the first month. Not itchy. Other people who started with me noted the same symptoms.
Thanks for corroborating my experience, Natasha! I read that dry brushing can cause a rash in the beginning, but I hadn’t heard from anyone else who experienced that until now. Did the other people you mentioned develop a rash on the chest area, too, or did it vary by individual? I am confident the canker sore I developed was caused by the dry brushing, as well. It’s amazing how powerful such a simple technique can be.
I just checked back in
Yes others reported the same rash right between the breast at chest level slightly towards the right side. I have been meaning to find out why it would occur there? My initial thoughts where some type of sugar or yeast something??? Canker sores would be from the release of toxins too. I have the “Pho” blog, and also have another weight loss blog with 2 detox bath recipes that do WONDERS for me and cellulite, skin tightening and over all well being- check the recipes if you are interested 
http://phasestoforever.blogspot.com/search/label/detox%20bath
This detox baths combined with dry brushing, healthy eating and the diet has made me so aware of my body and what is happening daily inside me. I am much more in tune and sensitive to what I need to stay healthy and full of energy.
Yes, my initial though is something yeast related, too. I have a family member who is recovering from yeast overgrowth. One of the symptoms is that he gets a rash on his back when he sweats (he was waring polyester shirts, too, which of course were not helping). Now the rash is only along his upper spine in the very center of his back. Very strange.
I’m all about the detox baths and dry brushing!! Have you tried oil bathing, too? It’s the same thing but you rub oil into your skin before getting into the tub and then scrap it off (with a spoon or whatnot) before you get out. It’s amazing. I will have to try your recipe with the ginger. I have some ginger root I need to use but never thought of putting it in the bath. Thanks!
Weird how it comes out along the spine. There has to be a reason. It is almost like a shingles type rash and reaction. The place it is coming out of has to be carried along there.
I was just reading your blog about the oil bathing. I have not tried but will surely keep it on my list. I have done the oil pulling (mouthwash thingy) that really works too!
Oil bathing is one of my favorite discoveries from CI thus far. I don’t know how I ever lived without it!
I have said for ages that i bruise so much easier on my thighs (where i have cellulite) and find it more painfull when I knock them to if i knock another part of my body. I also find it extremely hard to warm my thighs when cold i always thought it was because they were bigger than other body parts.
I have cellulite on the back of my legs. Every couple of months it begins to hurt and it’s very painful to even sit down. Tender to the touch and even hurts to pull pants on any suggestions or clues? Please help.
Yes, cellulite can certainly be painful. I couldn’t believe it took me so long to notice that. Fortunately, there is a lot you can do to heal painful cellulite. My cellulite no longer hurts, but it took a few months to reach that point. I started with a simple technique called dry skin brushing. Adding healthy fats, such as coconut oil, to your diet and even on your skin externally is another simple way to give your legs some relief.
You’ll find a lot of other ideas on the following post: How to Get Rid of Cellulite. Or, embark on a “choose your own” cellulite adventure by choosing a room in which to launch your anti cellulite strategy: Start Your Cellulite Treatment Here. Have fun, and please let me know if you have further questions!
I have had cellulite since I was 11yrs old. I was always thin but I was never 100% well, immunity or physically. I had bowel surgery when I was 7 for volvulus and I started to have headaches when I was 8 or 9 which turned into full blown migraines when I was 14yrs old.
Around 17yrs old I was told I had FMS, CFS, TMJ, Chronic pain etc. It has been a never ending battle in my life and I am only 34yrs old. There is no way to explain to someone the pain that one endures unless they have gone through the same painful ordeals.
I have always noticed cellulite on my arms, legs, stomach and butt and thats where I have so much pain. I always thought that it was my muscles, tendons and nerves sticking together because of the FMS but maybe its not. Maybe its painful Cellulite?
After having surgery 4yrs ago for stage IV Endometriosis I can feel lumps and bumps all over. I never had the cellulitey looking stomach or arms, just my butt and upper back legs but I guess things change when you get older.
I too have been prone to yeast infections since I was 15 but in the last year or so I have had none just issues regarding lack of estrogen because I am on the pill continuously to prevent the endometriosis from growing.
I also suffer from anxiety which after doing years of research I really believe that my physical state is caused by worry and stress from Childhood until now.
So in a nut shell YES cellulite hurts. Does it hurt more for some people? YES I believe it does.
Thanks for sharing your story with us, Angela. It is helpful for women to be able to read about other women’s experiences with cellulite. I do hope you will be able to find some relief, either on the pages of this blog or elsewhere. Best wishes!
Thanks for opening up this issue! Yes, it hurts, and that’s the difference between cellulite (even beginning cellulite) and regular fat. Gentle massage helps, but it must be regular.
I am almost 33 yrs old and pretty fit but HAV not worked out in a few months becuz I fell and was jus not able to but I get massages on a regular basis and my girl said that Th pain I feel on Th back of my legs mainly right above my knees ya know closer to my thighs hurts sooooo bad when she rubs there and she said it may be fibermaialgia (I can’t spell it but u get it don’t u) setting in but I think it’s really bad cellulite becuz this yr it has gottig a lot worse. I even HAV it in my side a little and my stomach and I’m a size 10!!! Arggggggggg!!!! I hate it! So ugly and makes me depressed….
I got all of this out of a magazine but HAV yet to try it….
Loofah in shower to penetrate product
Retinol-based cream in firm circular
Roc multi correxion skin renewing serum for cellulite
Chase that w/ coating of cream spiked w/ caffeine try fat girl slim by bliss
2 daily
Spider veins
40-mg dose of horse chestnut seed extract
Asclera vein treatment r gold standard in small spider veins it collapse Th vein $500 each session but if u r prone u may get them in other places
Great to hear from you, Holly! The problem with these types of recommendations is that magazines are so dependent on skincare companies for their advertising revenue. Notice how all their cellulite remedies revolve around products or expensive treatments?
You could do a vein treatment for spider veins, but it’s not fixing the problem at the source. You will end up developing new ones unless you figure out the cause of the spider veins (usually diet-related). I have tried some variation of these suggestions in combination with all the research we’ve uncovered about anti cellulite diet. But you’ll never heal cellulite completely unless you eliminate the source –we call it “identifying your kryptonite.”
My experience with horse chestnut did not go well because it thins the blood and I ended up with a lot of bruising on my legs. It does seem to increase circulation, though.
Laurie came up with a great recipe for a homemade coffee anti cellulite cream with coconut oil. It’s cheaper (and better!) than anything you’ll find at the store and you can personalize it with your own essential oils if you want to.
Retinol is a form of vitamin A. Instead of putting it directly on my legs, I’ve been pumping it into my diet with a high quality fermented cod liver oil and other foods rich in Vitamin A.
As for the loofah, I finally had to admit they don’t do much for me. I love the idea of them, but they really don’t exfoliate my skin well. After much investigating, I came across oil bathing, an ancient and very effective technique for exfoliating and detoxifying the skin and increasing circulation. Simply rub your skin with oil (coconut, jojoba, olive, etc) before soaking in a hot tub for about 15 minutes. Then scrape the oil off. You can use a large spoon, or some women have gotten really creative (pan scraper, cookie cutter…)
I hope this gives you a few ideas to get you started!
Has anyone tried the Joey Atlas cellulite reduction program? I think it may work for ridding cellulite.. I just haven’t had the motivation to do so = (
I would like to know if anyone has tried this, too. He seems to take a simplistic approach to cellulite, focusing on exercise to burn it away. This theory has never worked for me in the past. When I tried to work my cellulite off with exercise, I wasn’t getting to the source of my cellulite which was chronic fluoride poisoning. I never would have discovered that fluoride was the cause of my acne, too (see How to Heal from Fluoroderma Naturally). If you don’t eliminate the source of cellulite, how can you prevent it from occurring in the future? Another thing I really don’t like about that program is their marketing technique. For me, that is a strong reason not to take a program seriously.
Yes, I have the Atlas programm and it is very good! It works your legs and butt from every angle and doing these exercises regularly does make shapely legs and hence the skin and fat stretches over the new muscle tissue. It works, to a degree. But, as we know here, exercise alone won’t do the trick, if your lymphatic system is troubled. Dry skin brushing with exercise was agood combination but again, not enough. I just got my bellabaci cups and started to do some cupping, and yes, cellulite is bloody painful! Let’s see, if this type of deep massaging brings further improvements. And if somebody wants great exercises for free, google “bodyrock.tv” and “Workouts with Rumi”. They have the best and most effective anti cellulite exercises and all for free (and damn, these women are beautiful and in shape)
Awesome, Tee! Thanks for the intel on this! So you noticed tender spots with the cupping, too? My calves were incredibly tender when I first started but now that has gone away completely. My upper thighs have several tender spots now. I hope that means the lymphatic congestion is working its way out through the normal lymph pathways. I just Googled workouts with Rumi and it looks like she is charging $40 now for her videos. Still seems like a good price considering she probably put a lot of work into them. Are they worth the investment? I love the tag line for the bodyrock site: The Home Workout Movement. That site is amazing! They have so many workouts. Do you have a favorite one for cellulite?
These exercises are great because noo need of gym, you work with your own body weight and the workout is brutal (high intensity interval training) but short so you don’t overtrain = most efficent for fat loss and toning! But hasn’t Rumi still her free youtube videos, also on her page? If you type “cellulite” in the search engines of both sites it should give you all relevant exercises. they are all good, i thing most important are lunges, leg presses and hip extensions (http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/single-leg-hip-extension) they all target the cellulite zones especially. I would think either Rumi or Joey Atlas are worth the expense. But bodyrock gives you alot for free
Oh sorry, me again. Have you heared of Callanetics? It’s like pilates meets ballet training. It does apparently wonders in toning up and reducing cellulite and is less strenuous than HIIT. Google the before and after photos. If they are true, it’s amazing…
Another very good blog is the “Fitness Black Book”. The guy is very good with critical thinking regarding fitness myths and researching the latest fitness and nutrition finding.
I mean, hey, getting and staying in shape is a key element in reducing cellulite, right
Thanks for the tips, Tee! This site looks fantastic: http://fitnessblackbook.com/ And yes, I’ve heard of Callanetics. It’s similar to Physique57 (I think P57 was based on callanetics). It does seem like an ideal exercise for cellulite. I wrote to the company and asked for a product to review on the site, but I didn’t hear back from them. It can quickly get expensive testing all these cellulite treatments so I really have to be selective when the company doesn’t provide a product to review for the investigation. Do you think Callanetics is worth it over Rumi or Joey Atlas?
when my brother pokes my thigh it really hurts. sometimes i put a bit more pressure with my finger on my thigh and it hurts. i have thick legs but you can’t really see the cellulite unless the skin is pinched together. It hurts and it sucks to have sensitive thighs!
What a meanie he is! Yes, it does suck. Fortunately there is much you can do to make them less sensitive! See How To Get Rid of Cellulite. Following the ideas on this page did the trick for me. My legs are no longer sensitive. Hooray!
Melissa, thank you, for this great information. I too, have been suffering with cellulite all my life. Could you, please tell us, what to eat, and what not eat, to help to minimize the condition? I have a good idea, about nutrition, however, I want to make sure, that what I am doing, is the right thing. Thank you, your help, will be greatly appreciated. Have a wonderful day. Gunesh Asci.
Hi, Gunesh. Diet is SO important when it comes to an effective anti cellulite strategy. Here is a summary of what we’ve learned so far regarding the best and worst foods for cellulite: Treating Cellulite in the Kitchen. Sugar and transfats are bad. You might be pleasantly surprised to find that saturated fats, such as butter and coconut oil, are actually good for cellulite! They provide all the fat-soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids that the body needs to repair damaged fatty areas. It’s also important to find out if you have any food sensitivities (gluten, dairy, corn, soy ,etc). These will sabotage you’re anti-cellulite effort if you are sensitive to them.
I found your site today as my cellulite was really aching and I was wondering whether this was normal! I have been doing a lot of yoga this year and therefore I’m far more intune with my body than I used to be.
Yesterday I tucked into a tub of Haribo sweeties mix. I usually try to have a healthy diet (thanks to Weston Price and Sally Fallon) but fell of the wagon big time (I blame the colder evenings at home ;D). Anyway, I wonder if the aching today is related to my sugar overdose yesterday?
It’s certainly possible! Sugar is one of the chief suspects in our investigation. See, The Cellulite Investigation’s Spotlight on Sugar. Please let us know if you’re able to figure this one out. It would be interesting to see if you notice this cause and effect relationship again in the future.
By the way, what is Haribo sweeties mix?!
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