To avoid lipodystrophy in insulin therapy, which practice should the client follow?

• A. Exercise regularly
• B. Rotate injection sites
• C. Use the Z-track technique
• D. Vigorously massage the injection site

Answer: (B)

Rotating injection sites is the key practice to prevent lipodystrophy from insulin therapy. Repeated injections in the same tiny area can cause changes in the subcutaneous fat—either lumps and thickening (lipohypertrophy) or fat loss (lipoatrophy)—which in turn disrupts how insulin is absorbed and makes blood glucose harder to predict. By regularly changing where you inject, you give tissue time to recover and keep insulin absorption more consistent. Practical tips include spreading injections across different regions (abdomen, thighs, arms, buttocks) and avoiding scarred or hardened areas. Regular exercise helps overall health but doesn’t prevent lipodystrophy, the Z-track technique is for intramuscular injections and isn’t needed for subcutaneous insulin, and vigorous massage can worsen tissue changes and absorption variability.