If you think that compression socks aren’t for you, think again. Many people who haven’t used compression socks before are under the impression that they’re expensive, cumbersome, and — let’s be honest — ugly.
But compression socks, especially these days, offer a wide range of benefits. These aren’t just for grandma — you may not suffer from varicose veins or swollen ankles, but you can still reap the rewards of compression socks.
1) Tired and Achy Legs
Are your legs often tired and achy? This can be one of the first signs of poor circulation, also known as chronic venous insufficiency. The veins in our legs have valves like those in our hearts, which open and close to make sure blood gets returned to your heart.
Lack of exercise, prolonged sitting and standing, obesity, tight fitting clothing and high heeled shoes are just some of the causes of tired and achy legs from lack of circulation. Compression socks and stockings can support your veins and improve the circulation in your legs by gently squeezing the vein walls together, normalizing blood flow.
2) Swollen Ankles
Swollen ankles can develop for a number of reasons, from poor diets high in salt and carbohydrates, to allergic reactions or side effects from birth control pills. Although many people consider their swollen ankles as simply unattractive, they can also be painful and can also lead to more serious problems. Compression socks and stockings come in a wide range of support levels depending on the pressure that’s needed to help treat various levels of edema (swelling).
3) Pregnancy
Pregnancy can create a number of different leg and foot problems including: increased blood volume, hormonal changes and carrying more weight. These can lead to varicose veins, blood clots and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) that can all be very serious. Wearing compression socks can help keep your legs healthy and looking good both during and after pregnancy by encouraging blood flow and increasing comfort.
4) Travel
Traveling long distances by land or air means sitting still for an extended period of time, which is bad for blood circulation in your legs and feet. This can lead to swollen ankles, leg pain and other complications. If you travel regularly, you should consider wearing compression socks or stockings. The added pressure cabin pressure from plane travel can result in blood clots or even a pulmonary embolism in very extreme cases. Along with taking time to get up and walk around during a long flight, compression socks are recommended.
5) Certain Professions
Some jobs require standing for long periods of time. Nurses, doctors, factory workers, restaurant employees, construction workers and similar professions all have to spend long hours on their feet. Others, like office workers, have to sit for long periods of time. Employees in these types of jobs can benefit from wearing compression stockings as they promote healthy blood circulation and can help ease the physical strain of the job. Simply put, your legs will feel better after a long, hard day at work!
6) Medical Conditions
Do you suffer from lymphedema, phlebitis or similar medical conditions? Phlebitis can affect your larger blood vessels which are usually deep in the legs. This can lead to large blood clots which may break off and travel to the lungs, potentially causing a pulmonary embolism. Lymphedema is a chronic condition resulting from damage to your lymph nodes which causes swelling in your legs. When lymphatic systems become blocked, lymph fluids are no longer able to drain and the fluid buildup leads to swelling. Both lymphedema and phlebitis can be managed by wearing compression stockings to improve blood circulation.
7) Varicose Veins
Varicose veins are the result of poor circulation in your legs. If you don’t treat your tired, achy legs, you are likely to develop varicose veins. Varicose veins can also lead to more serious problems like skin lesions and ulcers. Compression therapy and compression stockings can help manage and treat varicose veins by gently squeezing the vein walls together and restoring proper blood flow.
Want to know more? Learn more about compression stockings from Walking Mobility Clinics or contact us for an assessment.
5 Comments
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I had never considered to wear compression socks when traveling. I can see why this would help keep the blood flowing to my legs and feet. My dad has noticed that his ankles have been swelling up the past couple times he has flown on a plane. I’ll have to mention that he should try wearing compression socks next time.
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I didn’t realize that tired legs could be a result of a venous disorder. Having some good compression socks would probably do a lot to help with this kind of a problem. At the very least any swelling that has been experienced would probably go down which would probably help with circulation.
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Just looking into getting some compression stockings. What is your cost per pair?
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Great article source to read. Thank you for sharing this.
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Thank you for mentioning that pregnancy can cause a variety of various leg and foot issues, such as varicose veins, increased blood volume, hormonal changes, and carrying additional weight. My sister claims that she developed varicose veins after becoming pregnant. She is disturbed. I’ll advise her to receive varicose vein treatment to bring that under control.
