One of the most crucial things we can do to feel our best every day is to encourage healthy blood circulation. We can move, heal, breathe, digest food, and think clearly thanks to strong, healthy veins. Switching from standard socks to compression socks is one of the simplest ways to increase blood circulation, so choose plain socks when you may choose ones that have greater advantages.
What are Compression Socks?
Compression socks are different from dress or casual socks because they are made to gently squeeze your legs to help blood flow from your feet and legs back to your heart. Graduated compression socks and uniform compression socks are the two main varieties. Graduated compression socks work by putting more pressure on the area around your ankle and the sock gets gradually looser as it goes up your leg. Uniform compression socks work by applying continuous pressure the length of the sock. Whether recovering from a workout, taking a long journey, working out at a desk from 9 to 5, or climbing through the Dolomites, graded compression is more effective at enhancing circulation and well-being.
Most people worldwide could benefit from improved circulation. Compression socks can make you feel your best, whether you’re an athlete wanting to speed up your post-workout recovery or someone who stands for lengthy periods at work. You lessen your risk of uncomfortable swelling, blood clots, and varicose and spider veins when your veins are working properly.
Doctors, nurses, clinicians, and physical therapists have used compression treatment to treat circulation problems for over 50 years. But you don’t have to have any health problems to benefit from compression therapy. Compression therapy is effective for everyone every day because the light pressure from compression socks promotes quicker muscle regeneration.
What is Graduated Compression Socks?
A graduated compression sock is the best type for improving circulation. The tightest part of graduated compression socks is around the ankle, with the highest pressure. As the sock goes up the calf, the pressure gets less and less. Also, by exerting pressure on the vein walls from the outside, they aid in the blood’s upward journey to the heart from the leg against the pull of gravity. Less pain and swelling in the feet result from increased blood flow which can give the legs more energy.
Uniform Compression Socks: What Are They?
Athletes often wear uniform compression socks to help blood flow to their muscles while they work out, but they aren’t as good at improving blood circulation. Uniform compression socks apply equal pressure from the ankle to the knee.
Why Should I Use Compression Socks?
Your legs and ankles will feel light to moderate pressure from compression socks, which will help your blood flow back to your heart. Many advantages result from this increase in blood flow, including the alleviation of aches, pains, and fatigue; minimizing edema in the legs, foot, and calf; avoiding post-workout discomfort; preventing varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis (DVT); and improving performance during strenuous cardio exercise.
How Do Compression Socks Function?
Compression socks and stockings use elastic materials to stretch and fit snugly around your legs and feet. Leg pressure can improve the function of your blood vessels. The arteries that carry oxygen-rich blood to your muscles and legs can relax, allowing blood to circulate more freely. Through your leg veins, blood is pushed back to your heart. Many studies and pieces of medical research have shown that increasing circulation has numerous health benefits.
Why are compression socks required to be compressed or tight in order to function? Simply put, the pressure exerted by the sock narrows the diameter of the major vein walls, increasing the volume and rate of blood flow. This is known as the “garden hose effect.” If you turned on a garden hose and placed your thumb on the nozzle, you would get a narrow, focused stream of water. Similarly, a compression sock constricts your veins, increasing blood flow.
When should you wear compression socks?
If you’re familiar with compression socks, you probably think of them as a way to cure illnesses brought on by poor blood flow. Yet compression socks are beneficial for anyone trying to enhance their general well-being, particularly for people who frequently travel, sit at desk jobs, or stand all day at work.
Long Distance Travel
There’s a good chance you’ll spend a lot of time sitting still and being inactive if you’re preparing to take a long flight. Sitting for extended periods can enlarge the foot, ankle, and lower leg. Your chance of experiencing pain and blood clots rises as a result.
Why do your legs and feet swell when you’re flying? Contrary to what most people think, the cause is not high altitude or a pressurized cabin, but rather sitting for a long time. Prolonged sitting in various modes of transportation, such as cars, trains, buses, and planes, can cause the same kind of swelling. When your leg muscles don’t contract, blood can’t return to your heart as effectively. Because of this, blood and fluid build up in the lower legs and feet, causing edema. Even little blood clots may form due to the sluggish blood flow. Sometimes a clot will block a vein and restrict blood flow, leading to the uncomfortable disease known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a potentially fatal disease, causes blood clots to form in your body after you have been inactive for a long time or have poor blood flow. The illness may be fatal if the clot spreads to the lungs. You could be at risk for DVT even if you’ve never experienced vascular issues. According to numerous studies, compression socks can help prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) on long plane rides. Because of this, it makes sense for everyone to take this sensible precaution to safeguard their health when taking a lengthy flight: compression socks.
Prolonged sitting and standing
Most working individuals spend a lot of time sitting at desks or on their feet, whether they are nurses, teachers, analysts, or restaurant workers. Studies have shown that wearing compression socks helps increase blood flow when you cannot move during the day if you have swelling, achiness, or discomfort in your feet and legs. Enhancing your blood flow may also help you perform better overall since it allows more oxygen to reach your brain and gives you more alertness and vitality.
Managing Medical Problems’ Symptoms
Compression socks are also frequently worn to treat pre-existing medical issues linked to poor blood flow. Medical professionals frequently recommend compression socks to patients to:
- Spider veins and varicose veins
- thrombus in the deep veins (DVT)
- Edema (swelling) (swelling)
- Chronic venous failure (CVI)
- Syndrome post-thrombotic (PTS)
- Syndrome of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia (POTS)
- A shin injury
- Lymphedema with Plantar Fasciitis
Varicose veins are swollen, twisted veins that can be visibly noticeable close to the skin’s surface. They develop due to elevated blood pressure within the vein walls and valves. In addition to being extremely painful and uncomfortable, varicose veins can cause serious circulation problems.
A milder form of varicose veins, spider veins are typically only an aesthetic concern. These tiny, ordinarily painless, damaged veins are minuscule. They might be blue or red and resemble branches or webs.
Pregnancy, prolonged sitting or standing, inactivity, high blood pressure, obesity, or a family history of varicose veins or deep vein thrombosis can contribute to vascular problems like varicose and spider veins. Gradual compression socks help your veins circulate blood, reducing your risk of uncomfortable swelling, blood clots, and varicose and spider veins.
Pregnancy
Compression socks provide various advantages for expectant mothers. Women are more likely to experience mild to severe edema (swelling) in their feet and legs during pregnancy, which puts them at a higher risk for blood clots and varicose veins. Pregnancy-related foot and ankle edema is typical and often goes down after birth.
The causes of edema during pregnancy are several. To begin with, pregnancy causes your body to retain more fluid. Also, as your uterus grows, it puts pressure on your veins, stopping blood from returning to your heart. Changes in hormones are also significant.
Wearing compression socks has been shown to help people avoid getting varicose veins and uncomfortable swelling. Medical compression therapy should be used for the entirety of the pregnancy and six weeks following delivery to avoid discomfort, edema, and blood clots.
Getting Well After Surgery
Recovering from hip, leg, or knee surgery frequently takes a lot of rest, which might reduce mobility. Because of the ensuing immobility during recovery, deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) risk may rise. To lower your risk of DVT after surgery, your doctor may tell you to wear compression stockings, drink enough fluids, and keep moving around as much as possible.
After Physical Exercise, Recovery
Athletes wear compression socks to increase blood flow and prevent the body from accumulating too much lactic acid. While we exercise, our blood cannot keep up with our muscles’ oxygen needs, and as a result, our muscles produce an excessive amount of lactic acid.
Even though making lactic acid is normal and necessary to keep muscles from overworking, it also causes the body to make other chemicals that make you feel bad and age your muscles faster.
Athletes who already have circulation problems can benefit from wearing compression socks. World famous tennis player Serena Williams wore compression socks at the 2018 women’s French Open. The year before, she had a pulmonary embolism. A blockage in the pulmonary arteries found in the lungs results in a pulmonary embolism. Blood clots frequently emerge from the deep veins in your legs, which frequently cause pulmonary embolisms.
People who have had a pulmonary embolism before often take blood thinners, raise their legs, and stay active while also wearing anti-embolism stockings, compression socks, and pneumatic compression (calf or thigh-high cuffs) to prevent more blood clots.
How long should compression socks be worn?
There isn’t a single solution. You can wear them all day if your health is fine. Take these off before going to bed unless your doctor has prescribed otherwise. Moreover, compression socks are not necessary when your legs are elevated. Compression socks are safe to wear all the time, but they are especially important for sitting or standing for long periods.
On average, compression socks should be replaced every three to six months to ensure they work properly while worn. Most compression socks’ internal elastic wears out with time, especially if laundered frequently. Your socks’ compression benefits decrease as the elastic becomes increasingly worn down. If compression socks are hand-washed in cold water with a light detergent or soap, they will often last longer. Avoid using bleach, fabric softeners, or dryer sheets to preserve elasticity.
How Should Compression Socks Be Measured?
Finding the right size is essential when using compression socks to treat certain medical conditions. Uncomfortable socks that roll down and put additional strain on certain parts of your legs could reduce blood flow. An increase in pain and a reduction in the amount of oxygen in your legs might result from wearing excessively tight socks. If you wear medical-grade compression socks, consult your doctor for help with sizing and measurement.
A Snug as a Bug in a Rug
According to your shoe size, height, and weight, most over-the-counter compression goods are “ready-made,” which means they are already sized. The circumferences of your feet and legs are measured with tape to create a personalized pair of medical-grade compression socks. It could be a good idea to get your measurements taken when your body suffers the most swelling, such as after a lengthy period of standing, to avoid purchasing compression devices that are too tight.
The left and right calves are the two most crucial places to measure compression socks. With your feet firmly on the ground and your body in a resting position, take the circumference measurements. The broadest part of your thighs, which is often the upper-mid region of the hamstrings and quadriceps below the buttocks, must be measured in addition to thigh-high socks.
Compression stockings or thigh-high socks shouldn’t go up your legs. Applying pressure to smaller circumference areas can stop blood flow to your legs and lead to blood clots in the lower limbs.
What is the recommended degree of compression?
All compression socks should be snugly fitting, but more significantly, the level of compression or tightness depends on the symptoms you’re trying to cure (such as varicose veins, edema, or DVT) or the use case (e.g., preventing swelling while traveling, improving muscle recovery after exercising or having more energy while on your feet).
It’s typical to experience warmth in your legs and feet when wearing compression socks. You should sense a tight fit from the socks, and you might even experience a minor tingling or itching.
You could note that socks’ compression is expressed in “mmHg,” which stands for millimeters of mercury, when looking for specific sizes of compression socks. The most important sizing measurement to consider when choosing the ideal pair of compression socks for you is the standard unit of pressure used for compression items. Once you’ve chosen the compression sock’s size and design, it’s simple to experiment with various pressure levels to see which one best suits your requirements.
Instructions for putting on compression socks
Since they are more restrictive than conventional socks, compression socks are famously challenging. Here are a few tips to help you get them on easily.
Ensure your legs and feet are fully dry before wearing compression socks.
Choose a seat that is comfortable for you and where you can stay balanced.
Grab the heel pocket by reaching inside the sock (for open-toe socks, grab the end of the sock instead).
Leave a pocket or opening in the inner 75% of the sock to slip your foot inside.
Place your foot inside the foot pocket of the sock now that it is inside out, and start tugging the sock up around your feet. Before continuing, make sure the sock is snugly fitting around your foot.
Now that your foot is inside the sock, start tugging the sock up the sides of your leg by grabbing the sock’s cuff with both hands. After rolling the sock to its longest possible length, straighten out any kinks or loose areas. The sock ought to comfortably cover your leg and ought to remain in place on its own.
Continue with the other foot.
Final thoughts
In conclusion, wearing compression socks is a great approach to improving your circulation and general health. The best form of compression socks for increasing blood flow are graduated ones, which apply the most pressure around the ankle and lessen it as they rise up the leg. Uniform compression socks are great for athletes who want to increase blood flow to their muscles while exercising. Anybody looking to improve their overall health can benefit from wearing compression socks. However, those who travel frequently, work at desk jobs, or stand all day at work should especially consider doing so. Deep vein thrombosis, blood clots, and varicose veins can all be prevented with compression therapy, which is a simple and effective method (DVT). Regularly wearing compression socks can increase aerobic workout performance by easing leg pain, swelling, and weariness and preventing post-exercise discomfort. An easy and inexpensive technique to increase blood flow and support excellent health is by wearing compression socks.