Compression stockings are sometimes prescribed as a conservative treatment for venous diseases to improve circulation and decrease pain. They may also be prescribed after a vein removal procedure to help promote healing. Runners and other athletes also use them to help improve stamina in their legs. People often wonder how something as seemingly simple as stockings can make a difference, but they do, and here’s why.
How Do Compression Stockings Work?
These specially-made stockings help push blood up the leg in the direction it is supposed to go, toward the heart. That means that the valves in the veins have to do less work. Gradient compression stockings are made so that the greatest amount of compression is on the ankle. The amount of compression that the stocking provides decreases further up the leg.
The compression increases the pressure in the tissue under the skin. This helps reduce and prevent swelling. It also helps reduce the ability of the superficial leg veins to overfill with blood. This is what often causes swelling and discomfort in people with venous disease.
If the valves of the veins are not working as hard, and your circulation is improved, the pain, aches and fatigue in the legs of someone with chronic venous disease can decrease. Compression therapy, either through stockings or a wrap, is often prescribed for people with venous insufficiency, varicose veins, leg swelling and lymphedema. After laser vein removal and other vein treatments, they are prescribed to prevent blood from entering the newly sealed vein.
Why You Need a Physician’s Approval
Gradient compression stockings should never be worn without a physician’s approval. If you have symptoms that you are looking to compression stockings to alleviate, it’s essential to make sure that you don’t have a serious or even life-threatening condition. Some people have other conditions such as advanced arterial disease or congestive heart failure that could be worsened by compression stockings.
How To Get Stockings
If you are experiencing leg discomfort that could be the result of a circulatory issue, it’s essential to be examined by a physician or a vein specialist. The vein specialists at Medicus Veincare can diagnose if the problem stems from venous disease and recommend appropriate treatment options if this is the case. Contact our vein specialists to schedule an appointment. If you need compression stockings, Medicus Vein Care has a large selection of stockings in various styles and colors for you to choose from.
