Compression Socks and Stockings

People with special needs and delicate sensibilities such as sufferers of diabetes are required by medical experts to have specialized articles of clothing. These clothes can serve a variety of functions, including improving the circulation of blood to certain parts of the body.

Compression socks aim to do just this. Increased circulation brought upon by compression is said to increase endurance capacity to the wearer who may experience disability or decreased capacity to move. This pushes the notion that when muscles are kept more compact, muscle fatigue is minimized, as well as improving overall balance and endurance.

What Are Compression Socks and How Do They Work?

Compression socks use a method of compression called graduated pressure application. Although the human heart pumps blood to the parts of the body equally throughout the day, gravity causes trace amounts of blood to accumulate in the lower legs and feet. This can cause serious ailments to the circulatory system such as thrombosis, though fatigue and leg cramps are usually more common. Temporary pain alleviation may be provided by simply lifting the legs above heart level while lying flat on a bed or flat surface, but comes back when standing or walking for a few minutes.

Sometimes known as support socks, compression socks and stockings are specially designed to give additional support and limited blood circulation to the legs or feet. Regular, off the shelf socks in casual or athletic varieties can provide limited degrees of compression, but this is usually not enough to be therapeutic to the wearer. Compression socks can often come in traditional sock patterns so that they do not stick out or attract attention. While similar in appearance, compression socks are not to be confused with non-compression diabetic socks.

Kinds of Compression Socks and Stockings

Like regular socks, compression socks come in different shapes and sizes. These may even include the kind of styles regular socks come in, making compression socks discrete on top of being beneficial to your health and lifestyle.

Medically speaking, compression socks and stockings come in two kinds: gradient and anti-embolism. Typically perscribed by doctors to patients with long-term health issues, gradient compression stockings come from the unique weaving pattern they come in and result in lessened compression levels towards the top of the area compressed by the sock or stocking.

Anti-embolism, or TED socks and stockings, include minimal compression with even pressure application and are typically prescribed to wheelchair bound or bedridden patients who may have recently come from an operation.

In addition to the kinds of socks and stockings, the compression provided by these products may come in different ratings measured in the millimeter of mercury, or mmHg. This also measures the pressure exerted by stockings on the leg to provide support to the veins.

Typical store bought compression socks and hose come at ranges of 8-15 mmHg compression levels. These are recommended for people with aches or fatigue on the legs, or for people who are on their feet a lot. These low level socks can also prove beneficial for pregnant women.

Socks with 15 to 20 mmHg levels of compression are usually recommended for people with circulatory conditions or for people more prone to leg fatigue and swelling than others. Some doctors may also prescribe them for patients experiencing spider or varicose veins and other circulatory ailments.

Benefits of Compression Socks and Stockings

Compression socks have stronger elastics than regular socks to create significant pressure on and around the legs, ankles and feet. The blood is then circulated into channels narrowed by the pressure, stunting the uneven blood flow caused by gravity to the veins, arteries and muscles. More blood is returned to the heart instead of accumulating in the feet, thanks to the increased arterial pressure. Typically reaching their tightest point at the ankles, compression socks are less constrictive as they get higher up the leg. Some compression socks include padded soles for additional comfort and support for the foot.

Originally created for people with circulatory problems and ailments, compression socks have found use with normal people for everyday use and applications. People who are employed in a place that requires them to stand up for long periods of time have taken to compression socks. Compression socks have gained popularity with athletes and fitness enthusiasts because of the additional support these socks give to their leg muscles while doing strenuous physical activities. Airplane passengers who take long flights regularly are advised to wear compression socks to prevent circulatory diseases such as thrombosis or blood clots.

Compression socks have also won popularity by patients who have just undergone surgery in the legs.

Recent Medical Findings of Compression Socks and Stockings

While compression socks and wraps have been widely accepted with medical experts and patients who have recently undergone surgery, theories about how the socks can benefit health are somewhat limited to physiological and biomechanical support of the legs and feet. A study conducted in New Orleans during the annual 2007 American College of Sports Medicine suggested that there were no significant differences statistically worth mentioning in maximal oxygen consumption presented in the heart rates shown between treadmill runners who wore compression socks during the experiment and those who did not.

This study is disputed by a study conducted at Stellenbosch University in South Africa where subjects did, in fact, show more rapid lactate recovery rates when compression socks were worn after exercise, further suggesting that compression socks aid in a speedy recovery after strenuous workouts, marathons or races.

---

---

Write a comment

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website