Compression Socks

What are compression socks?

Compression socks and compression sleeves are made of a stretchy material that fits tightly around your ankle. They are used to help prevent pain and swelling in your lower extremities.

Taking part in athletic activities and sporting events requires your circulatory system to be operating at peak efficiency, but sometimes the blood doesn’t flow back up your legs as well as it should, and instead builds up in your feet and ankles.

Compression socks and sleeves can help improve blood flow and restore efficient circulation. If you believe you’d benefit from wearing compression socks, the podiatrists at Kalmar Family Podiatry recommend you schedule a consultation.

Who should wear compression socks or sleeves?

While anyone can wear compression socks or sleeves as a preventive measure, there are specific groups of people who benefit from them most. These include:

• Athletes
• Pregnant women
• People who stand or sit all day
• Those who can’t leave their bed
• People at risk for circulation problems

How do compression socks and sleeves work?

When walking, the muscles in your legs contract and squeeze the deep veins in your legs, helping to pump blood and excess fluid against gravity and towards your heart. If you have weak muscles or veins, the blood can fall back towards your feet and cause uncomfortable symptoms such as swelling and pain.

The way compression socks get rid of this problem is by helping your leg muscles squeeze the blood back up your legs. This increase in blood flow leads to an increase in oxygen levels in the cells of the muscles and tendons, decreasing muscle fatigue and pain. This effect is true in compression socks for running, working on your feet, and general circulation issues.  

Contraindications for compression socks may include but are not limited to arterial disease, heart failure A-fib, oozing dermatitis, and peripheral neuropathy.

What are the benefits of wearing compression socks or sleeves?

You can experience the following benefits from wearing compression socks or compression sleeves.

• Relief from plantar fasciitis pain
• Relief from heel pain
• Relief from shin splints
• Decreased chance of a blood clot
• Improved circulation
• Decreased leg and foot swelling
• Reduction in fatigue
• Reduction in aching and tiredness in the feet
• Increased athletic performance

Another example of benefiting from compression socks is if you go on long airplane flights. You’ll be inactive, in a tight space, and likely won’t be stretching your legs, which can cause an accumulation of blood and fluid in your lower extremities. This puts you at risk of developing deep vein thrombosis. The danger in this is that a blood clot breaks off of your deep veins and can potentially block blood flow in one of the arteries of your lungs. This causes a life-threatening condition called a pulmonary embolism.  

Wearing compression socks also provides exceptional support for your Achilles tendon and internal foot structures, helping to prevent sports injuries and safeguard these vulnerable tissues during strenuous exercise.

Is your athletic performance suffering because of swelling in the lower legs or feet? If so, call the compassionate and caring podiatrists at Kalmar Family Podiatry today or book an appointment online.