4 Benefits of Compression Socks and Stockings

As the years have gone by, compression socks have gained mainstream popularity. They’re worn by all sorts of people, from track stars to world travellers to pregnant moms. It’s not because they’re the latest fashion trend, but because they can help increase blood flow in addition to reducing discomfort and swelling in the legs and feet. Additionally, they can help with particular medical conditions and boost athletic performance. Here are four benefits of compression socks and stockings for some additional information.

Benefits of Compression Socks

1. Providing compression that loosens at a gradual pace from the bottom to the top, bringing blood back to the heart.

2. Improve circulation and soothe or prevent:

• Blood clots in the leg
• Venous ulcers
• Varicose and spider viens
• Swelling of the ankles and legs

3. Benefits those with an above-average risk of developing blood clots in their legs, such as:

• Those with specific genetic disorders or a history of blood clots in their family
• Patients on bed rest for a long period of time
• Women taking hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills
• Those with specific medical conditions (e.g., inflammatory bowel syndrome)

4. Other Benefits Suggested by Studies, such as:

• Preventing varicose veins among pregnant women
• Preventing blood clots in the legs among airline passengers
• Reducing soreness post-workout among athletes
• Slightly improving endurance among runners

Who Do Compression Socks Benefit?

Certain Medical Conditions
Compression socks may benefit those with the following health conditions:

• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a higher risk of blood clots in the leg.
• Venous ulcers, a complex condition to treat
• Varicose and spider viens
• Edema, swelling of the ankles and legs.

Pregnant Women
Pregnant women may swell in their legs and ankles due to their blood volume increasing and their hormones relaxing their bodies, which can cause reduced circulation. Wearing compression socks can help reduce their risk of getting varicose veins by 2-3 times.

Travellers
Regardless of whether you’re travelling by car, train, or plane, long trips can lead to circulation issues, making you more likely to swell or experience clotting and DVT. Wearing compression socks can help lower your risk of experiencing DVT while travelling. Furthermore, it’s advisable to get up on your feet and walk around every hour, keep moving regularly, and drink lots of fluids.

During and After Workout
Research shows that wearing compression socks during and after working out lowers post-exercise blood lactate levels, reducing delayed onset muscle soreness. Furthermore, decreasing the amount of discomfort an athlete feels after working out will make it easier to jump back into training and improve their future performances. Studies also show that wearing compression socks may improve endurance slightly.

Significant Time on Feet
If you’re up on your feet for long periods throughout the day, wearing compression socks can help reduce leg fatigue and swelling.

Quality Compression Socks

Compression socks vary with regard to the degree of compression they apply. If you’re buying a stocking or sock for medical reasons, you may be prescribed or recommended a specific level of compression by your doctor. However, if you’re choosing between socks with varying levels of compression and haven’t been recommended a particular grade by a doctor, here’s some information that can help you select excellent-quality compression socks for you:

15 – 20 Millimeters In Mercury (mmHg)
These socks are suitable for everyday use, sports recovery, and travelling. However, they might not be tight enough for medical recovery.

20-30 Millimeters In Mercury (mmHg)
If you have varicose veins, spider veins, or mild edema, this could be a suitable option for you. Additionally, they can help improve circulation after surgery if you can’t move as much as usual.

30-40 Millimeters In Mercury (mmHg)
Offering the strongest levels of compression, these socks might be labelled as prescription. This could be suitable for those with severe swelling, DVT, or post-surgery concerns with symptoms ranging from moderate to severe.

Compression Socks Vs Stockings

Are compression socks and stockings the same? Not quite. Compression socks are short, only reaching up to the ankle, whereas compression stockings are higher and reach up to your knee or thigh. Furthermore, compression socks may have closed toes. If you’re flying, you should wear compression socks, but take them off after a few hours if you’re experiencing any discomfort or side effects.

Compression Socks for Men vs. Women

Though compression socks used to be a beige colour not targeted towards any gender, they now come in many bright colours and creative designs that seem to be meant for women. Men looking for compression socks don’t have much variety to choose from, especially when it comes to compression hosiery that addresses conditions above knee level. However, women have a much wider array of both fashionable and functional hosiery they can choose from. Both men and women have similar problems with their legs. Both genders have the same circumferential measurements on their legs for compression socks (above the upper thigh, mid-calf, and ankle).

However, there are also some differences. Certain clothing items are designed to fit specific body parts or anatomies of the female or male body. For example, men generally tend to have bigger feet and thus may need larger socks, even though there are always exceptions where men have bigger feet and women have smaller feet than the average size for their respective genders. Furthermore, the distinctions in fashion due to societal traditions and trends have led us to believe that there are specific clothing items meant for men to wear and specific items meant for women to wear. Despite all this, buying whichever style fits your measurements and price range, disregarding what gender they’re manufactured for, will allow you to find the most suitable materials and styles for you.

Are you looking for compression stockings in Brampton? Search no further than The Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Centres (PARC) of Ontario! We offer top-quality physiotherapy services like compression stockings in Canada. Our certified fitters will assist you in getting the style, fit, and type of compressions that are most suitable for you and answer any questions you may have. You can visit one of our locations in Scarborough, Mississauga, Ajax, or Whitby if you’re interested in our services.