How does compression work?
Compression therapy gently squeezes your legs to help blood flow back to your heart. This improves circulation, reduces swelling, and eases discomfort, keeping your legs healthier and more comfortable every day.
How can compression help me?
Compression therapy means using special stretchy clothing like stockings, socks, wraps, or bandages to gently squeeze your legs. This helps your veins push blood back up towards your heart, so your circulation works better (NHS, 2023).
Compression can also help reduce swelling by stopping too much fluid from leaking into your tissues. It can ease aching, heaviness and pain in the legs and help people who have vein or lymph problems feel more comfortable (SIGN, 2010).
How does compression garments work?
When the stockings, socks or wraps squeeze your veins, they make them narrower, which helps blood move faster and stops it from pooling in your legs. This means your body can get rid of swelling more easily, and wounds like leg ulcers can heal better too (SIGN, 2010).
Compression comes in many types of lighter or stronger pressure, different materials, and different shapes like stockings, or wraps. The right one depends on what you need help with.