Do you think you might have a DVT? Call our DVT & LEG HEALTH HOTLINE 833-687-6887
Compression therapy is a simple, noninvasive form of vascular care that aims to increase circulation and alleviate, control, or prevent problems related to sluggish blood flow in one or more affected extremities — sometimes in the arms, but most often, in the legs.
When our board-certified specialists at Vascular Vein Centers prescribe compression therapy, your treatment plan includes detailed guidelines on when and how long you should wear your custom-fitted stockings, and tips to help you “don” them more easily.
Given that lower extremity blood vessels are more susceptible to dysfunction and damage, compression therapy is typically used to assist and improve blood flow in the legs.
How does it work? You simply wear your fitted compression garments — calf-high socks, thigh-high stockings, or Velcro wraps — as directed, and they apply gentle and consistent pressure that provides a “vascular assist” to sluggish blood flow or impaired leg veins.
We may prescribe these custom medical garments to help:
By lightly squeezing your legs, these tight, graduated devices help control chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) and improve your circulation. In addition to easing related concerns like leg swelling and throbbing varicose veins, compression therapy helps protect against worsening complications like venous ulcers.
Compression therapy is a highly effective way to boost lower extremity blood flow and restore healthy circulation. Unfortunately, “donning” your compression stockings — or getting them on your legs — isn’t as straightforward as putting on regular socks.
Here are some tips that can make the process easier:
Donning your compression socks as soon as you get up in the morning is important for two reasons: First, they give your circulation an immediate assist as you get on your feet to start your day, and second, they tend to be easier to get on when swelling is down — as is often the case after hours of elevation and sleep.
Compression garments work through their snug, leg-hugging fit. Moisture makes it harder to work these tight stockings into place, so make sure your skin is totally dry — especially after applying lotion — before you attempt to don them.
It’s important to refrain from “bunching up” your compression stockings in an effort to get them on more easily; doing so can damage the garments and cause a tight band within the material that makes them even harder to get on.
Instead, try gently pulling on the straight, unrolled stocking until it fits well over your foot. To make the process easier, you can start with the stocking rolled down or folded inside out to the ankle level. Then, simply pull or unroll the top portion of the stocking up your leg, smoothing the garment as you go, until it reaches its proper height.
If you’d like to get a better grip on your compression stockings, try using donning gloves. These special gloves provide increased friction between your fingertips and the compression material that makes it easier to pull and smooth the stocking to its full height.
Your compression therapy treatment plan details how long you’ll need to wear your garments — whether it’s for a few weeks after varicose vein treatment or major surgery, for a few months following childbirth, or for the rest of your life to help manage a chronic vascular condition.
Your therapy plan also details when and how long you should wear your garments each day during the course of treatment. In most cases, this means:
Compression therapy is a daily treatment that typically requires all-day wear — but most people don’t need to wear their compression garments at night. However, if compression therapy is part of a comprehensive treatment plan for a slow-healing venous ulcer, we may prescribe compression bandages that stay on overnight for a specific period.
After every wear, wash your compression socks according to their care label instructions. Why? Compression garments stretch a bit with each use, and proper washing followed by line drying (never put them in the dryer) helps return them to their normal shape and size.
Protect your compression stockings by wearing socks, slippers, or shoes over them, and be sure to replace them if they sustain snags or become loose (i.e., noticeably easier to don).
Do you have questions about compression therapy? We have answers. Schedule a visit at your nearest Vascular Vein Centers office in College Park of Orlando, Kissimmee, Waterford Lakes of East Orlando, Lake Mary, Davenport/Haines City, or The Villages, Florida, anytime.
