PODIATRIST DISCUSSES COMPRESSION SOCK USE

If tired muscles and swollen feet are cramping your style, compression socks work to reduce fluid build-up and fatigue in your legs by promoting better blood flow in the veins of the calves and feet. Athletes, pregnant women, and people who travel a lot can benefit from using compression socks because they help pump oxygen to damaged muscle tissues, helping them repair faster. But nurses, waiters, mail carriers, and other workers who stand for long shifts can develop pain in their calves and heels from being on their feet all day, so wearing compression socks can help with recovery.

 

Dr. Priya Parthasarathy

 

"I usually recommend a lighter compression, like 10 to 15 mmHg or 15 to 20 mmHg, to begin with, and for more moderate to severe swelling; we start to go up in numbers, such as 20 to 30 mmHg or 30 to 40 mmHg, which should be a custom fit and prescribed by a doctor," says Priya Parthasarathy, DPM, a podiatrist based in Silver Spring, MD, and spokesperson for the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA).

 

Source:  Tiffany Ayuda, Prevention

Courtesy of Barry Block, editor of PM News.