What is compression theraphy?
Compression therapy refers to the benefits gained from the use of specialized stockings or bandages in the management of chronic venous disease and lymphedema. Individuals suffering from chronic venous disease (often called insufficiency) present with leg complaints of fatigue, heaviness, and aching. Gradient elastic stockings pioneered by engineer and patient, Conrad Jobst, in the early 1950s remain the standard in the management of chronic venous disease. Gradient compression delivers a squeezing to the leg that is tightest at the ankle. The amount of squeezing or compression gradually decreases up the leg. While the exact mechanism of action of compression remains elusive, compression is believed to provide two primary benefits to individuals suffering from chronic venous insufficiency. Perhaps the most important effect is that compression increases the pressure in the tissue under the skin (subcutaneous) thereby helping to reduce and prevent swelling. The compression of this subcut
