Compression Socks

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Compression socks are not your typical pair of socks. You'll soon find that out when you go to put on a pair. What makes them so different is that they apply compression to your feet and legs as you wear them.

They come in a variety of lengths, such as knee high, thigh high or even full pantyhose for women. They're available in an array of attractive colors and designs or in more traditional colors such as black, beige and white. Many individuals, both men and women, wear these socks every single day.

The main goal of compression socks is to improve the blood circulation in your lower extremities.

How does this work?

Normally the muscles in your feet and legs are responsible for the circulation of blood. As you walk, you use the muscles …show more content…
When we find ourselves either sitting or standing for extended periods of times throughout the day our blood circulation can become impaired.

Since we're not moving our legs, the blood can't properly circulate through our veins and return back to our heart (remember, we've got gravity working against us).

This is where compression socks come into play. As you wear them, they apply pressure on your veins which pushes the blood back up towards your heart. Basically taking over the job that muscles are normally responsible for.

You might be thinking how does the blood only go up and not back down into your feet?

The reason that the blood only moves upwards is due to the nature of the graduated compression in these socks.

With graduated compression, there is a greater level of compression at the foot/ankle of the sock, which gradually decreases as the sock move up your leg. This allows for blood to gradually move up and not down as the pressure is always greater at the bottom.

Levels of Compression

Compression is measured in mmHg (millimeters of mercury) and varies in levels strength which is normally: mild (8 - 15 mmHg), moderate (15 - 20 mmHg), firm (30 - 40 mmHg) and extra firm (40 mmHg and

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