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Sock it to Swelling: How Compression Stockings Make a Difference

Jeffrey H. Miller, M.D.
Jul 24
2 min read

Updated: Jul 30

How often do you sit for a long time? Think about it: We're almost always sitting in our cars, on flights, behind a desk....

And sitting for too long can actually be bad for your legs.

But there's something that can help: compression stockings.

A younger woman pulling compression stockings onto her legs.

What Are Compression Stockings?

Compression stockings are special socks that squeeze (or compress) your legs a little bit. This squeezing helps your blood move better through your veins.

Think of it like giving your legs a gentle hug.

Why Is Sitting for a Long Time Bad?

When you sit for a long time, blood can pool in your legs. This means that blood stays in your legs instead of moving back up to your heart.

This can cause problems like swelling, pain, and even blood clots.

What Did the Study Find?

A study by Masahiro Horiuchi and Lee Stoner looked at how compression stockings affect your legs when you sit for a long time. They had 20 people sit for 3 hours with and without compression stockings.

Here’s what they found:

Less Blood Pooling: When people wore compression stockings, there was less blood pooling in their legs. This means the stockings helped keep the blood moving.
Better Heart Function: The stockings helped the heart pump blood better. This is important because it means your heart doesn’t have to work as hard.
No Change in Arteries: The stockings didn’t really help the arteries in the legs. This means that while they help with veins, they don’t do much for the arteries.

Why Is This Important?

This study shows that wearing compression stockings can help prevent some of the problems caused by sitting for too long. They can help keep your blood moving and reduce the risk of swelling and blood clots.

So, next time you know you’ll be sitting for a long time, consider compression stockings!

Reference

Horiuchi, M., & Stoner, L. (2021). Effects of compression stockings on lower-limb venous and arterial system responses to prolonged sitting: A randomized cross-over trial. Vascular Medicine, 26(4), 386–393. https://doi.org/10.1177/1358863X20988899

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