Things You Should Know About Compression Therapy

Varicose Veins Wound Clinic
2 min readJul 29, 2019

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Compression therapy is a simple and effective means of increasing blood flow activity in the lower limbs through strengthening vein support. It’s a form of wound care that aims to gently apply pressure to the ankles and legs by wearing specifically designed stockings. These dressings then work to slowly stretch out vein walls and improve overall circulation, which in turn helps eliminate swelling.

Sufferers of chronic venous disease are the main candidates for compression therapy. Chronic venous diseases arise in people increased pressure strains the leg veins, which can prompt valves within the veins to fail to work efficiently, resulting in blood flow to back up and eventually pool out in the legs. Chronic venous diseases can occur in any patients who have experienced one or more of the following:

  • Leg injury or surgery
  • Excessive weight gain or obesity
  • Prolonged periods without movement
  • Blood clots in the veins

Without effective compression therapy, chronic venous diseases can lead to future issues. One of the biggest side effects is dilated veins, or “spider veins.” These begin to appear as thin blue lines that can branch out depending on the severity of the blood flow restriction. Dilated veins will drain your limbs and produce heavy periods of fatigue, which can eventually lead to sudden bursts of pain. Compression therapy is a primary source of treatment that can help alleviate aching and loosen constriction between the vein walls.
The clinician should keep in mind these 5 essential tips when using compression therapy:

  1. Compression is used with caution with the peripheral arterial disease (ie, ankle-brachial index less than 0.8 in a nondiabetic patient).
  2. Inelastic compression (eg, Unna boot) reduces edema by the ankle pump mechanism; therefore, it is designed primarily for ambulatory patients.
  3. There is nothing sacred about changing compression dressings weekly: If wounds have overlying eschar or copious drainage, dressing changes must be made as often as necessary to manage drainage.
  4. Elastic “long-stretch” compression (eg, Coban, Profore) is straightforward for nonprofessionals to apply and, therefore, most amenable to frequent dressing changes. Note that elastic compression requires adequate padding (including a toe-to-knee gauze underlayer). The greatest compression is usually over the instep. Use extra padding on this area for comfort and to minimize the risk of pressure necrosis.
  5. Pain associated with uncomplicated, well-perfused venous ulcers can be an obstacle for therapeutic compression (ie, 40 mm Hg or more). Use adequate pain medication as appropriate and taper up to therapeutic levels of compression.

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Varicose Veins Wound Clinic
Varicose Veins Wound Clinic

Written by Varicose Veins Wound Clinic

Dr. Chandrakant S Kamble is devoted to advancing the modern treatment of venous disease, as well as offering his patients the most cosmetic procedures available

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