How compression hosiery works
Compression hosiery work with your body to help you to keep your blood flowing back from your legs up towards your heart. Your Scholl compression stockings, socks and tights help you to achieve this in two ways:
Overall compression
Your legs are gently squeezed, which:
- Helps to reduce the blood flow through the veins closest to your skin surface
- Brings the vein walls, and more importantly the valve cusps closer together (to help prevent the blood flowing back towards your feet)
Graduated compression
Scholl hosiery uses 'graduated compression', where the pressure gets lighter as it goes up your legs.
You will notice that they are tighter round your ankle than round your calf and, if you wear tights or thigh length stockings, they will be tighter round your calf than round your thigh.
This progressive reduction in compression is a particularly effective way to push blood up your leg.
Lowest compression at your thigh
Keeps the blood moving upwards, towards your heart.
Intermediate compression at your calf
Assists your calf muscle as it pushes blood up your leg.
Highest compression at your ankle
Helps to move blood from your foot and ankle into your calf, so the muscle can push it onwards.
To enjoy the benefits of compression stockings, socks or tights you need to wear them regularly, preferably every day.