Many people both at home and in a care facility are in need of wearing compression stockings. If you do wear these items, you are likely aware that compression stocking can greatly help to increase blood flow and will aid in the treatment of such conditions as phlebitis, edema, and thrombosis. What is most important for those who will wear compression stockings is to purchase stockings that fit on your ankles, legs, and thighs correctly and with the proper amounts of compression. How much compression you will require your stockings to provide for you will depend on your medical needs and on the advice of your doctors and other care givers.

Compression stockings are often worn by those who are non ambulatory, or who cannot walk, or whose movements are restricted by one medical condition or another. These stockings are also often worn by people whose circulation is less than optimal due to such difficulties as diabetes and those who are prone to blood clots. The compression stockings discourage the pooling of blood in the feet and legs due to insufficient capillary movement. Thus, the type of compression stockings that you will be wearing will depend greatly upon your individual needs. The various brands and types of compression stockings, as well as the amount of compression they will provide, enables you to purchase these important medical devices with a good deal of choice according to your particular situation.

To begin with, compression stockings come in various heights, that is, how far up on the leg they are worn. Some people will require compression stockings that only cover their ankles and perhaps their lower calf while other will need stockings that come up to the knee or even over the upper thigh. In all cases, the compression stockings provide gradient compression. What this means is that the stocking provides the greatest amount of compression at the ankles and gives progressively less compression as the stocking travels up the leg. Such a design works best to help enhance blood flow and reduce the incidence of clots and other problems. This requirement for gradient pressure is also the reason these stockings should be fit to the individual patient so that he or she gets the right amounts of  compression where it is needed. Of course, there are also choices in stockings as to appearance, allowing you to purchase sheer stockings or certain colors as is your preference.