Compression Therapy

SIGVARIS, a popular brand of compression socks, stockings, and leggings has become increasingly involved in athletics and vascular therapy – two of the biggest clinical proven benefits of compression garments.

In the athletic community, SIGVARIS has sponsored David O’Meara in his goal of running 1 mile on each continent in a total time of under 30 minutes. O’Meara succeeded in his goal this month with a completion time of 29 minutes, 25 seconds, proclaiming the benefits of SIGVARIS Athletic Recovery Socks in his venture.

O’Meara is an inspiration to runners and athletes worldwide, teaching others online ways to avoid injury, recover faster and develop strength that can be used in competitive sports.

From the Press Release:

“I have been wearing compression socks for better athletic performance and improved recovery over the last couple of years. The Active Therapy socks from SIGVARIS are absolutely amazing! The socks have helped me increase my running speed and decrease my recovery time. From the airplane to the race, SIGVARIS was an essential piece of equipment for me to succeed in my race around the world,” O’Meara says.

Also in the news, SIGVARIS has joined the National Corporate Round Table for the Vascular Disease Foundation (VDF) to help provide & distribute public awareness and educational programs related to venous disease.

SIGVARIS’s compression leggings are clinically proven to help alleviate or reduce the risks of venous conditions like varicose veins, lymphedema, Deep Vein Thrombosis, and certain types of ulcers.

The VDF’s mission of reducing the mortality and morbidity of vascular diseases before they start is aligned with SIGVARIS’s products, making them an influential voice for venous disease, a condition that affects over 54 million Americans.

Related Links:
David O’Meara
Vascular Disease Foundation Website
Sigvaris Website
Buy Sigvaris Stockings

Experts are saying that regardless if you are flying, taking a train, or driving, travelers are at equal risk for Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT).

There have always been implications of extra risk to those with existing cardiovascular health issues and traveling, including DVT. Oxygen However, with proper care and management, there should be no threat to health on short or medium length travels as long as a few simple precautions are taken:

• Drink plenty of water.
• Avoid drinking alcohol, tea, or coffee. (Diuretics that can enhance dehydration)
• Take a blood thinner.
• Wear compression stockings, such as Jobst, Sigvaris or JUZO.

No adverse circulatory affects were found due to traveling, apart from those with existing conditions. So if you’re in reasonably good health with no venous issues before flying, you’re probably OK. And even if you have DVT, taking these easy steps and precautions when traveling will not only help keep you healthy but make your flight much more comfortable.

Source

A 40-year-old Chinese woman showed up at the hospital with a painfully swollen left leg. She was given an Ultrasound which shows she had Deep Vein Thrombosis, a very dangerous blood clot deep in her leg.

The only physical attribute she had for DVT was the use of birth control, but even then it’s not that common. But then the doctors discovered she was sitting for over 8 hours focusing on a game of mah-jongg, a popular tile game played in China, while sitting near motionless and only drinking soft drinks.

Ultimately, this lead to a similar condition as “economy-class syndrome” that often causes DVT among frequent travelers – sitting in a cramped position for a long period of time, suffering from dehydration and lack of movement. Tack on some extra stress during an intense game of mah-jongg and you’ve got a recipe for DVT.

What did doctors call it? It’s the first case of “Mah-Jongg Related Deep Vein Thrombosis”.

She was treated with compression stockings and blood thinners will recover in full.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/06/health/06glob.html?_r=1

Nothing sounds less fashionable than the long, 12 syllable phrase “Graduated Compression Therapy Stocking”, or the lesser-syllable buy equally arduous “Medical Therapy Stocking” for that matter. Most compression stockings are first designed with comfort in mind, but fortunately, thanks to innovative manufacturing and design, you do not have tosacrifice style when donning your own pair of compression stockings.

Manufacturers of compression therapy products such as Jobst and Sigvaris have many series of stockings and socks available for all interests, combining style and color with therapy that cane be worn casually, professionally, or socially.

Here is a glance at Sigvaris’ line of Compression Therapy products and how they have combined style with comfort and graduated compression therapy:

Casual Wear for Men and Women

146/186 Casual Cotton Series – Modern casual design with 5 colors of graduated compression for style. These socks are rather informal as far as fashion is concerned and come in 15-20mmHg compression.

Sheer Hosiery for Women

120 Sheer Fashion Series – Fits and looks like fashion hosiery in a spectrum of 9 colors, these jersey-knit stockings provide calf-high or thigh-high graduated compression at a15-20mmHg level.

770 Truly Transparent – Attractive stockings designed for comfortable fit for close-fitting garments with the sheer look of hosiery and a lace top. They come in Navy, Black, Suntan, Natural, and Black Mist colors. These stockings come in compression levels from 20-30mmHg to 30-40mmHg.

780 Eversheer Hosiery – Close-knit, soft transparent hosiery with lace-top that breathes easily and fits comfortably against the skin. Eversheer stockings have one of the highest ratings in the industry for Transparency Rate compared to the sheerness of competitor’s stockings. The Eversheer series comes in 20-30mmHg compression.

Dress Socks / Ribbed Socks for Men and Women

145/185 Classic Dress Fashion – Socks are not at the top of the list for fashionable clothing, but socks are also never overlooked. Sigvaris offers 5 colors for women and 6 colors for men’s dress socks, including another series of contemporary ribbed styles for men.

180 Classic Ribbed Series (for Men) – A nylon and spandex graduated compression sock with a contemporary and more formal ribbed design, these socks look and feel good for the office or around town. They come in 6 fashionable colors: White, Navy, Brown, Charcoal, Khaki, and Black and offer a solid 15-20mmHg of compression.

Athletic Socks for Men and Women

144/184 Athletic Recovery Series – Athletic Footwear isn’t really considered “fashionable” so much as “functional”, but when it comes to style, the biggest concern with athletic wear is odor control. Athletic therapy socks from Sigvaris feature latex-free yarns and Freshguard treatments to eliminating most foot odors and allow the feet to breathe, so wherever you’re at, your socks and feet will stay relatively odor-free. Athletic recovery socks come in black and white and a 15-20mmHg compression level.

What are varicose veins and where do they come from?

Anyone can get them – the unsightly, bulging veins in the leg that jut out like a winding road.  Varicose veins are “engorged” veins, swollen and larger because of blood circulating through the leg gathers part of the vein, increasing its size and making it more difficult for that vein to pump blood upward back through the body.

The vales on the vein become deformed, which make it less likely to pump blood.  The pressure combined with this deformation of the vein’s valve engorges the vein.  Enough engorgement creates a “pocket” in the vein that sticks through the skin. This image gives you a visual representation:

Spider veins are smaller versions of Varicose veins, differing in that they are typically close to the surface of the skin.

Varicose veins for most people are cosmetic issue, but they can lead to blood clots and ulcers.  They can be hereditary and caused by a number of health conditions.  You should see your doctor about varicose veins and possible treatment options.

The U.S. National Institutes of Heath reports that crossing your legs for extended periods of time can cause Varicose Veins.  While this is true, for most people, once they experiencing swelling or aching in the legs they’re discouraging them from sitting in that position any longer before damage is done.

While there is no “cure” for varicose veins, there are many ways to treat them.  Discuss options with your doctor.

Generally varicose veins are reabsorbed and corrected with treatment, but they can lead to blood clots or ulcers/sores that form around the ankles or below the knee.

When varicose veins become too engorged, the blood will flow downward (towards the feet) instead of upward as the vein is intended to do.  This downward push of blood adds pressure to smaller veins, creating a high pressure environment on veins that are typically low pressure.

This added pressure can open up these small veins on the skin and push outwards towards the skin, creating a skin condition called stasis dermatitis.  Stasis dermatitis can cause pains, swelling, aches, and restless legs at night.  Eventually, painful ulcers, swelling, and soreness can form on the legs.

A doctor can do an ultrasound examination to check veins and be sure there are not more vein abnormalities in the leg.  They will search for the areas where veins have become malformed and if there is any blockage of blood flow affecting circulation.

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Care and consideration when donning your stockings are key to the effectiveness and maintenance of your compression stockings.  Improper donning and removal can have a negative impact on your health and cause unnecessary skin irritation.  These problems are easily avoiding with good, practical steps.

Here are some tips for putting on your stockings:
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Compression therapy stockings get costly if you’re not maintaining them properly and are frequently replacing them because of holes, runs, tears, or loss of compression.  Good compression therapy stockings will last 3-6 months, depending on the brand and wear and tear.

A few simple cleaning steps dramatically increase the life if your stockings.  Here’s how to care for your stockings, socks, and hosiery to get the most use.
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