Compression Therapy for Medical Conditions & Athletic Performance

Humans have used compression therapy to help heal wounds or inflammation since ancient times.
Today, different grades of compression stockings are available, ranging from over-the-counter support hose to prescription devices. The severity and type of your condition determine the amount of compression you need.
Compression therapy is found to be most effective when you combine it with movement.
When you walk and activate your calf muscles, compression helps “pump” blood back to your heart. This combo can reduce swelling in the legs.
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Compression therapy is well researched and has proven benefits in providing relief and preventing more serious problems. Some benefits include:
prevention of leg swelling for people who stand or sit for long periods of time, like during a long flight
Doctors mainly prescribe compression therapy for “venous disease and lymphatic disease, sometimes with overlying congestive heart failure,” Dr. David G. Armstrong, professor of surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, tells Healthline.
Below are some common conditions treated with compression therapy.
Chronic venous insufficiency
One of the common conditions treated with compression therapy is poor blood flow, known as chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Research from 2014 estimates CVI affects about 25 to 40 percent of women and 10 to 20 percent of men.
“Most compression garments are below-knee and closed-toe,” Armstrong says. “These are what we usually recommend for most patients. The level of compression depends on the degree of disease… or the ability for the patient to apply the stocking.”
“The good news here,” Armstrong says, “is that there are several kinds of ‘donning aids’ that help to make it a little easier to apply the compression socks.”
Aids range from rubber or silicone gloves that give you a super grip to pull your stockings up to wire frames that hold the stocking open while you slip your foot in.
Katherine Jackson, MHS, the lymphedema program coordinator at NorthShore Rehab Services in Evanston, Illinois, tells Healthline that “if stockings are too hard to don/doff, many patients will choose Velcro strapping–containment systems as an alternative.”
Types of compression aids
Click on a link to see an example for each type of aid. You’ll be taken to an online store for medical supplies:
Compression stockings and garments for athletes have become increasingly popular. Compression therapy is thought to improve performance, reduce soreness after exercise, and reduce the risk of blood clots.
Research studies show mixed results. One of the difficulties in measuring benefits is that athletes use many types of stockings and other garments with different levels of compression.
A 2015 review of 24 randomized controlled studies found that there were benefits during recovery after exercise when people wore compression garments during the exercise.
This was the case for different levels of compression. The study authors noted it’s not known yet why this happens.
A 2019 study found positive effects on performance and on recovery from wearing compression tights during exercise. Study authors noted the mechanism is unclear.
“There are many people who wear compression garments to support their legs during athletic activity,” Armstrong says.
“Most of the evidence I’m aware of to support faster recovery or reduced soreness is not as strong as what we’ve discussed above [for medical uses of compression therapy]. However, I would say that ‘your mileage may vary,’” he explained.
Using compression therapy for sports
Many elite and amateur athletes incorporate compression therapy after performance with a pressure device.
According to a 2014 article by a sports physiologist who directed the U.S. Olympic Committee Recovery Center in Colorado, compression therapy might help recovery without the need for ice or stretching. (More research is needed to explore this claim, though.)
One of the early companies involved in athletic compression therapy is Norma-tec. Its compression garment resembles a space suit and sells for around $1,000 for a legs-only version. The full-body version costs about $1,900.
Before you purchase a compression device for home use, try one out first. The following places may have one you can try:
physical therapy clinic
gym
chiropractic office
recovery or cryotherapy center
Retail compression services
Compression device businesses, such as Cryofit or Restore, have franchises across the country that offer memberships, similar to those at a gym.
Here’s what you can expect:
Therapy. The compression device is used for about 30 minutes at a time. You’ll sit in a lounge chair with your legs elevated. Depending on the type of device, you’ll feel a pulsing of pressure and then release.
Cost. You can purchase a membership, typically around $300 per month, that will allow you to use the compression machine daily. The cost may vary by geographic location.
“Most frequently this is when a person has significant enough disease to where the compression applied from a garment might impede flow. That is why it is so important for someone who has swelling to work with a team of clinicians — like their family doc, podiatric surgeon, vascular surgeon, cardiologist, and other organ-specific specialties,” Armstrong explains.
“It doesn’t stop there, though,” Armstrong adds. “Physical therapy and nursing are two other critical clinicians that can help get you into the right device at the right time.”
When to avoid
If any of the following apply to you, avoid compression therapy altogether, or speak to your doctor first:
If you stand up all day at work or sit at a desk all day, compression stockings can be a big help in keeping you pain-free and comfortable.
You don’t need a prescription for mild compression stockings or compression socks.
But if you have a vein disease or a condition that puts you at risk for CVI, DVT, or lymphedema, see your doctor to get proper treatment.
You may also want to explore other medical possibilities, such as lymphatic drainage therapy.
If you’re an athlete or dancer and want to boost your performance and recovery, compression therapy may help. You can wear a compression garment when you perform, or after exercise.
Last medically reviewed on July 21, 2020
How we reviewed this article:
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