Diets, gym memberships and workouts are involved in the plan to reach New Year’s resolutions for many. Looking your best in 2013 should literally start from the ground up, not only by putting on your workout sneakers, but also by choosing what types of socks or stockings you wear on a daily basis. Socks and stockings for both men and women can be used as more than just another accessory by choosing compression socks that can help to improve both your overall health and the appearance of your feet and legs in the long run.
Compression socks have come a long way from their early origins. These socks now come in a wide variety of colors and fabrics that make them hard to distinguish from any other sock. Compression socks can be used in the treatment of venous insufficiency, where blood pools leg veins instead of being efficiently pumped back up to the heart by the leg veins. This disorder affects both men and women and can result in unsightly varicose veins and venous stasis ulcers. Other, less obvious signs of venous stasis disease include swelling of the legs and feet, corona phlebectasica or a pattern of prominent veins along one side of the foot, and dark discoloration of skin just above the ankle area. The lowest part of the legs may also develop an itchy, blistering eczema or skin rash in this condition.
Even in those who do not develop the most serious form of venous stasis, varicose veins are certainly, at the very least, a cosmetic issue that both women and men would like to avoid. Compression stockings help in both the treatment of venous insufficiency by forcing blood to flow and in the prevention of vein disease and varicose veins. When purchasing compression stockings there is some specific criteria you should look for. The compression should be graduated. This means that the socks will be the tightest at the foot and gradually decrease in pressure as you move up the leg. The amount of compression will be indicated on the package in millimeters of mercury, or as “mm Hg”. For individuals looking to prevent varicose veins and vein disease or to treat mild varicose veins and disease, 20-30 mm of Hg will be adequate. If an individual has already developed a venous ulcer, once it is healed, 40-50 mm Hg compression socks should be worn. Before deciding to purchase compression stockings, individuals should always talk to their podiatrist to see if they have any health problems, including diabetic neuropathy in the feet that would preclude the use of compression.
Please visit www.ColumbusFoot.com for more information or call 614-885-3338 (FEET) to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus Podiatry & Surgery is located on the North side of Columbus, Ohio near Worthington.
Columbus Podiatry & Surgery has opened a new location in Gahanna, near Easton. Please call 614-476-3338 (FEET) for an appointment with a podiatrist in Gahanna, OH today.
