At Mariposa Boutique, we help a lot of people with compression for a variety of needs. One of the comments we often hear them make before they even leave is “Wow, it feels so good!”
Why Compression Feels Good
Blood and lymphatic fluid flow throughout our body. Ideally these fluids will flow all the way to our hands and feet and then back to our heart and out again. This circulatory process happens continuously without us even realizing it. Until something happens to get in the way. Something as simple as pressure changes during air travel can cause swelling in lower legs and feet. And something more complex like disease or damage can cause swelling in any body part. Swelling is uncomfortable at best and can contribute to more serious health issues at worst. Graduated compression garments help keep swelling down and improve the flow of blood and lymphatic fluid. And this most often feels so good!
What is a "Graduated" Compression Garment?
This simply means that the greatest amount of pressure is at the ankle or wrist. The pressure decreases as the garment goes up the arm or leg. The effect this has on the fluid flow is to push it back towards the heart. But not all garments are graduated. Some, like compression camisoles, will deliver equal pressure throughout the garment. There are so many unique garments available. We discuss a sampling of these on our compression page at: Compression Garments.
Who Should Wear Compression Garments?
We always recommend that you consult with your primary care doctor or a specialist if you have any health concerns (DVT, skin ulcers, varicose veins) that are leading you to consider compression. If you don’t have a health concern, but maybe you work at a job where you are on your feet the entire workday, then even a low level (15-20mmHg) of compression could possibly help your legs feel less achy and tired at the end of the day. Or if you travel by air, graduated compression stockings could possibly help keep swelling down in your legs. Or maybe you are an extreme sport athlete who wants help with post-exercise muscle recovery (see https://simplifaster.com/articles/compression-garments-performance-recovery/ for info on this).
Regardless of the reason you have for considering compression, we can talk to you about the wide range of available options and help you get the perfect fit for you, so you leave Mariposa saying “Wow, it feels so good!”