Compression Stockings and Socks

Compression stockings and socks are snug, elastic garments that squeeze the leg most at the ankle and a little less further up, which helps blood and fluid travel back towards the heart.¹ They are commonly used for leg swelling (oedema), aching or heavy legs, varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency, and to help stop a venous leg ulcer coming back once it has healed.^1,3 Some people also use them on long flights or when leg symptoms become more noticeable in pregnancy.^3,5 They are not right for everyone, which is why we assess first.

Safety comes first. Compression can be harmful if the blood supply to the legs is poor, so a circulation check usually comes before any stockings are fitted.^1,2 We feel your foot pulses and, where needed, measure an ankle brachial index (ABI), which compares the blood pressure at your ankle with your arm. Compression is not applied when the arterial supply is severely reduced.^1,2 In people living with diabetes the artery walls can stiffen and give a falsely high ankle reading, so a toe pressure may be used as well.² If your circulation is a concern, we will not fit stockings and will refer you to your GP or a vascular service instead. Once the leg is safe to compress, regular wear helps lower the chance that a healed venous ulcer returns,¹ and on long flights stockings may reduce leg swelling and symptomless clots, though they do not remove the risk, and anyone with clot risk factors or leg symptoms should speak with their GP first.⁵

Fitting is done by measuring your legs, ideally in the morning before swelling builds up, and choosing the style (sock, knee-high or thigh-high) and strength, which is measured as pressure at the ankle in millimetres of mercury (mmHg).² A correctly fitted stocking feels firm and snug, not painful. We show you how to put them on and take them off, and when to stop and seek help, such as numbness, severe pain, a change in toe colour or breathlessness.⁴ Most people need two pairs so one can be washed, and stockings usually need replacing about every six months as the elastic wears.^1,2 Stockings sit alongside other care such as walking, calf exercises and looking after your skin.