What exactly are leg compression boots?

In order to get a more comprehensive understanding of what compression boots are, it’s pertinent to first gain an understanding of what compression therapy is. So compression therapy makes use of the application of controlled pressure in the legs, so as to improve the blood flowing through veins and arteries in your legs. Naturally, this improves the blood flow as it makes its way all around the body and ultimately through the heart, at the same time supporting veins to aid in the decrease of any swelling that might occur.

One of the ways through which this compression therapy is achieved is via set of boots known as leg compression boots or air compression boots, of which the manufacture is spearheaded by increasingly recognisable brands such as Normatec, sold through retailers such as RecoverFit.

In addition to leg compression boots, which fall under the pneumatic or mechanical compression devices system, the benefits of compression therapy are contained in compression wraps or compression stockings. While compression stockings lead the way as the most common of the compression therapy modes, wearable compression boots are fast gaining traction, set to lead the way in the near future. That’s just largely due to their effectiveness, all things considered.

So what do leg compression boots do?

We’ve already covered what compression therapy is and, by extension, what leg compression boots as a tool to facilitate compression therapy do. Since it’s naturally something that would still be quite challenging to wrap one’s head around, let’s take a look at the technology’s application with regards to common ailments it’s used to treat.

Think treatment, for any ailment, as it is administered in the hospital environment and how that relates to the subsequent at-home or outbound treatment. That’s the perfect analogy with which a deeper understanding of what compression boots can be attained.

Certain ailments which require compression therapy as one of the effective treatments include the likes of lymphedema, which is swelling in the legs, and it comes with pain. Others include vein problems which need to be managed, the healing of wounds such as ulcers, and the prevention of those blood clots which are known to specifically develop following surgery. This therapy may be combined with lymphedema physical therapy to provide as much relief as possible when dealing with an ailment such as this, however, the consultant will decide which is the best course of action after an assessment.

For these ailments, the best, tried and tested treatment is compression stockings or socks (those interested can check them out here), but now consider what would be required as part of the post medical facility treatment. That’s where production becomes a bit more commercial, with the wide-spread availability of leg compression boot systems.

Compression boots are often used by athletes as well, as more of a preventative tool than a treatment one, enhancing the functionality of the legs in ways that ultimately lead to faster recovery and contributing to injury prevention.

So basically leg compression boots are deployed more proactively than the likes of compression stockings and socks, targeting benefits which are more of an enhancing nature than of a medical treatment nature.

You don’t have to be injured to use leg compression boots, with one of the benefits being faster post-workout muscle recovery.