The feet are the most neglected part of the body, but it is one of the most significant body parts of mobility. Even when there’s pain, we tend to neglect it so long as the pain is tolerable. But have you given any thought to taking good care of your feet, especially when you are already feeling pain?
But before putting on a pair of compression socks, you have to know that these socks are not intended for every foot ache or pain. There are certain kinds of pain on the feet that compression socks ease or alleviate.
1. Why Does Compression Help Pain?
The ingenuity behind compression socks merely applies compression or pressure at the ankle, legs, and feet. That applied pressure in those areas will provide immediate relief and comfort to painful feet and legs.
But before elaborating on how compression helps, we need to know what occurs on the lower extremities whenever there’s pain and swelling.
The human body has veins or blood vessels all throughout the body. These veins are channels where blood flows, bringing oxygen, hormones, and nutrients. The blood circulates in a single direction through the veins.
Whenever stress is heavy or prolonged at the lower extremities, the veins tend to dilate, disrupting blood flow. This disruption can cause swelling, fatigue, pain, and even spider or varicose veins.
By wearing compression socks, stockings, or sleeves, the pressure squeezes the muscle tissues, which helps the blood vessels return to their normal size. Compression socks then:
2. Do Compression Socks Help Flat Feet?
To answer the question if compression socks can help with flat feet, the plain answer is, “yes, it can.” But have you determined if you have flat feet? If not, you can read further and check for yourself if you have flat feet.
First of all, being flat-footed is largely genetically inherited. However, there may be other causes that can alter the arch under your feet. Here are some possible reasons:
Why is it called flat feet, then? A normal foot has an arch at the middle section, if you haven’t noticed. If the arch is shallow or almost flat that the whole foot can touch the floor, it is a case of a flat foot.
Infants have flat feet, and it develops between two and three years old. During that age, the ligaments and tendons at the feet tighten. However, if the tightening doesn’t fully occur, it will result in flat feet. This condition is usually uncomfortable and sometimes painful, especially when you jog, walk or run, so it would be great if you get support to relieve these symptoms.
There are also different types of flat feet; these are:
- Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction is caused by an injury or damage to the tendon that connects the ankle to the calf muscle. The pain is usually inside the foot and in the ankle area.
- Flexible Flat Foot is a common type of flat foot. Flexible flat feet are not painful. However, you will notice that the arch only appears when you lift your foot off the ground.
- Tight Achilles Tendon. The tendon that connects the heel to the calf muscle is called the Achilles tendon. It causes pain or swelling at the heel when you walk or run.
Compression socks help flat feet by supporting the arch and keeping the blood circulation properly. This will lessen the pain, if there’s any, and will ease muscle fatigue, especially at the heel and ankle area.
Doctors and trainers would usually recommend wearing compression sleeves for flat feet for better support and relieving pain, discomfort, and swelling.
3. Why Do Compression Socks Hurt My Feet?
Compression socks shouldn’t hurt your feet at all. It should provide you comfort and alleviate your feet from stress. If your feet hurt when you wear them, then there may be something wrong with the pair you bought.
Remember, if the socks are too tight, it ain’t right. Do not treat compression socks as ordinary socks. If you do, it can lead to a medical problem such as developing a deep vein thrombosis — for sure, you wouldn’t want your blood to clot.
Another possibility is that you are wearing them for too long. Wearing compression socks until you go to bed is not recommended. It may strain your feet if you wear them longer, and it can also interfere with proper blood circulation. If that happens, you would really feel discomfort, pain, swelling, and cramps.
Finally, as you wear compression socks, or even before deciding to buy a pair, be sure to check your symptoms and which level and type of compression socks you need. Compression socks are support garments that should help you physically and not torture you while wearing them.
Do your research first, or better yet, visit your doctor for a proper recommendation of compression socks.
Unisex
8-15 mmHg