How do compression stockings move blood up the leg?
A product sheet may say stockings "improve circulation" and stop there. The desk read one source passage on how that is meant to work.
The mechanism passage from Vein Directory
The named source, Vein Directory, says: "Pressure is applied tightest around the lower leg, with less pressure applied as the stockings go up the leg. This helps to milk blood up the leg and towards the heart."
Read literally, the pressure is not even. It is tightest around the lower leg and eases as the stocking goes up. The sentence says this "helps to milk blood up the leg and towards the heart".
What the wording leaves open
"Helps" is the key word. The passage does not claim the stocking moves blood by itself or that the effect is the same for every leg. It gives no pressure figures, no sizing guidance and no reason a given pair would suit your leg.
The passage describes the design. It does not describe what your veins need. The full Vein Directory guide sits around it. For how instructions are worded after a vein treatment, see the plastic surgery society's recovery page and the recovery guide.
What to ask before you buy or sign
- What pressure level is on this product, and why was it chosen for me?
- Who measured my leg for size?
- How will I know if the fit is wrong?
The desk's note
A line about how a stocking is built cannot tell you whether it is right for your legs. The person who examined you in Oak Lawn can.