Compression therapy has been a mainstay in medical practice for years. It’s a method of healing cited in popular first-aid acronyms (remember RICE?), and in products that integrate compression therapy, found in any drug store. You can buy anything from wraps, arm or leg sleeves and even full-leg stockings that claim to speed up recovery and deliver impressive benefits. There’s no doubt it’s a popular way to heal an injury or recover — but does it actually work? Let’s find out why compression therapy has such staying power in our society.
Where did compression therapy come from?
The use of compression can be traced back to at least the mid-1800s as a way to prepare patients before surgery and prevent hemorrhaging. After becoming established as a way to treat wounds, the use of compression picked up steam as a way to treat other acute injuries like ankle sprains. Elastic bandages became a popular way to give support to injured limbs or joints and were being produced in America by the early 1900s.
These days, compression is used in ways that extend beyond wound care and first-aid protocol. Products have become much more advanced than your standard elastic bandage!
How does compression therapy help healing?
The basics of compression therapy start with the goal of increasing blood circulation. Everyone stands to benefit from increased circulation — from hobby walkers to elite athletes. Compression therapy is often used to help people with poor circulation caused by underlying conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. In these situations, compression helps prevent serious issues like blood clots and edema by applying pressure to open up blood vessels and get blood moving back to the heart.
Beyond helping people with chronic conditions, compression therapy helps promote healing with people who are injured, sore or simply looking to recover quickly after exercise. Compression products like Strive wraps help people get back to active lifestyles by applying pressure to blood vessels, causing them to open up and flush out toxins like lactic acid that build up after a workout. It can also encourage healing to an injured limb by reducing inflammation and encouraging blood flow that in turn encourages damaged soft tissue to heal faster.
Strive’s compression wraps are unique in that they are the only products that also incorporate far-infrared therapy. This advanced form of healing captures your body’s naturally emitted radiation back into the injured muscle or joint for an even more powerful method of healing.
What are some compression therapy benefits?
Now that we’ve covered how compression therapy assists with healing, let’s go over some of the ways that healing can benefit your life. By adding a compression product like a Strive wrap to your recovery routine, you can expect some of the following benefits:
- Faster recovery time after working out
- Reduced inflammation and swelling
- Increased range of motion
- Decreased soreness in muscles and joints
- Effective measure for injury prevention
What injuries and conditions can compression therapy help with?
No matter your injury, it’s likely that adding compression products to your recovery routine can help boost healing and ease pain through improved blood flow.
- Muscle strains
- Joint sprains
- Carpal tunnel
- Tendinitis
- Arthritis
- Lower back pain
- Edema
- Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)
- Varicose veins
How can I use compression therapy?
Compression products come in many shapes and forms. If you’re an athlete, you might be familiar with compression socks or sleeves as a method of speeding up recovery or optimizing performance. You might also recognize compression stockings as a way to help older adults treat age-related conditions.
The compression garments you choose will depend on your lifestyle, how serious your injury or condition is, and how much mobility and customization you’ll want out of the product. Strive’s compression wraps are the only ones to incorporate sophisticated far-infrared technology to speed up healing even more — all while letting you choose the optimal level of compression. Here are some popular compression options to consider:
- Socks: Commonly used to help treat varicose veins, socks also are widely used by athletes like runners to help recover quickly and provide better circulation while working out. Circulation is promoted throughout the entire lower leg from toe to knee.
- Sleeves: Offer targeted pressure on the calf and shin area, and are also a favorite of endurance athletes. These are a great option for people who have recurring shin splints or calf pain.
- Wraps: While sleeves and socks are sized and shaped for common aches and pains, wraps are more adjustable. Strive’s wraps are made with medical-grade material and also incorporate advanced far-infrared healing, making it the only wrap of its kind. They offer targeted healing toward a specific injured joint or muscle, unlike the other options.
Start Healing With Compression Therapy
How you add the benefits of compression therapy in your life is up to you! It’s important to consider how you want to recover — do you want to be able to move around while wearing compression garments? And do you want to be in control of the amount of pressure applied to your injured or sore body part? If so, a Strive compression wrap may be the best fit for you. Available in either 4” or 6” wraps (with thumb, wrist, and lower-back-specific products also available), you can apply healing on the go, on your own terms. Strive’s wraps are the only wraps on the market that integrate far-infrared therapy — learn how this unique method of healing can add more to your recovery routine … and then try it for yourself!