Compression Stockings After a Deep Vein Clot

After a leg clot, a pair of compression stockings may be part of the plan. This page explains what they are for and what to ask.

Stockings are one of the few steps in this journal that a clinician starts you on, and then you carry on at home. A public overview of venous thromboembolism from a government health institute explains the condition they follow.

What the stockings do

Cleveland Clinic says elastic compression stockings can improve or get rid of leg swelling. It also explains that the stockings squeeze your calf muscles to improve blood flow in your veins. The idea is simple to picture, and a Cleveland Clinic guide to deep vein thrombosis covers where stockings fit among other treatments.

Who decides, and for how long

Cleveland Clinic says your provider may recommend you wear compression stockings. Length of use is worth asking about early. Cleveland Clinic says some people need to wear these for two years or more. If you were given stockings after a clot, ask how long your own plan runs. More on what can follow a clot is in the Cleveland Clinic page on post-thrombotic syndrome.

Cost, skill and fit

The sources used here do not give a price or a fitting method, so those are questions for the person who recommends the stockings. Ask what strength you need, how to put them on, and where to buy a pair that fits. Wearing the right pair correctly is the whole skill involved.

When to stop and ask

If the leg becomes more painful, swells more, or the stockings feel wrong, take them to a clinician and ask rather than adjusting on your own. A public health agency page on blood clots gives general background on blood clots.