Hours of standing and walking take a toll on your legs. By the end of a long shift, many nurses have heavy, aching, swollen legs. Compression socks are one of the simplest things you can try, and there’s reasonable evidence they help.
Imagine peeling off your shoes after a 13-hour shift. Your ankles are puffy, your sock lines are pressed deep into your skin, and your calves throb. You put your feet up and it eases, only to start again tomorrow. A colleague swears by her compression socks. You wonder whether they’re a gimmick or genuinely worth it.
How compression socks work
Graduated compression socks are tightest at the ankle and gradually looser up the leg. This gentle squeeze helps the veins and muscles push blood back up towards the heart and reduces fluid pooling in the lower legs.
What the evidence says
Studies in people who stand for long periods, including nurses and other healthcare workers, have found that compression stockings can reduce leg swelling, aching and tiredness at the end of a shift. They’re also used to help prevent and manage varicose veins and to reduce the risk of blood clots on long flights. They don’t fix existing varicose veins, though.
Choosing the right pair
- Pressure: for everyday shift wear, light to moderate compression (around 15 to 20 mmHg) is common. Higher levels should be advised by a healthcare provider.
- Size: measure your ankle and calf in the morning, before swelling starts, and follow the brand’s chart. The wrong size can dig in or not work.
- Length: knee-high is usually enough for work.
- Material: breathable fabrics are more comfortable for long shifts.
Put them on first thing in the morning, smooth out any wrinkles, and replace them every few months as they lose elasticity.
But who shouldn’t wear them without advice?
Check with a doctor or nurse first if you have poor circulation in your legs (peripheral arterial disease), diabetes with numb feet, fragile skin, heart failure or skin conditions on your legs. Stop wearing them and get advice if they cause pain, numbness, skin marks or colour changes. And get urgent help for one swollen, painful, red or warm calf, which could be a blood clot.
Your next step: Measure your ankle and calf tomorrow morning and try one properly fitted pair for a week of shifts. Score your leg aching out of 10 at the end of each shift, with and without, and see the difference for yourself.
Sources: NHS (Compression stockings), US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (standing at work), Society for Vascular Surgery, Cochrane review of compression stockings for preventing DVT in airline passengers. This article is for general information and does not replace advice from your own nurse, doctor or pharmacist.
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