Improvement of occupational leg edema and discomforts (RCT)

Area of Science:

• Vascular Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Orthostatic leg complaints, including edema and discomfort, arise from prolonged standing or sitting.
• Compression hosiery is a common intervention to alleviate these symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of two medical below-knee compression stockings (18-20 mmHg) and one low-pressure support stocking (LPSS, 8-10 mmHg) on leg volume and discomfort.
• To assess the wearing comfort of these different stocking types.

Main Methods:

• A randomized, blinded, crossover trial involving volunteers with orthostatic leg complaints.
• Participants wore each stocking type for three consecutive days, separated by washout periods.
• Leg volume was measured using Bodytronic 600®, and comfort/effects were assessed via questionnaires.

Main Results:

• All three stocking types significantly reduced lower leg volume and leg complaints.
• Medical compression stockings (18-20 mmHg) demonstrated significantly greater reduction in leg volume compared to the LPSS (8-10 mmHg).
• Both medical compression stockings offered significantly better fit than the LPSS.

Conclusions:

• Below-knee medical compression stockings (18-21 mmHg) and LPSS (8-10 mmHg) effectively reduce occupational orthostatic edema and associated leg discomforts.
• Medical compression stockings provide superior leg volume reduction and fit compared to LPSS for managing symptoms of prolonged standing/sitting.