Compression sleeves are used as therapeutic garment designed to apply pressure on the hand, arm, and trunk. It helps to reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation. In addition, it stimulates the blood circulation, supplies warmth to tissues and muscles. The applied pressure on the lymphatic vessels located under the skin surface allows the lymph to move in the precise direction.
The gloves when worn provide steady pressure without getting too tight to cause irritation or restrict the user’s dexterity. There are two kinds of sleeves.
- Day time sleeves – A strong flexible tube-shaped fabric that pulls out and reaches almost to your shoulder. As it moves up its tightness gradually decreases. This supports lymph flow up the arm to auxiliary nymph nodes
Daytime sleeves are not only available in flesh tone colors but also in every colorful style and prints. Fabric used to design the sleeves is made from latex or wool.
- Nighttime sleeves – To control the symptoms, the therapist recommends you to wear nighttime compression sleeves. They are large and bulky in comparison.
Night time sleeves are made of padded material and foam. An outside straps are included to adjust to provide the correct amount of compression.
Night time sleeves are more expensive than daytime gloves. If you are recommended to use compression sleeve round the clock, ask the therapist, which one to wear at night because some believe it is ok to wear daytime sleeve overnight.
Sleeves are classified on the basis of pressure on the limb ranging from low to high.
- Class 1 sleeves applies 20 to 30 mmHg pressure
- Class 2 sleeves exerts 30 to 40 mmHg pressure
- Class 3 sleeves puts on 40 to 50 mmHg pressure
- Class 4 sleeves supplies 50 to 60 mmHg pressure
(Class 3 & 4 supply high ranges of pressure and are specially customized)
Application of Compressed Sleeves
Lymphedema is the main disorder, which uses compression sleeves as an element of treatment. Due to the vulnerability of body’s lymphatic system there is retention of fluid and swelling of tissue in extremities like hands. Doctors recommend patients to wear compression gloves on the hand that is affected. It has to be worn daily, during physical activity.
Arthritis is another health disorder that causes swelling, stiffness, and pain in the hands. Wearing a compression sleeve that supplies constant pressure all through the day helps to lessen the pain the hand. It improves your hand motion, which can often be strictly limited because of arthritis joints.
Valuable Tips
- Suppliers of edema compression sleeves online provide custom fit gloves. Improper fitting can worsen your hand pain applying more or less pressure on the affected area. This can cause fluid retention to worsen.
- Buy two sleeves, so that you can rotate them for washing.
- Choose sleeves with outside seams or without seams (seamless) for comfortable fit.
- Sleeve with open fingers allow users to work easily.
- Overtime compression sleeves lose stretchiness, so after 3 to 6 months replace them regularly.
- Never apply moisturizer on the hand and arm, before you wear the sleeve. The ingredients are capable to harm the sleeve’s elastic fibers.
- Sleeves of same class can differ depending on manufacturer. Remember this when you are thinking of switching brands.
There are more compression options available today, which means more strategy to build up a treatment routine.
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