Treating Pain with Compression Therapy

Treating Pain with Compression Therapy

Intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) treatment is a simple and effective way of increasing blood flow in the treated areas, popular among athletes to help relieve pain, soreness, and swelling after training. If you like staying active, aches and pains are almost unavoidable, a compression therapy device can then be very helpful to squeeze the pain right out of your body.

IPC can also treat pain and discomfort caused by many conditions including surgery, golfer’s elbow, arthritis, elbow tendonitis, and lymphedema

How does compression treatment work? 

An Intermittent compression therapy device consists of an air pump that is connected with a sleeve with multiple air chambers. The air pump inflates each chamber gradually and then deflates to squeeze the affected areas to boost blood flow, increase oxygen levels, and pump out the waste.

What conditions can IPC treat?

IPC therapy is commonly used in hospitals to help patients who are recovering from injury or surgery to boost blood flow, relieve pain, and reduce the risk of blood clots.

However, IPC therapy can also provide significant benefits for healthy individuals in their daily life. Healthy individuals often encounter leg venous symptoms such as heaviness, pain and swelling, especially after prolonged standing work, intense or long-durable exercise. A study showed that applying IPC therapy can significantly relieve pain and edema after long-time standing.

Is IPC suitable for Everyone?

IPC is a popular and relatively safe treatment option and provides meaningful benefits for our health, but if any of the following contraindications are present, IPC should not be carried out:

• Uncompensated organ failure
• Untreated DVT
• Severe arterial disease
• Ischemic rest pain
• Untreated would infection
• Patients unable to manage compression therapy due to cognitive impairment, mental health concerns, or unable to put on and remove the garments