Why do Sports Professionals Wear GC Tech Medical Grade Compression Socks?

This has traditionally been worn to prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis during long haul flights and travel (sometimes known as a flight sock). Compression has been known to help with reducing the risk of developing DVT during flights but also has been known to aid injury and swelling for hundreds of years. The refinements associated with medical grade compression have been used for over 30 years to treat varicose veins and ulcers. Numerous trials have been performed over this time and recently all UK NHS hospitals became legislated to fit anyone who has any risk of DVT with medical grade compression socks.

As the technology has matured compression products have begun to reach the High St. Cyclists, joggers and other amateur sports participants have taken their lead from the word of professional sports, where compression socks are used extensively in the preparation of athletes and players. GC Tech is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of compression socks for the sports sector and we asked its Medical Director, Dr. Akbar de Medici to answer some basic questions about compression socks and why professional sports men and women use them. Dr de Medici explains: ‘Elite sports people need to be in the best condition possible to perform at the highest level. I have worked with over 2,000 elite sports people (England Football, Manchester United, UK Athletics, England Rugby, World top ten golfers etc) and their associated medical support staff and have explained the benefits of GC Technology. We now have 1,000’s of regular professional users who wear the product for travel (reduce DVT risk, reduce swelling), performance and recovery.’

When asked to explain in a little more detail how they work he said ‘The socks squeeze the whole lower leg with the greatest pressure on the ankle and less at the calf. This principal helps with blood flow returning to the heart, however this principal also has many other benefits including increased pressure at the ankle (which means any extra fluid at the ankle is pushed up and out of the leg), this is fantastic for ankle sprains and any form of ankle swelling. Other benefits include pressure graduated compression at the calf which means that any swelling in the calf (calf tears etc) is supported and cleared faster.

There are many types of compression sock on the market but very few can claim to deliver Medical Grade compression. The GC Tech socks were developed by surgeons at UCLB and that is why they have become the choice for elite athletes both here and abroad. Dr. de Medici explains: ‘How you squeeze the muscles in your lower leg is a key principal to understand. As doctors we have realised the calf is the ‘second heart’, it is responsible for returning blood back to the heart from your legs through the deep veins, against the effects of gravity. Supporting the calf and the veins of the leg on the outside with the right pressure will help them do their job in a more efficient way. This is how medical grade compression works. It is made to a very specific standard and designed to exert more pressure at the ankle and about 20% less pressure at the calf – this is known as GRADUATED COMPRESSION (GC Technology). This is the proven standard used in the medical profession to help blood flow out of your legs. Thus all of our compression socks contain GC Tech and you have to measure your ankle and calf to make sure you get just the right sock for you. Other types of compression do not have any of these standards, they are made like normal socks and are often based on shoe sizes thus you don’t know how much pressure they are putting on your leg and thus there is no guarantee of their effectiveness.

Press Contact:
Barrington Bent
The Compression Advisory Ltd
30 Dulwich Rd
London SE24 0PA
+44 (0)20 7326 0900
info@evexcomp.com
http://www.evexcomp.com/for-sport.asp