Gopika Sharma

Let bracing keep you active: Persistent knee, ankle, or wrist pain can be debilitating. Imagine being able to reduce your pain, promote recovery and get back to doing the things you love.

Compression stockings, also known as compression socks, are specially made socks that fit tighter than normal so they gently squeeze your legs. Wearing them helps improve your blood flow and reduces pain and swelling in your legs. They can also lower your chances of getting deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a kind of blood clot, and other circulation problems. They come in different lengths and tightness, and you can get compression sleeves, which don't have feet. Medical compression sleeves for the arm, leg and thigh are designed with therapeutic compression (20-30 mmHg compression level), which gradually decreases as it goes toward the body. This clinically proven design helps promote circulation and allows muscles to receive an increased supply of oxygen to help them perform more effectively and regenerate quicker. Blood circulation is effectively stimulated, which warms the muscles to help protect against injury, yet the fabric is extremely lightweight and provides a temperature- and moisture-regulating effect. The gentle compression reduces uncomfortable muscle vibrations, thus preventing premature fatigue. You can buy them over the counter, but if your doctor prescribes them, your insurance may cover the cost.

A custom orthotic is a device designed to align the foot and ankle into the most anatomically efficient position. They look like insoles, but are biomechanical medical appliances that are custom made to correct your specific foot imbalance. They are usually covered by numerous insurance providers!