Medical compression therapy applies a type of elastic device on limbs or other body parts to exert a controlled pressure on them. Thereby, the device squeezes the vein walls together and improves the circulatory rate. Medical compression also helps with reduction of edema and recreates conditions beneficial for the healing of chronic inflammatory disorders.

Heavy, tired, aching legs? Swollen feet and ankles? This can be an early sign of a venous disorder. You may experience the symptoms in the evenings, after sitting or standing all day. Often they get worse during summer at high temperatures. Take care of your leg health from the moment your legs start to feel incomfortable, and talk to your health care professional. The recommended standard treatment for your leg health: medical compression.

When sitting for long periods of time, the risk of thrombosis increases. This serious condition is also known as “traveler's thrombosis” or “economy class syndrome” and refers to a blood clot formation in the deep leg veins caused by prolonged sitting with bent legs and restricted leg mobility while traveling by plane, bus, train, or car.

Under normal conditions, the leg muscles serve as a pump system that supports the venous return from the feet to the heart. If leg movement is limited, the activity of the leg muscle pumps is restricted and the blood starts to stagnate in the leg veins. This increases the risk for the development of a thrombotic event. This risk is further increased due to prolonged sitting which leads to a compression of the leg veins.

Traveler's thrombosis is a serious condition that needs immediate medical attention. In the worst cases, blood clots will detach and migrate to the lungs, resulting in a pulmonary embolism (PE), a potentially fatal event.

Compression wear can help prevent leg symptoms, like tired, heavy, and swollen legs, and traveler's thrombosis.

Compression stockings are for grandmothers

For many people, medical compression stockings evoke an unshakeable image of the «varicose vein stockings» their grandmothers wore. Advancements in technology have led to a true aesthetic revolution. These days, you almost forget the stockings have any medical purpose. While they remain as effective as ever, they are now much more up to date with contemporary hosiery. Modern medical compression stockings are also comfortable, which is vital to the success of the treatment.

Compression wear makes you feel too hot

Hot weather makes venous disorders worse. At a time when they need compression stockings the most, many patients stop wearing them. By improving circulation, medical compression stockings provide great relief, as well as an immediate feeling of lightness.

Compression garments are a nightmare to get on

Medical compression stockings should not be put on like normal stockings because they are made differently than traditional hosiery. They are designed to be tightest at the ankle and decrease in compression going up the leg to promote upward blood flow. There are donning aids ((link to “medical how to donning aids” for simple stocking application and removal should you need extra help.

The knee brace is constructed with a soft, breathable nylon/spandex blend with a strong fastener system and silicone nonslip strips. The removable spring splints are made with lightweight aluminum.

Using a fabric tape measure, wrap the tape measure around the middle of the kneecap to measure.

Yes! The knee brace allows a full range of motion for comfortable use during everyday activities, including running, exercise and more.

Yes! The knee brace stabilizes and supports the knee to aid in injury recovery, including sprains, tendonitis, hyperextension and other knee injuries.

Yes! The knee brace provides pain-relieving support for arthritic knees.

Yes! The knee brace can be worn over regular and slim-fitting clothing.

This is an adjustable fit brace. The knee brace adjusts to fit knee circumferences up to 20” (measure around the knee).

Yes! The knee brace is latex-free.

To wash the knee brace first remove all four spring splints and set aside. Fasten both straps to ensure they do not snag other articles of clothing. Machine wash in cold water with like colors. Allow to air dry completely before replacing the spring splints.

The knee brace is a single brace that can be worn on the left or right knee.

The knee brace measures 8.43" from top to bottom.

Medicare and most private health insurance companies do offer coverage for this treatment option. Consult Medicare or your insurance carrier to verify coverage.

Yes, braces can be worn underneath clothing, but an undershirt is recommended next to skin for enhanced comfort.

Use a mild soap and water to clean the brace by hand. Rinse thoroughly and pat out any excessive moisture. Allow to air dry completely. Do not use bleach, harsh chemicals or machine wash/dry.

Your physician may use braces for various reasons. For common indications, refer to the Spine Application sheet.

Men

Sizes: 7–12, 13, 14

Widths: Medium, Wide, Extra Wide

Women

Sizes: 5–10, 11, 12

Widths: Medium, Wide, Extra Wide

It's important to note that all shoe manufacturers use their own lasts to construct their footwear. As a result, the continuity of fit from one manufacturer to the next can be very inconsistent. At Anodyne, we designed our shoes to fit fuller in the instep and toe box, relative to other diabetic shoe companies, in order to better accommodate a thicker orthotic and any potential swelling. Nonetheless, our shoes, in general, fit slightly larger than our competitors' do. Please see our fitting tips below, based off of recommendations from our in-house Pedorthic team.

Regular care and cleaning will ensure a longer lifespan for your shoes.

Use a damp cloth to clean dirt and grime off of shoe upper and outsole and allow to dry.
For leather shoes – soften, condition, and replenish leathers and color, by applying our own Anodyne Leather Conditioner (or a comparable leather cream or conditioner approved by your footcare specialist). Conditioner should be applied evenly with a clean, dry cloth.
The shoe lining and insert can be cared for by spraying our Anodyne Anti-microbial Protectant (or a comparable cleaner approved by your footcare specialist).
For future protection of shoes, we recommend using our Anodyne Stain Shield to help repel water and avoid staining.

Never put shoes in the washing machine.

Just like most other shoes, you will want to take some time to break in your new shoes before wearing full time. Here are our instructions:

In the comfort of your own home, put your shoes on and walk around for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
After the short wear, remove your shoes and socks, and examine your feet to make sure there are no signs of irritation, redness or dark spots. The mirror sticker on the inside of your Anodyne shoe box will help with this.
Wear your shoes indoors a few hours a day over the next couple days, while continually checking your feet for signs of irritation.
Once you feel comfortable that your new shoes aren't causing any issues, go ahead and begin wearing them outside, full-time.
It is very important to continue to perform daily exams on your feet during and after the break-in process.

In the event that there is ever any irritation, redness, or darks spots on your feet during or after the break-in process, discontinue wear of your shoes and contact your foot care specialist immediately. If you're a Medicare beneficiary, you may have received three pairs of heat moldable or custom inserts to last you the year. Thus, your inserts should be swapped out every four months.

In relation to other diabetic footwear companies, our shoes run a half size to a full size bigger. Based on a standard brannock or our foot measuring device, we recommend the following sizing:

If in-between sizes, round down to the nearest ½ size.
If in-between widths, round down to the smaller width.

While following these tips will help you select the best size/width combination, it's very important to use one of our fitting centers to actually try the shoes on the patient. All of our shoes are made on the same last, so they should fit virtually the exact same, no matter what style the patient tries on.

Below are our recommended width conversions for our shoes.

Men's shoes

Medium: C, D
Wide: E, EE
Extra Wide: EEE, EEEE+

Women's shoes

Medium: B, C
Wide: D, E
Extra Wide: EE, EEE+

Each of Anodyne’s diabetic shoes and inserts are reviewed by a PDAC (Pricing, Data Analysis and Coding) contractor and have been confirmed to meet Medicare requirements.