Monthly Archives: August 2011

Tips On The Best Compression Socks

Posted by tradrmick on August 29, 2011 Comments Off

When I first started having problems with my swollen foot I bought a compression bandage and wrapped around my foot. This helped to reduce the inflammation somewhat but the real benefit is the reduction of pain. I’m surprised how much compression helps with pain management, it’s more effective than anything else that I tried. Advil didn’t help my situation at all, taking Aleve at night when I went to bed was a little better. But overall, compression and elevating it were the two things that worked best.


Compression bandages work fine on your foot as long as you are going to be sitting or laying around. As soon as you start walking around the layers begin to move around and it’s hard to keep them in place. After using them for a couple days I found it necessary to find a different solution. That’s when I started doing some research on compression socks as there are quite a few different varieties to choose from. The ones I tried first were the Jobst compression socks which are actually dress socks. The toes don’t have any compression so since my toes were swollen I actually cut the toe section off and stitched them up. Since I’m not a fan of knee highs I cut the top section off as well. My wife and kids have been laughing at me all summer because I wear these little black socks all the time. Their favorite is when I wear them at the lake with my Orthotic Sandals, that really makes their day!

The other type of compression socks I found was the compression toe socks which have the individual toes in them.

I found that these worked extremely well at night, but they irritated my feet when I wore them with shoes. That’s why I stuck with my custom black beauties by day and wore the toe socks when I slept at night. I have also been using the toe socks for doing yoga as they had good enough grip whereas most socks are too slippery. Runners use these compression socks after running marathons to keep swelling to a minimum. I must say I like wearing them, they make your legs and feet feel pretty good.

So there you have it, my observations and thoughts regarding the best compression sock solutions for swollen feet and toes. During the day I found the custom crafted dress compression socks to be the most comfortable and effective when wearing shoes and at the compression toe socks were unbeatable.


Turbulence Training

Swollen Feet – Causes and Treatments

Posted by tradrmick on August 11, 2011 Comments Off

Last night I was talking with my neighbor whoi is a Physicians Assistant at the clinic I go to. I was telling her about the 2+ month ordeal I have been going through with my swollen left foot. Ironically, yesterday I woke up with pain in my sciatic nerve again (must’ve slept wrong) and by the end of the day my foot was aching. Her initial reaction was that it could possibly be a pinched nerve or something of that nature. My theory has always been that my sciatic nerve was causing the swelling and due to scar tissue from my snowmobile accident I’m having a hard time clearing out the excess fluid. She seemed to concur that this could be a possibility.


I also told her about all the information I found online regarding swollen feet and how much of it indicated rather serious diseases such as congestive heart failure, renal failure and cirrhosis of the liver. According to her these sites should make it clear that normally any of these would cause swelling in both feet as opposed to one. Swelling in one foot is normally a sign of a localized problem within that foot. The problem can either be vascular in nature causing poor blood circulation or an issue with the lymphatic system which causes lymph fluid to accumulate. Either of these problems can be chronic in nature and if the problem is vascular it may indicate that there are hidden risks elsewhere in the cardiovascular system.

At this point I’ve started to do some yoga as well as stretching exercises but I have to go at it quite lightly. If I try to do too much I immediately feel the pain in my leg and foot. I continue to manage the swelling by using compression socks and by using a liniment at night for my sore ligaments and tendons. I’m not sure exactly where to go from here so I think I will just continue my current course of action for the next several weeks. Light exercise and stretching along with elevating my feet as much as possible seems to be making progress.

If I don’t have a considerable improvement within the next couple months then I’m going to have to tap into our HSA Account and go through a battery of tests including an MRI to see if they can find exactly where the problem lies. If there is scar tissue it would seem to be a good idea to break up that scar tissue using aggressive massage techniques or something of that nature. But I guess until I know exactly what the problem is it’s kind of like fumbling around in the dark!


Turbulence Training

Finally Getting Relief From My Swollen Foot

Posted by tradrmick on August 4, 2011 Comments Off

Good News!! After dealing with a swollen left foot for nearly 2 months I’m finally getting good results. I have been consistently doing a few things that seem to be making a big difference.

#1 – I’m trying to keep my feet elevated while I’m working. It took awhile to get used to this but now it seems much more comfortable than sitting at my desk. I bought a chair and ottoman that work well for sitting in and typing, much better than my old recliner.

#2 – I’m taking the dog on shorter walks and wearing my new walking shoes consistently with the Orthaheel inserts in them.


#3 – I have been wearing compression socks consistently, even when sleeping. This too took a bit of getting used to but honestly they have helped so much I’m considering wearing them consistently on both feet. If you are on your feet a lot during the day, I would definitely give them a try.

#4 – It has become apparent that my swelling was caused by a form of tendinitis and possibly aggravated by scar tissue from a snowmobile accident. At night I’ve been massaging them with fast freeze before putting on my compression sock for the night. This has made a dramatic difference in how my foot feels in the morning, it’s something I will continue to do.

#5 – I have continued with acupuncture treatments which reduced the amount of pain I was feeling. It seems that acupuncture was more effective with controlling the pain and had less effect on the swelling. However my practitioner felt that once the pain was under control the swelling would decrease as well. This may be the case but I still give more credit to wearing the compression sock.

At this point I’m not sure how long I’m going to have to keep up this altered routine, but I’m extremely happy to have increased mobility and reduced pain in my left foot. My sciatic nerve on the left side remains irritated so I’m still convinced that is part of the problem as well. I’ve been doing a couple different stretches that loosen up my hips and buttocks. I found this picture online of my favorite stretch, it really targets the area that hurts (hip socket).

As soon as I feel my foot is ready I’m going to start doing the P90X yoga routine a couple times per week. I used to do this routine whenever my back bothered me and it’s an incredible workout. I tried it when my foot first started bothering me but my foot was unable to take the strain and would swell up like a balloon afterwards.

It has not been an easy time of year to stay off my feet especially since ND summers tend to be short. At least now it feels like it is worth it since the swelling is subsiding and the pain in my foot is much more manageable. All I can say is “Don’t Ignore Pain And Swelling In Your Foot”! I should’ve addressed it right away instead of ignoring it until it became unbearable. The longer you let it go the harder it will be to get it back under control. Letting it go too long can also risk damage to the nerves which can cause long term issues, so be proactive when it comes to managing the pain and swelling.


Turbulence Training