Compression stocking

Compression stockings are tight clothing designed for medical use that covers the lower legs fully.

Theory

Wearing compression stockings on the lower legs may improve orthostatic intolerance, which is a group of conditions that are very common in ME/CFS patients, and are recognized as a potential symptom in diagnosis according to the most recent CDC criteria.

Orthostatic intolerance (OI) causes ME/CFS symptoms to worsen when the patient stands or sits. is It affected by blood circulation, which may reduce the severity of some cardiac or circulatory symptoms in ME/CFS patients.

Evidence

A small study by van Campen et al. (2022) found that CEP Run 2.0 knee-high lower leg compression stockings, with a closed toe, improved both average cardiac output and blood flow to the brain during a tilt table test in ME/CFS patients. Both cardiac output and cerebral blood flow (CBF) reduce when patients sit or stand, and the compression stockings reduced this effect but made no difference when patients were putting down.

According to the authors of the study, CEP Run 2.0 compression stockings provide 20–25mm Hg of compression.

Costs and availability

Compression stockings are widely available although it is often unclear which stockings have been assessed as appropriate for medical use, and what pressure they provide.

Notable studies

• 2022, Compression Stockings Improve Cardiac Output and Cerebral Blood Flow during Tilt Testing in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Patients: A Randomized Crossover Trial - (Full text)
• 2018, Quantification of the beneficial effects of compression stockings on symptoms of exercise and orthostatic intolerance in chronic fatigue/myalgic encephalomyelitis patients - (Full text)

See also

• Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)
• Orthostatic intolerance
• Orthostatic hypotension
• Tilt table test