Compression Therapy

Compression therapy market exceeds $1.5 billion with steady growth

The US compression therapy market topped $1.5 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow nearly 3% annually through 2030, demonstrating massive and increasing consumer demand for the treatment.

"In the U.S. alone, the market size for compression therapy was over 1.5 billion people in 2023. And that number is projected to grow nearly 3% every single year from 2024 all the way up to 2030."

How pneumatic compression devices work to improve circulation and lymphatic drainage

The hosts explain that pneumatic compression enhances both blood and lymphatic circulation. Improved blood flow delivers more oxygen and nutrients, while enhanced lymphatic drainage helps the body eliminate excess fluids, toxins, and debris.

"It increases both blood and lymphatic circulation, so it helps to improve any condition that would benefit from blood flow or enhanced lymphatic drainage. Why is this? Well, improved blood flow delivers more oxygen and nutrients to the tissue, and enhanced lymphatic drainage assists the body in eliminating excess fluids, toxins, and debris from the body."

Wide range of wellness benefits from compression therapy

Compression therapy delivers a diverse set of benefits including reduced swelling and edema, generalized slimming, detoxification, accelerated post-exercise recovery, pain relief, varicose vein treatment, cellulite smoothing, and enhanced fat reduction results.

"It accelerates post-exercise recovery. It promotes faster healing, both from wounds and healing from a lot of exercise. It provides pain relief. It prevents and treats varicose veins. It smooths cellulite, and it accelerates and optimizes results from fat reduction treatments."

Compression therapy has a 75-year safety track record in medical use

The hosts emphasize that compression therapy has been used safely by medical professionals for more than 75 years, making it a well-established and proven treatment modality.

"its safety is well established. It's been utilized safely by medical professionals for more than 75 years."

Compression therapy devices originated as medical tools for lymphatic drainage

Jenny explains that compression therapy devices like the Balancer Pro originated as medical devices for lymphatic drainage in lymphedema and post-surgical patients, and are also effective for clearing lactic acid in athletes, but questions their value for cosmetic inch-loss claims.

"Turns out, this is basically, these have been used before for medical devices for lymphatic drainage."

Temporary inch loss from compression is possible but short-lived

Jenny notes that while some users see temporary inch loss from water weight after consecutive days of compression therapy, the effect is essentially like shrink-wrapping the legs and does not produce lasting results.

"maybe you'll get, you have to use it a couple days in a row and you'd see some like water loss in inches. And she did see that. And other people do see that. But that's a lot of work to do just for like temporary shrink wrapping of your legs."

First-hand experience with the Balancer Pro compression device

Jenny shares her experience trying the Balancer Pro compression therapy device, which alternates pants and shirt sessions for about 25 minutes each, creating a sequential squeezing sensation from extremities inward.

"you may have seen not only me, but a bunch of other people lately trying out this compression therapy. It's called Bouncer Pro. Jess, you saw it."

All recovery is about moving blood to your core to flush lymphatic waste

Coach Chris explains that all recovery modalities, whether boots, yoga, ice baths, or walking, accomplish the same fundamental goal: moving blood toward your core so it can carry lymphatic waste out for processing. The lymphatic system has no pulse, so it relies on the venous system for transport.

"is we are moving blood to our core. That's it. Because your body, when you train and race and all of you use it, period, travel, it sends a lot of waste into your system. That waste isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the volume of how much it sends is exorbitant. It does a very poor job at regulating the volume. So all of that waste leaves through your lymphatic system, which is in your cords and your central cavity."

Compression can cut recovery time from 48-60 hours down to 12-24 hours

The coaches cite Therabody data showing that compression boots can dramatically reduce recovery time from 48-60 hours of normal drainage to 12-24 hours, which is critical for athletes needing to execute multiple quality training sessions per week.

"if we are looking at somewhere between 48 and 60 hours of normal drainage time without assisted recovery, we can actually get you bounce back in 12 to 24 hours using compression."

When not to use compression boots including blood clot warning signs

The coaches warn that if one leg suddenly becomes much larger than the other, especially in the calf, this could indicate a blood clot. Using compression boots on a blood clot could dislodge it, making this a critical safety contraindication.

"all of a sudden kind of one leg particularly a calf get very big and then the other one looks normal that's a big no no no because that is an indication that you might have a blood clot and the last thing we want you to do is put a compression boot onto a blood clot and dislodge it so if that is the case and you notice that you should just go to the ER instead all right the why why do we do"

Optimal timing and protocol for compression boot use

Getting into compression boots within 60 minutes of finishing a workout is ideal because the venous system is still dilated and ready to flush. Sessions of 30-60 minutes are recommended depending on when you start relative to workout completion.

"Getting into them within 60 minutes of being done is really ideal. Are you still getting benefits end of day? Absolutely. But, you know, ideally it's while your venous system is still nice and open and ready to flush."

Compression stockings combined with exercise outperform exercise alone for lipedema symptoms

The combined compression plus exercise group showed significant improvements in daily function, bruising, and pain at palpation compared to exercise alone, with trends toward reduced ankle swelling and leg heaviness.

"There were significant differences actually between groups for improvements in some symptoms, namely impact on daily function, bruising, and pain at palpation."