What Does Compression Do for a Wound? Mechanism and Benefits
What does compression do for a wound?
The Quick Answer
**Compression therapy** reduces edema by enhancing venous and lymphatic return, decreases capillary filtration pressure, and improves microcirculation to the wound bed. For venous ulcers, it's the cornerstone treatment—reducing recurrence risk from 70% to 15%. Applied at 30–40mmHg at the ankle (graduated upward), it counteracts venous hypertension that prevents healing in 80% of chronic lower extremity wounds.
Why We Ask This
Patients with leg ulcers experience frustrating non-healing despite dressings because underlying venous insufficiency creates persistent edema that starves tissue of oxygen—compression addresses this root cause rather than just managing surface symptoms.
The Practical Science
Compression reduces ambulatory venous pressure from pathological 80–100mmHg to near-normal 30mmHg during walking—enabling capillary exchange that delivers oxygen and removes waste products. Studies show compression increases transcutaneous oxygen tension by 40% within 30 minutes of application.
In Clinical Practice
A patient with a 6-month venous ulcer receives 4-layer compression bandaging changed weekly—within 2 weeks, edema resolves and wound area reduces by 30%; complete closure occurs at 12 weeks versus continued expansion without compression, demonstrating how mechanical intervention restores physiological healing conditions.
References & Context
Wound Care: How Compression Wrapping Helps"Compression wrapping reduces the swelling and keeps blood moving more efficiently in the injured area. All types of compression wraps have the same goal: push out excess fluid and reduce swelling. Leg wounds are the typical candidates for compression wrapping, since gravity makes it hard to move fluid out of the area."