What should you know about proxima compression garments?

A compression garment is designed to provide support around an affected limb or body area. The pressure can help limit fluid build-up and may make swelling feel more manageable during movement and daily activities. It does not remove the reason swelling developed, and it is not interchangeable with every sleeve, stocking, wrap, or bandage.

A lymphoedema therapist may assess the shape of the area, skin condition, sensation, circulation, movement, and the way swelling changes through the day. Those details guide the garment style, pressure level, size, and wearing schedule. A garment that bunches, rolls, pinches, slips, or leaves marked colour change needs review rather than being forced into use.

Follow the fitting and wearing instructions given by your clinician. Put the garment on smoothly, without folds, and check the skin after removing it. Keep it clean according to its care instructions so its shape and pressure remain consistent. Gentle movement, prescribed exercises, skin care, and other parts of lymphoedema care may be used alongside compression.

Do not alter the garment, share it, or continue wearing it through new pain or numbness. If you have circulation problems, fragile skin, an infection, or a wound, ask for an assessment before starting compression. The related guidance on Compression Garment and Lymphoedema Therapy can help you prepare for that discussion.

Remove the garment and seek clinical advice if swelling suddenly worsens, the skin becomes hot or increasingly red, or you develop new pain, numbness, tingling, coldness, or unusual colour in the hand, foot, or covered area. Urgent help is needed for severe breathlessness, chest pain, fainting, or sudden one-sided swelling with significant pain.

Ask which body area should be compressed, when to wear the garment, how to put it on, and how to recognise a poor fit. Ask whether swelling, skin changes, medicines, or circulation concerns affect your suitability, and when the garment should be measured or replaced.