Your shift is over, and when you pull off your shoes, your socks have left deep lines around both ankles. The legs under them feel heavier than they did this morning, after a day spent standing in one place. Standing for long periods commonly leads to some swelling in the feet and ankles. At Recovery Lab of Corona, CA, we offer Norco guests NormaTec compression to help ease the swelling and heaviness that build up after long hours on your feet.

That puffy, heavy feeling in both legs at the end of a shift is the swelling NormaTec is meant to ease. It looks different from swelling in one leg with pain, warmth or redness, which needs a doctor first. The first kind is the ordinary swelling of a long day, and it's where a session with us fits.

How The Calf Pump Keeps Blood Moving

Every step you take puts your calves to work on your circulation. As your calf muscles contract with each step, they squeeze the veins in your legs and push blood back up toward your chest. This is called the calf muscle pump, and it runs without any effort on your part. A day of walking around keeps it busy.

Standing in one spot gives the pump far less to do. Your calves hold you upright, but they aren't tightening and relaxing as they do on a walk. Fluid settles low in the legs over the hours, and you feel it as tight shoes and a slow, heavy ache in the calves. A long car or plane ride commonly brings the same swelling to the feet and ankles.

What The Sleeves Do Wave By Wave

NormaTec sleeves fit your legs, and they also come in versions for arms or hips. The sleeves inflate to the shape of your body, so the fit follows your own legs. Then the compression begins in a pulsing sequence built to mimic your body's muscle pump. Pressure comes and goes in waves, which is what pulsing compression means.

That rhythm is the point of the session. Instead of holding one tight grip, the sleeves squeeze and release over and over, the way your calves would on a walk. The pulsing helps move fluid through your limbs while you stay still.

Lying Back For Your Session

A NormaTec session with us runs 20 to 60 minutes. You lie back with the sleeves on, and there's nothing for you to do while they work. As your session begins, the sleeves inflate to fit your legs, so you can settle in before the first wave.

We keep evening hours, so a session can fit at the end of a work day. Booking NormaTec with us requires no doctor's note or referral. You can call and book as soon as a long shift has left your legs heavy.

The Swelling NormaTec Suits

NormaTec is meant for the everyday swelling that builds up in your legs over long hours of standing. We use it to help ease the fullness and heaviness that a day on your feet leaves in both legs. In those moments, both legs feel full and slow while you otherwise feel well. You rest in the sleeves while the pulses come and go around your legs. It's support for the end of a long day, and each new shift brings its own swelling.

When Swelling Needs A Doctor Instead

Some swelling needs medical care first, before any recovery session. If you have swelling in one leg with pain, warmth or redness, or swelling with chest pain or shortness of breath, get medical care right away instead of a compression session. Chest pain or shortness of breath with swelling calls for emergency care. New swelling in only one leg, or a swollen leg that is red or warm, calls for a doctor right away.

Leg swelling can also come from a longer-term health condition. If you're under a doctor's care for one, ask your doctor about compression before booking. Once your doctor is comfortable with it, we're glad to welcome you for a session.

Rest Your Legs After A Long Shift

Call Recovery Lab of Corona, CA at (951) 460-8009 to schedule your first NormaTec session. You'll lie back in sleeves fitted to your legs, with nothing to do but rest. They squeeze and release in a pulsing rhythm that copies the work of the muscle pump a long shift on your feet leaves with far less to do.