Would support or compression stockings/TED hose (Thrombo-Embolism Device) work just as well as a g-suit?
Yes, but research on g-suits and MAST (Military/Medical Anti-Shock Trousers) has shown that the pressure required to relieve Orthostatic Intolerance (OI) symptoms is 40-50 mm Hg. Many support stockings, which are available at local drug stores, do not provide enough pressure, often only 10-20 mm Hg. There is a specialized support stocking made by Sigvaris that provides pressure of 40-50 mm Hg. For my mom, they were difficult to put on (exhausting!) and tended to bunch behind the knees and at the ankles, which caused bruising. (Pressure from the air-inflated g-suit should not hurt.) I have since found an online article (Link will open in new window.) by the Northern Virginia CFS/FMS Support Group that suggests that a different approach to wearing support stockings can lead to a more successful experience with them. (http://www.cfsnova.com/notes-SpprtHose.html) Research by Dr. Phillip A. Low et al. on g-suits has also shown that the abdominal bladder is the most important single area of
