Do those pneumatic compression socks work at reducing ankle swelling after I break my ankle?

Manuela Rohner-Spengler, a clinical Physical Therapist and a team of MD/PhDs from the Departments of Rheumatology and Physiotherapy and Trauma Surgery at the Lucerne Cantonal Hospital in Switzerland took interest the optimal pre-operative swelling management techniques to yield the best post-operative outcomes. They found when impulse compression devices or pneumatic compression socks are used as a ‘stand-alone treatment’, they are not effective. This study did not assess their effectiveness when used in combination with other treatments.