Ace the PT 810 Compression Therapy Challenge 2026 – Unwrap Your Success!

Elevation reduces venous hydrostatic pressure, which lowers the force driving fluid out of capillaries and helps fluid re-enter the vascular system. When you elevate the limb, gravity decreases venous pressure in that limb, so less fluid leaks into the interstitial space. Compression then adds external pressure to push fluid back toward the heart and support venous and lymphatic return, making edema reduction more effective. This mechanism focuses on venous pressure, not a rise in arterial flow, and elevation also can aid lymphatic drainage rather than reduce it.