Varicose stockings were invented by German mechanical engineer and inventor Conrad Jobst. Varicose pressure stockings have been widely used in developed regions such as Europe and America since their invention in the late 19th century, and have been recognized by a large number of patients and doctors. In the early 1980s, it entered the Chinese market and after years of clinical promotion, it also gained recognition from domestic doctors. The efficacy of pressure stockings for varicose veins has been written into doctors’ textbooks and has become one of the important and effective treatment methods for vascular surgeons and orthopedic surgeons.

There is a historical story about who invented the varicose vein socks. In the 18th century, a European businessman developed lower limb ulcers (commonly known as “old rotten feet”) due to severe varicose veins. He has a habit of going to the famous hot springs in the area to relax for a few weeks every year. The local hot springs have relatively small springs, so one can only stand inside and take a bath. What surprised him was that after soaking in the hot springs several times a year, the ulcers on his feet miraculously healed. This businessman is a very thoughtful person who wants to know what cured his ulcer, whether it was the water quality of the hot springs or something else. So he conducted an experiment: taking hot spring water home and bathing in a bathtub, the ulcer did not improve, but standing in his own bathtub and bathing, the ulcer could be cured. Obviously, the cure of ulcers is not related to water quality, but to standing baths. After careful consideration, the businessman and his friends who studied physics understood the truth behind it: standing in a hot spring to take a bath and standing in a bathtub to take a bath have one thing in common, which is that the static water pressure generated by the water is highest on the soles of the feet when standing, gradually decreasing from bottom to top, and the thighs are exposed to the water surface, resulting in zero static water pressure. It was this decreasing pressure from bottom to top that cured his ulcer. The ulcer on the merchant’s foot is an old problem, can’t he always bring a bucket for treatment? So merchants and textile manufacturers collaborated to invent a therapeutic varicose vein sock.