Beginning approximately two months ago I developed peripheral edema and at the same time started having lower back problems, where the peripheral edema (lower legs, ankles, and feet) maps to a steady burning ("legs on fire") pain and the lower back problems map to occasional electric shocks in my legs.

I have been to the doctor two times, and after doing some tests to exclude more gnarly problems, the current treatment strategy is to do what I can tolerate doing; to take two Aleve (220mg naproxen sodium per tablet) twice a day; one Bayer aspirin (325mg) twice a day; and to take pain medication every eight hours (Norco [10mg hydrocodone bitartrate/325mg acetaminophen]), which is working but slowly.

At the start, I could not sleep for more than 45 minutes every 24 hours, which was the clue that I needed to get medical advice, and now I can sleep for 1 or perhaps 2 hours in a recliner, which is a big improvement from my perspective, although sleeping in the supine position in bed is not something I can tolerate, which in some respects is fine, because the recliner is comfortable.

Of the two types of pain, the burning "legs on fire" pain from the peripheral edema is the worst, and the pain medication controls it to the level of being comfortable, but even though I also am taking Lasix (a diuretic which helps you eliminate excess water, hence reduces the edema [or "swelling caused by water retention", if you prefer]) and one 20mg potassium chloride tablet twice a day to maintain sufficient potassium level, I had the idea that support socks might be helpful, which then led to doing a bit of research at Amazon.com and then discovering the Futuro Dress Socks for Men.

The doctor also prescribed using a heating pad every once in a while for my lower back, which I am doing with the Sunbeam 2013-912 Xpress Heat Heating Pad, Extra Large (12" x 24") that I got at Amazon.com about a month ago, and it is a stellar unit.

I was wearing Dickies Big and Tall Men's Dri-Tech Comfort Crew Work Socks, and they did a nice job of keeping my feet, ankles, and lower legs from swelling, but mostly all they did was to move the swelling to the thick part of my calves.

So, after pondering the problem for a while and getting the information on the Futuro Dress Socks for Men, which included reading several of the Amazon.com customer reviews, I ordered some of them, and they arrived earlier this afternoon, at which time I donned a pair, and after wearing them for two or so hours, I am very happy with the decision, since they are controlling the overall swelling better than the Dickies socks, which in turn maps to significantly less pain, because even with the pain medication, there is pain, just not so bad.

And for reference, at present I weigh approximately 275 pounds; I am approximately 5' 11" in height; I wear size 13W shoes; and I wear Hanes 2XL boxer brief underpants, which generally maps to 46W pants; and these support socks are excellent in every respect, where part of the problem is that 275 pounds is way too much for me to weigh, so a bit of thoughtful dieting in on the program, as well.

Specifically, I ordered the Futuro Dress Socks for Men, Black, Extra Large size with Firm support, and they are no more difficult to don than the Dickies socks, and in some respects they are a bit easier, where the strategy is to bunch the top of the sock so that you can focus on getting the bottom part onto your foot first.

Rolling the top is another way to do it, but I think it is easier to "bunch" the top, since if the top is rolled, then it is like a super strong rubber band, which can make it more difficult rather than easier in terms of putting on these socks, although if two people are helping you put on the socks, rolling the top can work nicely.

The "Firm" support aspect definitely maps to a bit of obvious tension, support, elasticity, or whatever it is called, so pulling the tops into place is more a matter of bunching; moving upward; and so forth, but the easy strategy becomes obvious quickly, and putting these socks on your feet and legs is not difficult if you ordered the correct size, where as an example of what not to do, if I had ordered Large rather than Extra Large, then I think it would not be easy to don the sock, but that would be the wrong size and might be too constricting, so it is an excellent idea to pay attention to the sizing chart, where in the grand scheme of everything these socks are sized realistically in an honest and straightforward way, where for example the Extra Large socks actually are extra large socks, but they are tight, so it is a matter of putting on a correctly sized pair of support socks, although for an older and not so strong person a bit of help would be needed, where if I were in my 70s or 80s I probably would need some help, but I did not have any particular difficulty putting on these socks.

The Futuro Dress Socks for Men are made by 3M; they are high quality socks; and they are Made in the USA, for sure.

And these socks definitely make my legs, ankles, and feet feel better, which is fabulous.

Fabulous!

P. S.  While I am making a big deal about a pair of support socks, when you find yourself having peripheral edema and lower back pain (a) dealing with it becomes your primary job 24 hours a day and (b) discovering something that provides pain relief in a sensible way is a big deal, and as a bonus when you walk for a while, these socks actually do the "Massage-in-Motion" thing.  These are great socks!

And on a related note, the best fit diagnosis at present is a combination of (a) sleeping too much, which apparently when one is older can lead to peripheral edema and (b) deciding to trim shrubbery for several consecutive days at a time when my lower back already was bothering me, all of which tends to suggest that this current vast physical annoyance will resolve in a month or two, at which time I can use a bit more common sense.  It is getting better, which is great, but it is not an overnight type of instant recovery, hence discovering things that help is very good, and these socks certainly are helping!