Arthritis Living With Assistive Devices Print Tommie Copper Compression Clothing Review By Carol Eustice facebook Carol Eustice is a writer covering arthritis and chronic illness, who herself has been diagnosed with both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Learn about our editorial process Carol Eustice Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Grant Hughes, MD on March 12, 2017 linkedin Grant Hughes, MD, is board-certified in rheumatology and is the head of rheumatology at Seattle's Harborview Medical Center. Learn about our Medical Review Board Grant Hughes, MD Updated on January 26, 2020 Sasha_Suzi / Getty Images More in Arthritis Living With Assistive Devices Diet & Exercise Causes & Risk Factors Support & Coping Joint Pain Rheumatoid Arthritis Gout Ankylosing Spondylitis Diagnosis Symptoms Treatment Osteoarthritis More Arthritis Types & Related Conditions Psoriatic Arthritis View All Tommie Copper is a brand of compression clothing that is infused with copper. Tommie Copper was developed and founded by Tom Kallish, a self-described weekend warrior who required back, knee, and hip surgeries following a serious water skiing accident. The accident and subsequent surgeries left him with chronic arthritis pain. When Kallish looked for compression wear to relieve his debilitating pain, all he could find was bulky, restrictive, medical compression materials which made him more uncomfortable, not less so. What do creative people do who can't find what they are looking for? They make their own. And he did. Types of Tommie Copper Compression Clothing Tommie Copper compression wear includes compression sleeves for the ankle, calf, knee, wrist, and elbow. There are men's and women's Tommie Copper compression tops and bottoms. There are fingerless and full-finger compression gloves. Underwear, tights, calf socks, and crew socks are also available. There are also Tommie Copper products designed for back support, including core bands. You can view images of each of the products and order online from the Tommie Copper website. Copper Bracelets Versus Tommie Copper Products You've probably heard of copper bracelets for arthritis pain (not part of the Tommie Copper product line). While the bracelets are not proven to be effective, some people swear that they relieve pain. Actually, researchers have long studied the effects of copper on inflammatory conditions. There have been studies that concluded copper bracelets are ineffective. The bracelets may merely act as a placebo in people who claim they work. Tommie Copper promotional materials state that copper has been used for thousands of years to help reduce inflammation, grow and sustain connective tissues, and aid in blood flow and oxygen transport. Therapeutic copper compression (TCC) used in Tommie Copper products combines a patented 56% copper-infused nylon yarn with a proprietary multi-directional compression technology. With their compression wear, Tommie Copper positions the copper directly over the source of the pain or injury. Tommie Copper products are designed to be worn 24 hours a day, even while sleeping. Benefits of the compression include pain relief, muscle healing, and improved blood flow, while decreasing inflammation and swelling, according to Tommie Copper. In 2015, Tommie Copper paid $1.35 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges for deceptive advertising and has since changed the way they market their products, but the copper remains. Finding the Right Size Size charts are available on the Tommie Copper website. It's important to get the correct size so the product will provide adequate compression. While Tommie Copper products are designed to provide gentle compression, a sleeve, shirt, or glove that is too large will not provide the desired benefit. Size matters. Their Guarantee Tommie Copper stands behind its products. All Tommie Copper products come with a 60-day money back guarantee, which starts the day your order ships. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Dealing with chronic inflammation? An anti-inflammatory diet can help. Our free recipe guide shows you the best foods to fight inflammation. Get yours today! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Richmond SJ, Gunadasa S, Bland M, Macpherson H. Copper bracelets and magnetic wrist straps for rheumatoid arthritis--analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects: a randomised double-blind placebo controlled crossover trial. PLoS ONE. 2013;8(9):e71529. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0071529 Federal Trade Commission. Tommie Copper to pay $1.35 million to settle FTC deceptive advertising charges. December 1, 2015.