Achilles and foot arch stretching devices and methods performed therewith

Inactive Publication Date: 2010-09-30
GOURINENI PRASAD
View PDF79 Cites 9 Cited by
  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]A technical effect of the invention is the ability of the devices to achieve greater stretching of the calf muscle-Achilles tendon unit as a result of the devices causing supination and locking of the foot, which results in the foot acting as a rigid lever that transmits essentially all of a stretching motion to the Achilles tendon. In this manner, the effectiveness of the stretching technique is increased to pro

Problems solved by technology

If the calf muscles and Achilles tendon cannot stretch and allow ankle dorsiflexion to this extent, the midfoot and the forefoot see abnormal stresses leading to pain and conditions like plantar fasciitis, flat feet, posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, stress fracture, and arthritis.
However, such devices achieve limited stretchi

Method used

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
View more

Image

Smart Image Click on the blue labels to locate them in the text.
Viewing Examples
Smart Image
  • Achilles and foot arch stretching devices and methods performed therewith
  • Achilles and foot arch stretching devices and methods performed therewith
  • Achilles and foot arch stretching devices and methods performed therewith

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

Example

[0017]The Figures depict therapeutic devices that can be used to stretch the Achilles tendon in accordance with particular embodiments of the invention. For convenience, consistent reference numbers are used throughout the Figures to identify the same or functionally equivalent elements. Furthermore, to facilitate the description of the devices, the terms “fore,”“aft,”“side,”“upper,”“lower,”“right,”“left,” etc., will be used in reference to the perspective of a user during use of the devices, and therefore are relative terms and should not be otherwise interpreted as limitations to the construction of the devices or as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0018]FIGS. 1 and 2 represent a freestanding Achilles tendon stretching device 10 in accordance with a first embodiment of this invention. The device 10 is shown as having wedge portions 12 comprising a left wedge portion 12a and a right wedge portion 12b, which are essentially mirror images of each other. The wedge portions 12 are ...

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to view more

PUM

No PUM Login to view more

Abstract

Therapeutic devices and methods suitable for stretching the Achilles tendon. Each device includes a base portion and at least one wedge portion. The wedge portion has heel and toe ends, inside-foot and outside-foot edges, and an upper surface. The upper surface has a nonuniform elevation relative to the base portion as a result of the wedge portion having a fore-aft taper in the fore-aft direction and a lateral taper in the lateral direction, wherein the inside-foot edge has an increasing elevation toward the toe end. The wedge portion further has a nonconstant lateral width as a result of the toe end being wider than the heel end. The fore-aft and lateral tapers are sufficient so that placement of a user's foot on the upper surface causes supination and locking of the foot and enables stretching of the Achilles complex.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 164,975, filed Mar. 31, 2009, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention generally relates to therapy and physical fitness equipment, and more particularly to devices capable of stretching of the calf muscle-Achilles tendon unit.[0003]The Achilles tendon connects the calf muscles to the heel of the foot. The calf muscles pull on the heel through the Achilles tendon, enabling propulsion of the human body through the foot for walking and jumping activities. The combined length of the calf muscles and Achilles tendon should be short enough to contract strongly and generate enough power for daily activities, and also permit sufficient stretching to allow about ten to twenty degrees of ankle dorsiflexion. If the calf muscles and Achilles tendon cannot stretch and allow ankle dorsiflexion to this exte...

Claims

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
Login to view more

Application Information

Patent Timeline
no application Login to view more
IPC IPC(8): A43B23/00A63B23/10
CPCA61H1/0266A43B7/223
Inventor GOURINENI, PRASAD
Owner GOURINENI PRASAD
Who we serve
  • R&D Engineer
  • R&D Manager
  • IP Professional
Why Eureka
  • Industry Leading Data Capabilities
  • Powerful AI technology
  • Patent DNA Extraction
Social media
Try Eureka
PatSnap group products

Browse by: Latest US Patents, China's latest patents, Technical Efficacy Thesaurus, Application Domain, Technology Topic.

© 2024 PatSnap. All rights reserved.Legal|Privacy policy|Modern Slavery Act Transparency Statement|Sitemap