Shoulder pain alleviation device

Abstract

To provide an inexpensive shoulder pain alleviation device with a simple structure that can be mounted in a short time even by one person as a shoulder pain alleviation device for alleviating a pain at the time of shoulder rotator cuff tear, etc., to provide a shoulder pain alleviation device that allows a user to drive a vehicle easily in the case of using a vehicle, and to provide a shoulder pain alleviation device that can be used in a supine position.SOLUTION: A shoulder pain alleviation device 100 mounted on the arm includes a first pillow part 1 for raising the position of the arm A by the thickness of the pillow part and a mounting part consisting of a first female hook-and-loop fastener 12 and a first male hook-and-loop fastener 13 for mounting the first pillow part 1 under the arm.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a shoulder pain relief brace that relieves pain caused by a torn rotator cuff, etc. More specifically, the present invention relates to a shoulder pain relief brace that is provided under the arm and has a pillow section that raises the position at which the arm can be lowered by gravity. [Background technology]

[0002] It is known that the shoulder rotator cuff degenerates and wears down with age, and it is reported that one in four people over the age of 50 will tear it. Other causes of tear include accidents such as falling or hitting the shoulder hard in a traffic accident, and overuse of the shoulder through heavy work or sports.

[0003] Those who have experienced this rotator cuff tear (the inventor of this application is one of them) suffer from extreme pain (including night pain when lying on their back). They want to get treatment quickly to relieve the pain, but as described in Non-Patent Document 1, the current situation is that surgery is the only treatment that has a high chance of healing a torn rotator cuff. Generally, rehabilitation to move the joint begins 3 weeks after this surgery, and rehabilitation to lift the shoulder on one's own begins 6 to 8 weeks later, so rehabilitation takes a long time, from 3 to 6 months.

[0004] To relieve pain and to avoid straining the suture tendons, spread your upper arms out to the sides to reduce strain on the shoulder joint. Also, hold your upper arms forward to reduce strain on the shoulder joint.

[0005] However, it is difficult to maintain the position of the upper arm so as to relieve pain while sleeping. Therefore, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose shoulder pain relief devices that maintain the position of the upper arm so as to relieve pain even when lying on one's back. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5124720 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6360416 [Non-patent literature]

[0007] [Non-Patent Document 1] Yokohama Machida Joint Spine Hospital: Specialists explain symptoms, rehabilitation, and surgery for rotator cuff tears, [searched September 11, 2023], Internet: https: / / www.ymo-hospital.jp / medical-content / rotator-cuff / Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, the shoulder pain relief braces described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are shoulder-hanging type, and it is very difficult for a person to wear the shoulder pain relief brace by themselves because they require the wearing of a shoulder belt and a waist belt and the adjustment of the position of the arm. In addition, it takes time to wear it. In addition, the structure is complicated and expensive.

[0009] In addition, after 6 to 8 weeks from the surgery, the patient is able to drive a vehicle. However, shoulder-hanging shoulder pain relief devices such as those in Patent Documents 1 and 2 make steering very inconvenient. In addition, when the tendon cuff is torn on the shoulder on which the parking ticket is inserted and removed, there is a problem that the parking ticket cannot be inserted and removed because the device is hung on the shoulder.

[0010] Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to provide a shoulder pain relief brace that is simple in structure, inexpensive, and can be worn by one person in a short time. It is also an objective of the present invention to provide a shoulder pain relief brace that is easy to drive when driving a vehicle. It is also an objective of the present invention to provide a shoulder pain relief brace that can be used when lying down. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, the shoulder pain relief brace of the present invention is a shoulder pain relief brace that is worn on the arm, and includes a pillow part that raises the position of the arm by its thickness, and a wearing part that wears the pillow part under the arm, The present invention is characterized by comprising:

[0012] According to the shoulder pain relief brace of the present invention, the position where the arm drops due to gravity is raised by the thickness of the pillow part, and it is possible to prevent the arm from dropping more than a certain level and the shoulder joint from being extended. This makes it possible to relieve pain caused by a ruptured rotator cuff. For example, when the desk is at a height where the arm droops and causes pain, the burden on the shoulder joint can be reduced by raising the arm, thereby relieving the pain. In addition, since it is attached to the arm by the attachment part, it does not move from the arm. In addition, since the structure is simple, it is inexpensive.

[0013] In addition, it is preferable that the shoulder pain relief brace of the present invention is worn on the forearm, and the pillow part is placed on the thigh when sitting. This reduces shoulder pain when sitting, such as when driving a vehicle. In addition, since it is not a shoulder-hanging type, it is easy to drive a vehicle. In addition, it is also possible to insert and remove parking tickets.

[0014] It is also preferable that the shoulder pain relief brace of the present invention is worn on the arm, and the pillow portion is placed on the supine surface when lying on one's back, thereby making it possible to relieve shoulder pain when lying on one's back, such as when sleeping.

[0015] In addition, the shoulder pain relief brace of the present invention preferably has a hook-and-loop fastener as the attachment part. This allows the shoulder pain relief brace to be easily attached by a single person in a short time. When using this hook-and-loop fastener, it is easier to attach the brace if the female and male hook-and-loop fasteners are different lengths than if they are the same.

[0016] It is also preferable that the shoulder pain relief brace of the present invention is capable of changing the height of the arm, so that the height to which the arm is raised can be adjusted depending on the sitting or supine position and the condition of the patient.

[0017] In addition, the shoulder pain relief brace of the present invention preferably has a pillow portion that includes a bottom portion and side walls that stand upright from both sides of the bottom portion. This allows the arm to be moved away from the armpit, preventing the shoulder joint from extending and relieving pain caused by a torn rotator cuff. It also prevents the arm from slipping out of the shoulder pain relief brace.

[0018] It is also preferable that the shoulder pain relief brace of the present invention further comprises a shoulder strap that is placed on the shoulder of the user. This allows it to be used more easily than a triangular sling, as an alternative to a triangular sling that is commonly used to support the arm. Supporting the arm on the shoulder [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the shoulder pain relief brace of this embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view from a different viewing direction than FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the shoulder pain relief brace of the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] A is a diagram showing a first usage example of this embodiment, B is a diagram showing a second usage example, C is a diagram showing a third usage example, D is a diagram showing a fourth usage example, and E is a diagram showing a fifth usage example. [Figure 4] 13 is an image showing a second usage example. [Diagram 5] 13 is an image showing a third usage example. [Figure 6] 4 is an image showing a fourth usage example. [Figure 7] A is an image of the front of the body showing an example of modified use, and B is an image of the rear. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] The following describes the mode for carrying out the present invention with reference to the embodiments and drawings, but the embodiments shown below are not intended to limit the present invention to those described herein, and the present invention is equally applicable to those in which various modifications are made without departing from the technical ideas set forth in the claims. Note that in each drawing used for explanation in this specification, each component is shown at a different scale so that each component is large enough to be recognized on the drawing, and is not necessarily shown in proportion to the actual dimensions.

[0021] [Embodiment 1] The shoulder pain relief brace of the present invention comprises a pillow part that raises the position of the arm by its thickness, and a fitting part that fits the pillow part under the arm. The configuration of the main parts of the shoulder pain relief brace 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the shoulder pain relief brace 100 of embodiment 1 comprises a first pillow part 1, a second pillow part 2, and a third pillow part 3.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the first pillow portion 1 has a concave shape when viewed from the front as a whole, and specifically comprises a thin rectangular bottom portion 10, side walls 11 at both ends which are erected from both sides of the bottom portion 10 and form an upwardly open U-shape, two first female hook-and-loop fasteners 12 extending from the inside of one of the side walls 11, two first male hook-and-loop fasteners 13 extending from the inside of the other side wall 11, and a second female hook-and-loop fastener 14 attached to the bottom surface of the bottom portion 10.

[0023] The first pillow part 1 has a bottom 10 and two side walls 11 made of urethane (polyurethane), and the surface is covered with a cloth cover. The cover that covers the surface can be easily removed from the urethane body, and is preferably made of a washable material.

[0024] The first pillow portion 1 has a configuration in which a first female hook-and-loop fastener 12, a first male hook-and-loop fastener 13, and a second female hook-and-loop fastener 14 are attached to the cover on the surface thereof.

[0025] In such a first pillow part 1, as shown in FIG. 2, the arm A is inserted between the two side walls 11 (inside the U-shape). The two first female hook-and-loop fasteners 12 and the two first male hook-and-loop fasteners 13 are belt-shaped, with one end of each attached facing the insertion opening of the arm A and the other end overlapping on the inserted arm A. The hook surface F of the first male hook-and-loop fastener 13 is engaged with the loop surface L of the first female hook-and-loop fastener 12, so that the first female hook-and-loop fastener 12 and the first male hook-and-loop fastener 13 are joined together, and the inserted arm A does not come off. In this way, the first female hook-and-loop fastener 12 and the first male hook-and-loop fastener 13 in the first pillow part 1 of this embodiment constitute the attachment part in the present invention that attaches the first pillow part 1 under the arm A.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 2, the first female hook-and-loop fastener 12 and the second male hook-and-loop fastener 13, which are the attachment parts, have different lengths, with the first female hook-and-loop fastener 12 being longer. This is because when the inventor tried to attach the shoulder pain relief brace 100 by himself by making the first female hook-and-loop fastener 12 and the second male hook-and-loop fastener 13 the same length, it was difficult to engage the hook surface F with the loop surface L, and when the first female hook-and-loop fastener 12 and the second male hook-and-loop fastener 13 were made different in length, it was possible to easily engage the hook surface F with the loop surface L. Therefore, for example, instead of attaching the first male hook-and-loop fastener 13 by pulling it out from the side wall 11 as shown in Fig. 2, the first male hook-and-loop fastener 13 may be attached by adhering it to the surface of the side wall 11.

[0027] 2, the thickness H1 of the bottom 10 of the first pillow portion 1 is about 20 mm in this embodiment. In addition, the width of the recess in the first pillow portion 1 is 50 mm for both side walls 11 in this embodiment, and the width between the both side walls 11 (the space in which the arms A fit) is also 50 mm.

[0028] 1 and 2, the second pillow part 2 is formed of a rectangular parallelepiped, like the bottom part 10 of the first pillow part 1. A second male hook-and-loop fastener 21 is attached to the top surface of the second pillow part 2, and a third female hook-and-loop fastener 22 is attached to the bottom surface.

[0029] Like the first pillow part 1, the second pillow part 2 can be constructed by covering the surface of the main body made of urethane with a cover made of cloth material, and the second male hook-and-loop fastener 21 and the third female hook-and-loop fastener 22 can be attached to this cover by gluing or sewing them on. As shown in FIG. 2, the thickness H2 of the second pillow portion 2 is about 30 mm in this embodiment.

[0030] 1 and 2, the third pillow part 3 has a similar structure to the second pillow part 2, with a third male hook-and-loop fastener 31 attached to the top surface of the third pillow part 3 and a fourth female hook-and-loop fastener 32 attached to the bottom surface. As shown in Fig. 2, the thickness H3 of the third pillow part 3 is about 60 mm in this embodiment.

[0031] Thus, the shoulder pain relief brace 100 of this embodiment is composed of three pillow parts, the first pillow part 1 to be attached to the arm A, the second pillow part 2, and the third pillow part 3. The second pillow part 2 and the third pillow part 3 can be attached and detached as desired using hook-and-loop fasteners attached to their top and bottom surfaces, making it possible to adjust the height of the pillow part located under the arm A. The shoulder pain relief brace 100 may further use such height-adjusting pillow parts in addition to the second pillow part 2 and the third pillow part 3.

[0032] [Usage example] Next, examples of use of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 3 to 6. The first example of use is when sitting at a desk for work or the like. As shown in Fig. 3A, the user wears the first pillow part 1 on the forearm DA. This raises the position of the forearm DA on the desk by the thickness H1 of the first pillow part 1. Then, the upper arm UA moves forward, reducing the burden on the shoulder joint and relieving pain. The second pillow part 2 and the third pillow part 3 may be further used for height adjustment.

[0033] The second use example is when driving a vehicle. As shown in Fig. 3B and Fig. 4, the user wears the first pillow part 1 on the forearm DA, joins the third pillow part 3 to the first pillow part 1, and places the third pillow part 3 on the thigh T. As a result, the forearm DA is supported up from the thigh T by the thickness H1 of the first pillow part 1 and the thickness H3 of the third pillow part 3, and the upper arm UA is extended forward, reducing the burden on the shoulder joint and relieving pain.

[0034] The shoulder pain relief brace 100 worn on the arm A is stable even when the arm A moves due to steering while driving. The first pillow part 1 and the third pillow part 3, which are joined by a hook-and-loop fastener, do not come apart when the arm A moves, and can be kept attached to the arm even when putting a parking ticket in or out, so that the brace can be placed back in its original position on the thigh T. For height adjustment, the second pillow part 2 may be further used, or the second pillow part 2 may be used instead of the third pillow part 3.

[0035] The third usage example is an example when sleeping in a supine position. The user wears one first pillow part 1 over the upper arm UA and forearm DA and lies on the bed B in a supine position. As a result, the forearm DA side of the upper arm UA is supported up from the bed B by the thickness H1 of the first pillow part 1, and the upper arm UA moves forward (lifts upward), reducing the burden on the shoulder joint and relieving pain. Note that the second pillow part 2 and the third pillow part 3 may be further used to provide height.

[0036] The fourth usage example is an example of sleeping in a supine position using two shoulder pain relief braces 100. The user attaches a total of two first pillow parts 1 to the upper arm UA and forearm DA and lies in a supine position on the bed B. Compared to the third usage example, the upper arm UA and forearm DA are supported over a wider range, providing more stable support.

[0037] The fifth usage example is an example of sleeping in a supine position using two shoulder pain relief braces 100 of different thicknesses. The user wears a total of two first pillow parts 1 on the upper arm UA and forearm DA, joins the second pillow part 2 only to the first pillow part 1 on the forearm DA side, and lies in a supine position on the bed B. As a result, the forearm DA is supported higher than the upper arm UA by the thickness H2 of the second pillow part 2, so that the upper arm UA is lifted further than in the fourth usage example, thereby further relieving pain.

[0038] In addition, when the shoulder pain relief brace 100 of this embodiment is used in the supine position as in the third to fifth use examples, the side wall 11 is placed between the upper arm and the armpit, and the upper arm spreads out to the side, so the burden on the shoulder joint is further reduced and the pain is relieved. In addition, when using in the supine position as in the third to fifth use examples, the height-adjustable second pillow part 2 and third pillow part 3 can be attached crosswise to the first pillow part 1 (in a direction crossing the direction of the arm A) instead of being attached along the first pillow part 1 (along the direction of the arm A). Attaching the second pillow part 2 and third pillow part 3 in this way makes the user's posture more stable, making it even more difficult to roll over to the side where the shoulder pain relief brace 100 is used, which is the painful shoulder joint side.

[0039] As described above, the shoulder pain relief brace 100 of this embodiment is attached under the arm by the attachment part, so the pillow part does not slip off. In addition, since the attachment method is a hook-and-loop fastener and it is not a shoulder-hanging type, it can be easily and quickly attached by oneself. Since it is not a shoulder-hanging type, it is easy to drive a vehicle, to take out and put in parking tickets, and to sleep in a supine position. In addition, it is inexpensive because of its simple structure.

[0040] This embodiment includes the first pillow section to the third pillow section with three different thicknesses, so the thickness can be changed according to various applications. However, the present invention is not limited to this type. Also, the method of changing the thickness may be a method other than the combination. For example, a mechanism for changing the distance between the top and bottom surfaces may be provided.

[0041] In addition, in this embodiment, the bottom 10 is located under the arm A and the side wall 11 is located beside the arm A, but this is not necessarily limited to this use example. In other words, since the shoulder pain relief brace 100 of this embodiment has a concave first pillow part 1, it can also be used by changing the orientation of the first pillow part 1 so that one side wall 11 is located under the arm A (the other side wall 11 is located above the arm A) and the bottom 10 is located on the side facing the user's armpit. When used in this way, for example, in the first use example, the position of the forearm DA on the desk is raised by the width (50 mm) of the side wall 11 of the first pillow part 1. In other words, the height of the arm A can be adjusted only by the first pillow part 1.

[0042] In addition, the first male hook-and-loop fastener 13, which is the attachment part in the shoulder pain relief brace 100 of this embodiment, is belt-shaped with one end fixed and the other end free, but it is also possible to fix the entire fastener to the side wall and pull the elongated first female hook-and-loop fastener up to the first male hook-and-loop fastener to engage it.

[0043] The attachment part of the shoulder pain relief brace of the present invention is not limited to a hook and loop fastener, but may be attached by hook engagement or by a rubber band. Also, a stretchable hook and loop fastener may be used.

[0044] In addition, in the shoulder pain relief brace 100, the second pillow part 2 and the third pillow part 3 are attached and detached to the first pillow part 1 by hook and loop fasteners, but they may be attached and detached by means of wire fasteners provided on the periphery, or they may be provided with hook and loop fasteners on the sides instead of on the bottom surface. The shoulder pain relief brace of the present invention can also be applied to shoulder pain other than rotator cuff tears (such as shoulder periarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, frozen shoulder, frozen shoulder, etc.).

[0045] [Example of modified use] In the above-mentioned usage examples, the shoulder pain relief brace 100 has been described as being used in a manner different from the shoulder-hanging type shoulder pain relief braces of Patent Documents 1 and 2. However, the shoulder pain relief brace of the present invention can also be used in the same manner as the shoulder-hanging type shoulder pain relief brace.

[0046] Usually, shoulder-hanging shoulder pain relief braces such as those in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are used for several weeks after surgery, but during the rehabilitation period that follows, the arm is mainly supported by the neck using a so-called triangular sling. During this period, the shoulder pain relief brace of the present invention can be used in place of a triangular sling.

[0047] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 7, by attaching a shoulder strap 50 of sufficient length to the first pillow portion 1 and hanging this shoulder strap 50 around the neck, the shoulder pain relief brace 100 can be used as a replacement for a triangular bandage. In the case of a triangular bandage, it is difficult for the user to tie it with one hand or adjust its length, but if the shoulder pain relief brace 100 further includes a detachable shoulder strap 50 as in the example, when used in place of a triangular bandage, it can be easily put on and the length adjusted by one person.

[0048] The shoulder pain relief brace of the present invention also has an attachment part for attaching the pillow part under the arm. In the use example shown in Fig. 7, since the pillow part is supported by the shoulder strap 50 during use, it is not necessary to attach the pillow part under the arm by the attachment part. However, when wearing it but not during use, it is possible to more easily attach the shoulder strap 50 by temporarily attaching the pillow part under the arm by the attachment part as in the use example. Also, even if the pillow part is attached under the arm by the attachment part in this way during use, it does not get in the way.

[0049] The shoulder strap 50 can be attached to the first pillow portion 1 by attaching a male hook-and-loop fastener to the shoulder strap 50 and using the second female hook-and-loop fastener 14 attached to the bottom surface of the first pillow portion 1, or a separate attachment / detachment means such as a button or hook can be provided.

[0050] Furthermore, the shoulder strap 50 does not need to be of uniform width all over; for example, the portion located at the pillow may be wider than the portion at the shoulder, etc., so as to cover a wider area of ​​the bottom of the pillow. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 100: Shoulder pain relief device 1: 1st pillow part 11: Side wall 12: First female hook-and-loop fastener 13: First male hook-and-loop fastener 14: 2nd female hook-and-loop fastener 2:Second pillow part 21: 2nd male hook-and-loop fastener 22: 3rd female hook-and-loop fastener 3: Third pillow part 31: 3rd male hook-and-loop fastener 32: 4th female hook-and-loop fastener A: Arm UA:Upper arm DA: Forearm

Claims

1. A shoulder pain relief brace to be worn on the arm, A pillow section that raises the position of the arms by its thickness, A mounting part for mounting the pillow part under the arm; A shoulder pain relief brace comprising:

2. 2. The shoulder pain relief brace according to claim 1, which is worn on the forearm and the pillow portion is placed on the thigh when the patient is in a sitting position.

3. 2. The shoulder pain relief brace according to claim 1, which is worn on the arm and the pillow portion is placed on the supine surface when the patient is in a supine position.

4. 2. The shoulder pain relief brace according to claim 1, wherein the attachment portion is a hook-and-loop fastener.

5. 2. The shoulder pain relief brace according to claim 1, wherein the pillow portion is capable of changing the height of the arm.

6. 2. The shoulder pain relief brace according to claim 1, wherein the pillow portion comprises a bottom portion and side walls extending upright from both sides of the bottom portion.

7. 2. The shoulder pain relief brace according to claim 1, further comprising a shoulder strap for hanging on the shoulder of the user.

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