Foot flexion exercise aid

Abstract

The challenge is to provide an exercise aid that helps prevent urinary incontinence by making the brain recognize the presence and location of the pelvic floor muscles, and enabling conscious contraction and relaxation of these muscles. [Solution] An assistive device for toe flexion exercise, characterized by comprising a base plate whose leading edge is curved or arc-shaped near the base of the toes when the foot is placed on it, a raised portion made of an elastic material on the upper and side surfaces along the leading edge of the base plate, and a foot fixing belt that presses against the area near the top of the foot placed on the base plate. Furthermore, to further enhance the exercise effect, the device is characterized by the attachment of a component that tilts the circuit board upwards towards the toes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an assistive device for toe flexion exercise for training pelvic floor muscles to prevent urine leakage.

Background Art

[0002] Urine leakage means that urine leaks regardless of or against one's will. It is said that there are a very large number of people suffering from urine leakage symptoms, regardless of gender or age. In the treatment of urine leakage, as a measure other than drug administration and surgery, there is a method of strengthening pelvic floor muscles.

[0003] The causes of urine leakage are roughly classified into four types, and their respective characteristics are as follows. 1) Stress urinary incontinence (urinary incontinence occurs at the moment of applying force to the abdomen. It is the most common among female urinary incontinence and is caused by the relaxation of the muscles of the pelvic floor). 2) Overflow urinary incontinence (too much urine accumulates in the bladder, but it cannot be urinated and leaks little by little. A typical disease is benign prostatic hyperplasia). 3) Urge urinary incontinence (suddenly feeling the urge to urinate and unable to hold it back and leaking. When there is a disorder in the brain's urine control, the bladder contracts on its own). 4) Functional urinary incontinence (the urinary function is normal, but due to the decline of physical motor function or dementia, etc., it is impossible to reach the toilet in time).

[0004] In addition to the above four types, in the case of men, when undergoing surgery such as total prostatectomy or partial resection of the prostate as a treatment for prostate cancer or benign prostatic hyperplasia, before the surgery, although the urethral compression caused by the hypertrophied prostate that made urination difficult was suddenly eliminated by the surgery, the pelvic floor muscles could not respond to the rapid internal changes in the body and could not close the urethra, resulting in symptoms of urine leakage.

[0005] Treatment methods vary depending on the type and severity of urinary incontinence, but it is known that strengthening the pelvic floor muscles around the urethra can improve symptoms. In the medical community, pelvic floor exercises, commonly known as Kegel exercises, are widely recommended as a way to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. Kegel exercises involve lying on your back or sitting, tightening the muscles around the anus, and gradually spreading that tension to the area around the urinary tract. After holding this position for 3 to 5 seconds, you release the tension and relax. This contraction and relaxation exercise is repeated about 10 times, and about 3 sets are performed per day.

[0006] However, many people who do Kegel exercises complain that they "can't feel their pelvic floor muscles tightening" or "don't even know where their pelvic floor muscles are located." Moreover, the older people get, the more likely they are to not feel the tightening sensation. Incidentally, it is widely recognized that the effectiveness of muscle training and stretching exercises is enhanced by consciously focusing on the target muscles and ligaments with the brain. Based on this understanding, it would be extremely difficult to effectively strengthen the pelvic floor muscles through Kegel exercises. In reality, it is generally believed that it takes at least three months to feel the effects of Kegel exercises.

[0007] Furthermore, especially in men, due to the structure of the anus and urinary tract, it is extremely difficult to create a chain reaction between tightening the muscles around the anus and the brain's signal to contract the external urethral sphincter. This presents a very serious problem: Kegel exercises as a measure against urinary incontinence after prostate treatment are often ineffective.

[0008] Patent Document 1 describes a method for strengthening the pelvic floor muscles by placing a spherical elastic body between the thighs and performing leg-closing exercises. However, while leg-closing exercises have some degree of coordination with the muscles around the anus due to the body's structure, the chain reaction to the muscles around the urinary tract is extremely limited, and therefore, it has the problem that it cannot be expected to have an effect in preventing urinary incontinence.

[0009] In other words, Kegel exercises and existing techniques have the problem of being difficult to use to make the brain recognize the presence / location of the pelvic floor muscles and simultaneously induce contraction signals to raise the pelvis in order to prevent urinary incontinence. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-104515 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0011] The challenge is to provide an exercise aid that makes it possible to prevent urinary incontinence by making the brain recognize the presence and location of the pelvic floor muscles and by strengthening the pelvic floor muscles through conscious contraction and relaxation exercises. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] This is an assistive device for toe flexion exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles to prevent urinary incontinence, comprising a base plate with a curved linear or arc-shaped front edge near the base of the toes when the foot is placed on it, an elastic raised portion on the upper and side surfaces along the front edge of the base plate, and a foot fixing belt that presses against the area near the top of the foot placed on the base plate.

[0013] The lower surface near the leading edge of the base plate of the exercise aid has a member that tilts the base plate.

[0014] The substrate material of the present invention is preferably wood or plastic, and preferably has sufficient strength to not bend even when weight is applied to it.

[0015] For a single-foot substrate, it is preferably 23 to 30 cm in the vertical direction, 10 to 15 cm in the horizontal width, and 10 to 25 mm in the plate thickness. For a double-foot substrate, it is preferably 23 to 30 cm in the vertical direction, 20 to 40 cm in the horizontal width, and 10 to 25 mm in the plate thickness. The front edge of the substrate shall be in a curved line shape connecting five points at the base of the lower surfaces of the five toes of a single foot, or in a combined shape of arcs that can ensure extending the toe tips forward from near the base of the toes. However, for a single-foot substrate, assuming that the left and right feet are used alternately, it is preferable that the shapes of the front edges of the substrate are the same. Note that the front edge of the substrate means a curved or arc-shaped edge located below the base of the toes, and the part exceeding the other foot width is distinguished as the front end of the substrate.

[0016] The double-foot substrate has two front edges protruding in a curved or arc shape, with an interval of 0 to 15 cm between them and arranged in parallel. When both front edges are in a curved line shape, it is preferably symmetric considering the shapes of the left and right toes, but they can also be in the same arc shape. Note that two single-foot substrates can also be made into double-foot ones by fixing them with a spacing on a connecting flat plate.

[0017] The ribbed ridges on the upper and side surfaces of the front edge of the substrate are columnar or rod-shaped members with a cross-section composed of an arc or a polygon. Furthermore, the material of the ribbed ridges is preferably EVA resin, rubber, or foamed polyethylene, etc., which has strong elasticity and resilience to receive the pressure of the bending movement of the toes and generate a reaction force corresponding to that pressure.

[0018] The ribbed ridges along the front edge of the substrate have a total length of 12 to 22 cm, a width of 8 to 15 mm, rise in a near-arc shape to a height of 3 to 7 mm from the upper surface of the substrate, and further extend 8 to 15 mm along the lower side surface from the front edge of the substrate to form a ribbed ridge in a near-arc shape with a height of 3 to 7 mm.

[0019] The cross-sectional shape of the ribbed raised portion is preferably such that when the toes are placed and bent, it adheres to the concave portion on the lower surface of the toes and gives a feeling of strong gripping. Therefore, it is preferable that the cross-sectional area of the ribbed raised portion gradually decreases from the thumb to the little finger direction. However, regardless of the change in the cross-sectional area, the same feeling can be achieved by utilizing the elasticity of the material.

[0020] The foot fixing belt for pressing near the instep is preferably a belt with variable tightening strength that adheres to the vicinity of the instep and can adjust the freedom of movement and pressure of the foot in order to enhance the effect of the toe bending movement. However, as long as the instep can be pressed with a certain degree of pressure during the bending movement, an integrally molded one such as a general slipper or sandal, or a belt made of a material such as elastic rubber may be used.

[0021] The foot fixing belt is preferably made of a material with durability such as cotton or acrylic fiber with a width of 4 to 7 centimeters and a thickness of 1 to 3 millimeters in order to ensure reliable fixation of the foot. Also, in order to make the tightening strength variable, it is preferable to use buckle parts or surface fasteners.

[0022] When using buckle parts, in order to avoid excessive local irritation to the skin near the instep caused by the buckle parts, a padding may be additionally sewn to the buckle part.

[0023] The substrate tilting member is attached near the front edge of the lower surface of the substrate in order to give the entire substrate a tilt of 5 to 25 degrees with the toe tips upward. The material is preferably made of wood, plastic, or hard rubber, etc., which has a strength that does not buckle even when a weight is loaded. The dimensions and shape of the substrate tilting member are preferably determined in consideration of sufficient strength, avoidance of rattling in the left-right direction, and the dimensions of the substrate.

[0024] When fixing the tilt angle of a circuit board, a circuit board tilting member having that angle is adhered to the underside of the circuit board. If it is necessary to replace it with a member having a different tilt angle, it is preferable to attach it using a removable method such as adhesive double-sided tape, hook-and-loop fasteners, or screws. In the case of a fixed angle, the circuit board and the circuit board tilting member may also be integrally molded. Furthermore, instead of using a member with a fixed angle, a structural member with an adjustable tilt angle function that allows the angle to be changed arbitrarily may also be used. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] When using the toe flexion exercise aid of the present invention, the toes perform a flexion movement in which they continuously apply pressure against the reaction force (restoring force) of the convex ridges that contact the underside of the toes. In the process of repeatedly performing this high-load flexion movement, complex movements are simultaneously induced not only in the lower limbs but also in the muscles and ligaments of the lower abdomen, especially around the urethra, via the lower limb nervous system. As a result, the brain clearly recognizes the presence and location of the pelvic floor muscles. At the same time, the brain's ability to generate contraction signals to the pelvic floor muscles is revived and strengthened, causing the pelvic floor muscles to respond strongly, resulting in the effect of preventing urinary incontinence.

[0026] The exercise aid of the present invention utilizes the physiological phenomenon of the human body, where toe flexion movements do not merely involve the contraction and relaxation of muscles and ligaments in the toes and feet, but rather have a chain reaction and widespread effect on muscles and internal organs throughout the entire body, as a result of the integrated function of the brain and the structure of the human body. This allows it to achieve a urinary incontinence prevention effect in a shorter time and more effectively than Kegel exercises or other exercise equipment can.

[0027] When you place your feet on an exercise aid that is tilted upwards towards your toes, the muscles and ligaments of your lower leg and calf are stretched, and the muscle contraction signals generated by the flexion of your toes are transmitted to the pelvic floor muscles at a stronger level. As a result, the contraction and relaxation movements of the pelvic floor muscles are significantly activated, and the effect of preventing urinary incontinence is doubled. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0028] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view relating to Example 1 (for one foot) of the present invention. [Figure 2] Plan view. [Figure 3] This is a front view. [Figure 4] This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the section AA shown in the plan view of Figure 2. [Figure 5] This is a reference diagram showing the state when using Example 1 of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a reference diagram showing the state when using Embodiment 2, which has a substrate tilting member attached. [Figure 7] This is a reference diagram showing the state when toe flexion exercises are performed in Example 2. [Figure 8] This is a reference diagram showing the state when using Example 3, in which a heel-holding member is added to the configuration of Example 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0029] The present invention will be explained with reference to examples. [Examples]

[0030] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a single-foot embodiment of the toe flexion exercise aid according to the present invention. The base plate 1-1 shown in Figure 2 is made of wood with a width of 12 centimeters, a length of 26 centimeters, and a thickness of 15 millimeters. The front end is shaped into an arc with a radius of 15 centimeters, and the raised ridge portion 1-2 is fixed with adhesive. The raised ridge portion is made of L-shaped rubber material, with one side of the L-shape being 10 millimeters and the thickness being 5 millimeters. The state of adhesion between the substrate and the raised ridge is shown in the enlarged cross-sectional view in Figure 4.

[0031] Figure 2 shows components 1-3A / B / C / D for the foot fixing belt. 1-3A is a wide belt for the left foot, with one end fixed to the left side of the base plate and a square buckle 1-3C sewn to the other end. 1-3B is a wide belt for the right foot, with one end fixed to the right side of the base plate and a hook-and-loop fastener 1-3D (male side) sewn to the underside near the other end. The wide belt 1-3B for the right foot is designed to pass through the slit in the buckle 1-3C, reverse direction, and engage with the hook-and-loop fastener 1-3D (female side) sewn to the upper surface of 1-3B for fixation.

[0032] The wide belts for 1-3A / B are made of acrylic material with a width of 40 mm and a thickness of 2 mm. The buckles are made of plastic.

[0033] Figure 5 shows the configuration of the embodiment shown in Figures 1-3 when the feet are placed on it during use. [Examples]

[0034] Figure 6 is a reference diagram showing the state when the foot is placed on a single-foot version of the toe flexion exercise aid according to the present invention, in which the base plate is tilted upwards towards the toes. In this embodiment, a base plate tilting member with a base plate tilt angle of 10 degrees is fixed to the lower surface near the front edge of the base plate with adhesive. In this embodiment, the substrate tilting member was made of plastic.

[0035] Figure 7 is a reference diagram showing the state when the toes are bent downwards, compared to the foot position shown in Figure 6. Due to the flexion of the toes, the convex ridges are grasped by the concave depressions on the underside of the toes and are further compressed by the force of the toes. [Examples]

[0036] Figure 8 is a reference diagram showing the foot in a state in which a heel-holding member is attached as an additional part to Embodiment 2 of the toe flexion exercise aid according to the present invention.

[0037] The heel support component slides on the base plate to match the user's foot size and can be locked in place with screws, latches, or other fasteners. Once the position is fixed, there is no need to adjust the foot position to the optimal position when starting to use the exercise aid, allowing for immediate exercise commencement. As a result, convenience is increased, and the effectiveness of preventing urinary incontinence is achieved more quickly. The heel support component is preferably made of wood, plastic, or hard rubber, but in Example 3, it is made of plastic and has a U-shaped fitting portion to prevent it from falling off the base plate, and is structured to straddle the base plate.

[0038] Ten middle-aged and elderly men and women with a history of urinary incontinence were first asked whether they felt a chain reaction of tension around the anus and lower abdomen when they strongly flexed their toes while barefoot. All responded that they "felt" it. Furthermore, when they flexed their toes while wearing the first example of the present invention, they were asked about the "change in stimulation" around the anus and urethra. All responded that "the stimulation became stronger, and they felt the contraction of the muscles around the urethra" and "they were able to concentrate their awareness on the muscles around the urethra." In addition, one elderly woman suffering from sporadic urinary incontinence used the first example and continued toe flexion exercises for about 10 minutes several times a day for one week. The results showed that she clearly felt the contraction around her pelvic floor muscles, her involuntary urinary incontinence symptoms improved significantly, and it became easier for her to hold back urination when she felt the urge. This proves that the toe flexion exercise aid of the present invention has a reliable effect.

[0039] Furthermore, using Example 2 of the present invention, we confirmed its effectiveness on patients suffering from severe urinary incontinence. The male user (elderly) who underwent prostatectomy due to a combination of benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer. However, for approximately two months after the surgery, he was unable to control his urination and suffered from severe after-effects of continuous urine leakage, making it essential for him to wear adult diapers in his daily life. During that time, he attempted to strengthen his pelvic floor muscles with Kegel exercises recommended by his doctor, but he was hardly able to feel his pelvic floor muscles contract, and there was no improvement in his symptoms at all. Under these circumstances, I began using the toe flexion exercise aid of the present invention. Immediately after starting use, I felt a clear sense of the presence and location of my pelvic floor muscles, and I experienced a change that allowed me to easily contract my urethral sphincter at will. As a result, I continued to regularly perform "high-intensity" toe flexion exercises using the present invention five times a day for about 10 minutes each time, and my urinary incontinence symptoms clearly began to improve. After about a week, the need to wear adult diapers decreased dramatically, and after about two weeks, urinary incontinence stopped completely, freeing me from diapers and allowing me to live a life similar to that of a healthy person. In addition, the amount of urine that could be stored in the bladder increased due to the tightening of the urethra, and the interval between urinations became the same as that of a healthy person. I also confirmed the remarkable effect of being freed from urgent urges to urinate when going out and frequent urination during sleep.

[0040] As exemplified by foot massage using bamboo, it has long been believed that stimulating the soles of the feet is beneficial for promoting health. Foot massage is widely recognized, and a wide variety of devices and footwear for foot massage have been commercialized. However, no exercise aid other than the present invention can be found that links toe flexion exercises to the prevention of urinary incontinence and further maximizes that effect.

[0041] From the perspective of preventing urinary incontinence, the purpose of the toe flexion exercise aid of the present invention is achieved once that effect is realized. However, since the foot fixing belt that presses against the area near the top of the foot acts as a high load on the arch of the foot (increase in curvature) that occurs with toe flexion, a secondary effect of strengthening the muscles of the arch of the foot (arch structure) occurs. Therefore, even after urinary incontinence stops, continuing to use the device can help prevent recurrence and provide health benefits and fall prevention.

[0042] Although embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and can be implemented in any form as long as it does not deviate from the purpose of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0043] 1. Exercise aid of Example 1 1-1 Circuit board 1-2 Convex ridges 1-3A Foot support belt (left) 1-3B Foot support belt (right) 1-3C Buckle for foot support belt 1-3D hook-and-loop fastener for foot support belts 2. Exercise aids for Example 2 2-1 Substrate tilting component 3. Exercise aid of Example 3 3-1 Heel support component 3-2 Fixing screws

Claims

1. An assistive device for toe flexion exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles to prevent urinary incontinence, characterized by comprising a base plate whose leading edge is curved linear or arc-shaped near the base of the toes when the foot is placed on it, a raised portion made of an elastic material on the upper and side surfaces along the leading edge of the base plate, and a foot fixing belt that presses against the area near the top of the foot placed on the base plate.

2. The toe flexion exercise aid according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a member for tilting the base plate on the lower surface near the front edge of the base plate of the exercise aid.

Images