APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR STRETCHING THE LOWER LEG
Embodiments of the invention include a method and apparatus for stretching the posterior compartment of the lower leg. The apparatus comprises a body having a continuous dome-shaped outer surface including an upper rounded section and a plurality of walls extending downwardly from the upper section. The upper rounded section and the plurality of walls are adapted to support portions of the foot in inverted and everted positions.
In general, this application relates to an apparatus and methods for stretching the posterior portion of the lower leg, and more particularly to an apparatus and methods for providing stabilized ankle joint dorsiflexion while controlling hindfoot, midfoot, and forefoot pathomechanics.
Loss of dorsiflexion range of motion in the ankle (secondary to posterior compartment tightness) may contribute to painful pes planovalgus (PPV) or flatfoot, subsequent posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, and other problems. When dorsiflexion is compromised by posterior compartment tightness, the paths of least resistance during tibial progression over the foot are excessive hindfoot valgus and midfoot collapse with forefoot abduction.
Passive range of motion stretching is frequently prescribed for symptomatic PPV patients. When passive stretching occurs, without controlling the pathomechanics of PPV, the posterior compartment is not isolated and the midfoot is loaded into a collapsed position. This results in suboptimal outcomes from passive range of motion stretching with the potential for symptom exacerbation.
Stretching is also implicated for patients with equinovarus. Equinovarus foot and ankle condition is commonly associated with anterior compartment strength compromise (e.g., clubfoot, Charcot Marie Tooth disease, cerebral vascular accident, etc.). As the anterior compartment may be overpowered by the posterior compartment, limited dorsiflexion range of motion may result. The associated varus posture of the foot and ankle associated with these conditions necessitates hindfoot and forefoot control during passive stretching of the posterior compartment.
Accordingly, there is a need to improve the control over the pathomechanics of PPV and equinovarus under passive range of motion stretching.
BRIEF SUMMARYAn apparatus and method for stretching the muscles of the lower leg are generally disclosed. More particularly, an apparatus and methods for stabilizing the foot while stretching the posterior compartment of the lower leg are disclosed. The methods include dorsiflexion wherein the feet are positioned so that the forefoot and hindfoot are inverted or everted while the posterior compartment is simultaneously stretched.
In one embodiment, an apparatus for stretching the posterior compartment of the lower leg is provided and includes a body having a dome-shaped continuous outer surface. The outer surface includes a rounded upper section and a plurality of walls. The upper section supports at least a portion of a foot. The plurality of walls extend downwardly from the upper section and includes a sidewall that also supports at least a portion of the foot.
In another embodiment, a method is provided for stretching the posterior compartment of the lower leg. The method includes providing a body having a continuous dome-shaped outer surface and positioning a portion of a foot on a rounded upper section and a sidewall of the outer surface.
In another embodiment, a method is provided for stretching the posterior compartment of the lower leg. The method includes providing a first body having a continuous dome-shaped outer surface and a second body having a continuous dome-shaped outer surface; positioning at least a portion of a first foot on a first upper section and a first sidewall of the outer surface of the first body; and positioning at least a portion of a second foot on a second upper section and a second sidewall of the outer surface of the second body.
Having thus described embodiments of the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
The following description and examples illustrate some exemplary embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and methods for stretching the lower leg. Those of skill in the art will recognize that there may be numerous variations and modifications of the apparatus and methods that may be encompassed by the scope of this disclosure. Accordingly, the description of the exemplary embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the apparatus and methods for stretching the lower leg.
In order to facilitate an understanding of the various aspects of the apparatus and methods for stretching the lower leg, the following are defined below.
The term “hindfoot” as used herein refers without limitation to the posterior portion of the human foot. For example, the hindfoot may include the areas of the foot comprising the subtalar joint and the adjacent bones and soft tissue. The term “midfoot” as used herein refers without limitation to the section of the human foot that includes the tarsometatarsal joints and adjacent bones and soft tissue. The term “forefoot” as used herein refers without limitation to the section of the foot that includes the metatarsophalangeal joints and adjacent bones and soft tissue.
The term “medial longitudinal arch” or “arch” as used herein refers without limitation to the section of the human foot that includes the calcaneus, talus, navicular, cuneiforms, and the first three metatarsal bones.
The term “lower leg” as used herein refers without limitation to the portion of the human leg below the knee. For example, the lower leg may include leg, ankle, and foot portions.
The term “posterior compartment” as used herein refers without limitation to the area of the leg comprising the gastrocnemius, plantaris, and soleus muscles. All three of these muscles are connected to the Achilles tendon or calcaneal tendon. The posterior compartment may also include the muscles of the deep posterior compartment, such as the flexor digitorum longus, flexor hallicus longus, and tibialis posterior muscles.
The term “inverted position” as used herein refers without limitation to turning the foot or a portion of the foot medially or toward the midline of the body so that the sole of the foot is facing in an inward direction.
The term “everted position” as used herein refers without limitation to turning the foot or a portion of the foot laterally or away from the midline of the body so that the sole of the foot is facing in an outward direction.
In
In some embodiments, the stretcher 10 is made of a rigid material such as hard plastic or any combination or mixture of materials that do not compress, deform, or collapse under body weight. In other embodiments, the stretcher 10 is made of a flexible material(s) of varying durometers such as rubber, silicon, ethylene vinyl acetate foam, or combination thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, the leg stretcher 10 is formed from a single unitary plastic piece such that the stretcher 10 is easy and cost effective to manufacture, ship, and store. The upper section 14 and the walls (16, 18a, 18b, 20) define an inner cavity 24. The lower leg stretcher 10 is formed by molding, extrusion, thermoforming, coating, or by any other manufacturing method or combination of methods. In the illustrated embodiment, the rim 22 is square-shaped, but may also be, for example, round-shaped, triangle-shaped, or any other shape. In the embodiment shown, the stretcher 10 is lightweight, stackable, and cost effective to manufacture as a minimal amount of material is needed to form a hollow body. In other embodiments, the body 12 may be solidly formed. For example, stretcher 10 may be configured such that a planar surface extends along the entire bottom area of body 12. In some embodiments, the body 12 may be solidly formed from a rigid material such as a plastic or a flexible material(s) of varying durometers such as rubber, silicon, ethylene vinyl acetate foam, or combinations thereof. The unitary construction of the stretcher 10 allows the user to stretch the lower leg with very little complications or instructions.
As best seen in
In
In other embodiments, embedded texture is formed in the outer surface of the body 12. For example, the plastic outer surface of the body 12 may be formed with dimples, ridges, or any other type of surface texture to prevent a user's foot from slipping. In other embodiments, indentations or raised markings for user guidance are formed in the outer surface of the stretcher 10. For example, the outer surface of the body 12 may be imprinted with an indentation in the shape of a foot or arrows or text to provide stretching or foot placement instructions.
As shown in
In use, a user positions one or both feet on the outer surface of the stretcher 10. In the illustrated embodiments, the foot is positioned so that the toes of a forefoot 30 are directed toward front wall 16 and the heel of a hindfoot 32 is directed toward rear wall 20 (
In
The upper section 14 is convex-shaped and supports at least a portion of a medial longitudinal arch 34 as shown in
In some embodiments, the sidewalls 18a, 18b support a portion of the forefoot 30 and hindfoot 32 of the right foot 26a and left foot 26b. In other embodiments, the front wall 16 and rear wall 20 each support a portion of the forefoot 30 or hindfoot 32 of the right foot 26a and/or left foot 26b (see,
In one embodiment, the entire plantar surface (i.e. the sole) of the foot is in contact with the outer surface of stretcher 10. For example, a user with PPV may position their feet on stretcher 10 such that the portion of the plantar surface of the foot corresponding to a fallen arch is supported in addition to the rest of the sole. In this way, the corrective loads are comfortably distributed over the broadest possible surface area.
In
Depending on the position of the foot, the upper section 14 supports at least a portion of the forefoot 30 and hindfoot 32 of the right foot 26a and/or left foot 26b. For example, a user may place their left foot on the right sidewall of the stretcher 10 while placing their right foot on the ground or on an elevated platform located adjacent to the stretcher 10. The supporting foot, for example, may be placed on a platform such that the supporting foot is at the same height as the foot engaging the stretching apparatus to promote balance and ensure optimal stretching of the lower leg. In other embodiments, a user positions one foot on one of the stretcher 10 and the other foot on another of the stretcher 10. For example, a user may place their right foot on the left sidewall of a first stretcher and place their left foot on the right sidewall of an adjacent second stretcher. In this way, both posterior compartments of the lower legs are stretched at the same time and the user is able to remain balanced on both apparatuses during the stretch. The dorsiflexion load may be increased by shifting the user's center of mass forward. The two stretchers may be, for example, fastened together or secured to the floor or a supporting structure for added stability. The stretchers may be positioned adjacent to each other at varying distances.
While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of and not restrictive on the broad invention, and that this invention not be limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, since various other changes, combinations, omissions, modifications and substitutions, in addition to those set forth in the above paragraphs, are possible. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just described embodiments can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.
Claims
1. An apparatus for stretching the posterior compartment of the lower leg, the apparatus comprising:
- a body having a continuous dome-shaped outer surface, the outer surface including: a rounded upper section for supporting at least a portion of a foot; and a plurality of walls extending downwardly from the upper section, the plurality of walls including at least one sidewall for supporting at least a portion of the foot.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a rim extending along the bottom edges of the plurality of walls for supporting the apparatus on a surface.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the foot comprises a forefoot and a hindfoot.
4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the forefoot and the hindfoot are supported on the outer surface of the body and the forefoot is positioned at a higher elevation than the hindfoot.
5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one sidewall supports at least a portion of the forefoot and the hindfoot in an inverted position.
6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one sidewall supports at least a portion of the forefoot and the hindfoot in an everted position.
7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the upper section supports at least a portion of the forefoot and the hindfoot in an everted position.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the foot comprises a medial longitudinal arch.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one sidewall supports at least a portion of the medial longitudinal arch.
10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the upper section supports at least a portion of the medial longitudinal arch.
11. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the plurality of walls further comprises a rear wall, wherein the rear wall supports at least a portion of the hindfoot.
12. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the plurality of walls further comprises a front wall, wherein the front wall supports at least a portion of the forefoot.
13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a textured material applied to a portion of the outer surface of the body.
14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the textured material comprises neoprene.
15. A method for stretching the posterior compartment of the lower leg, the method comprising:
- providing a body having a continuous dome-shaped outer surface, the outer surface including: a rounded upper section; a plurality of walls extending downwardly from the upper section, the plurality of walls comprising at least one sidewall;
- positioning at least a portion of one or more feet on the upper section and on the at least one sidewall.
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising contacting the entire plantar surface of the one or more feet on a portion of the outer surface of the body.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more feet comprises a right foot and a left foot and the at least one sidewall comprises a right side wall and a left sidewall.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising placing a portion of the right foot on the right sidewall in an inverted position.
19. The method of claim 17, further comprising placing a portion of the left foot on the left sidewall in an inverted position.
20. The method of claim 17, further comprising placing a portion of the right foot on the left sidewall in an everted position.
21. The method of claim 17, further comprising placing a portion of the left foot on the right sidewall in an everted position.
22. The method of claim 17, further comprising placing a portion of the left foot and a portion of the right foot on the upper section in an everted position.
23. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more feet comprise a medial longitudinal arch.
24. The method of claim 23, further comprising positioning at least a portion of the medial longitudinal arch on the at least one side wall.
25. The method of claim 23, further comprising positioning at least a portion of the medial longitudinal arch on the upper section.
26. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more feet comprise a hindfoot and a forefoot.
27. The method of claim 25, further comprising imposing a dorsiflexion load by positioning the forefoot and the hindfoot on the outer surface of the body such that the forefoot is at a higher elevation that the hindfoot.
28. The method of claim 19, further comprising increasing the dorsioflexion load by tilting the center of mass of a user forward.
29. A method for stretching the posterior compartment of the lower leg, the method comprising:
- providing a first body having a dome-shaped continuous outer surface, the outer surface comprising: a first rounded upper section; and a plurality of walls extending downwardly from the first upper section, the plurality of walls comprising a first sidewall;
- providing a second body having a dome-shaped continuous outer surface, the outer surface comprises: a second rounded upper section; and a plurality of walls extending downwardly from the second upper section, the plurality of walls comprising a second sidewall;
- positioning at least a portion of a first foot on the first upper section and first sidewall and at least a portion of a second foot on the second upper section and second sidewall.
30. The method of claim 29, further comprising placing at least a portion of the first foot on the first sidewall in an everted position.
31. The method of claim 29, further comprising placing at least a portion of the second foot on the second sidewall in an everted position.
32. The method of claim 29, further comprising placing at least a portion of the first foot on the first upper section in an everted position and placing at least a portion of the second foot on the second upper section in an everted position.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 16, 2010
Publication Date: Feb 16, 2012
Inventor: Michael Joseph Astilla (Durham, NC)
Application Number: 12/857,263
International Classification: A63B 21/00 (20060101);