Leg Support for Relieving Back Pain

Abstract

A therapeutic support configured to support the legs of the user for use when lying on a generally flat surface such as a bed or the like to relieve lower back pain. The support includes an apex and a flat base, the apex having a groove therein and side wings to prevent the user's legs from sliding out of the groove. The support promotes a posture in which the lower back and the feet are flat on the bed surface and the vertebrae of the spine are in a physiologically neutral position.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/730,977, filed on Oct. 28, 2005.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to orthopedic supports. In particular, the invention relates to a support device for use while lying supine, especially during sleep, which promotes a posture that relieves stress on the lower back.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Most people suffer from lower back pain from time to time. Many things can cause low back injuries, such as nervous muscle tension, muscle strain or spasm, fatigue, arthritis, curvature of the spine, minor spinal disc compression, pinched nerves, the menstrual cycle and pregnancy.

Treatment of ongoing back problems must be directed at the cause. Ultimately, long term goals such as losing weight (being overweight can also exacerbate back pain), getting in better shape, doing doctor-prescribed back exercises, and improving one's posture when sitting, standing and sleeping should be undertaken. However, for short term relief one may need a day or two of resting the back muscles. Resting longer than this is not recommended, because prolonged periods of non-use can cause the back muscles to weaken, which can slow recovery time. It is often recommended that, even if there is pain, one should walk around for a few minutes every hour to keep the back muscles stimulated. Nevertheless, achieving proper posture is especially important during sleep, where a bad posture can exacerbate low back pain.

One quick and easy way to achieve a proper posture to relieve low back pain is to lie on one's back on the floor with a support or supports under the knees, with the hips and knees bent. This takes the pressure and weight off the back and supports the weight of the legs, and also decreases pressure on the hip joints to help create a relaxed and comfortable resting position.

Many different types of cushion supports for relief of back pain have been devised over the years. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,117,095 to Daggett et al., 5,097,553 to Boland and 4,502,170 to Morrow all disclose a leg support for the relief of back pain in which the back is supported by a small pad and the thighs, lower legs and feet are supported and elevated by a large cushion or pillow.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,085,371 to Umhofer and 3,946,451 to Spann both disclose a leg support apparatus which supports a single leg. The Umhofer support is made from cardboard, plastic, or a wire frame. The Spann support is made of a foam material and is designed to keep the foot elevated off the bed to promote healing of leg and foot injuries and prevent formation of decubitus ulcers.

Both U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,878,453 to Stokes and 5,871,457 to Swedberg et al. disclose a leg support pillow which includes a between-knee portion for aiding the user in lying on their side. Similarly, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,789,282 to Frydman and 5,746,218 to Edge disclose leg supports designed to allow the user sleep on their side, with the support intended to fit between the user's knees or legs.

While the prior art supports mentioned above may be useful for their intended purposes, there remains a need in the art for a therapeutic support that allows the user's lower back to lay flat on a bed while keeping the knees comfortably bent and the feet flat on the bed surface. There is also a need for a leg support that counteracts the tendency for the user's legs to spread or slide off of the sides of the support. It would also be advantageous to provide a support which promotes a tendency to remain in the same position should the user fall asleep. Such a support should be relatively easy to manufacture and must be comfortable to use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The therapeutic support of the present invention addresses the aforementioned needs in the art. The therapeutic support receives a user's knees and lower thighs and holds the user's legs together during a short rest period or for a full night's sleep, while keeping the lower back and feet flat on the bed surface.

One aspect of the invention provides a support for use by an individual when lying on a flat surface, comprising a base having a proximal portion, a distal portion, a right side and a left side, and an apex having a groove therein for supporting both legs behind the knees and side wings to prevent the legs from sliding out of the groove. Typically the base has a generally flat undersurface and is wider than the width of the apex from the right side to the left side and slopes upwardly from the proximal and distal portions to the apex, with the side wings being integral with the support and extending above the level of the groove, and the apex being free of extensions above the height of the side wings. Further, the support typically has a height from the base to the apex adequate to allow a posture that is physiologically neutral.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method for relieving lower back pain comprising: (1) laying supine on a substantially flat surface; (2) inserting a support beneath both legs, the support comprising a base having a proximal portion, a distal portion, a right side and a left side, and an apex having a groove therein for supporting both legs behind the knees and side wings to prevent the legs from sliding out of the groove, the base having a generally flat undersurface and being wider than the width of the apex from the right side to the left side and sloping upwardly from the proximal and distal portions to the apex, the side wings being integral with the support and extending above the level of the groove, the apex being free of extensions above the height of the side wings, the support having a height from the base to the apex adequate to allow a posture that is physiologically neutral; (3) keeping the feet in contact with the substantially flat surface; and (4) remaining in the supine position with the support beneath the legs.

Another aspect of the invention provides a therapeutic support for use when lying on a substantially flat surface to relieve lower back pain, comprising an apex including a groove configured to support the legs of the user and side wings configured to prevent the user's legs from sliding out of the groove, and a base including a proximal portion, a distal portion, a right side and a left side, wherein the support promotes a posture in which the vertebrae of the spine are in a physiologically neutral position.

The nature and advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated from the following drawings, detailed description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with a general description of the invention given above, and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a front view of one embodiment of the therapeutic support of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the therapeutic support of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an individual using the therapeutic support of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view of another embodiment of the therapeutic support of the present invention having a central ridge in the groove.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

“Physiologically neutral” as used herein means that position in which the parts of the body, particularly the vertebrae of the lower spine, the pelvis and the hip joints are in an unstressed position, a position which helps to take stress off of the sciatic nerve and also alleviate and prevent low back pain and sore joints. In this manner, a position of physiological rest can be obtained.

FIG. 1 illustrates a front view of one embodiment of the therapeutic support of the present invention, the support 10 including a base 12 with a generally flat undersurface 13, a right side 14, and a left side 16. The support 10 also includes an apex 18 with a groove 20 therein. The apex 18 also has a right side wing 22 and a left side wing 24 on the periphery of the groove 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the user's legs 15, 17 typically fit within the groove 20 at the apex 18 of the support 10. The side wings 22, 24 typically prevent the legs 15, 17 from sliding laterally out of the groove 20. The undersurface 13 of the base is typically flat, and the base 12 is typically wider than the width of the apex 18 from the right side 14 to the left side 16 to keep the support 10 from moving or rolling from side to side. The side wings 22, 24 are typically integral with the support 10 and extend above the level of the groove 20. The apex 18 is typically free of any other extensions above the height of the groove 20, other than the side wings 22, 24.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the therapeutic support 10, illustrating that the base 12 also includes a proximal portion 26 and a distal portion 28, in addition to the generally flat undersurface 13. In this view, the left side 16 of the base and the left wing 24 of the apex are facing towards the viewer, with the groove 20 shown in phantom behind the left wing 24.

FIG. 3 illustrates the support 10 when being used by an individual 30. The base 12 typically has a generally flat undersurface 13 and rests flat on the bed surface 32, with the proximal portion 26 facing the head of the bed 32 and the distal portion 28 facing the foot of the bed. The proximal 26 and distal 28 portions of the support 10 typically slope upwardly at an angle from the base 12 to the apex 18. As a non-limiting example, the slope from the base to the apex can be from about 45° to about 85°, typically from about 60° to about 70°, on either side. The slope is intended to provide a cushion beneath the thighs, knees and legs of the user 30, with the knees bent. The base is also wider between the proximal and distal portions as compared to the apex to inhibit the support 10 from moving or rolling from front to back during use.

In use, the user 30 lays supine with his back flat on the substantially flat bed surface 32. The user 30 then places the support 10 having a base 12 with a generally flat undersurface 13 beneath their legs 15, 17. The user's legs 15, 17 are placed in the groove 20 of the support 10 with the left side 16 of the support of the individual's left and the proximal portion 26 of the support facing the head of the bed. The user's feet 34 are placed in a substantially flat position on the bed 32, with the knees bent and supported within the groove and between the side wings of the support. The user 30 typically remains in this supine position for a predetermined amount of time, keeping the feet 34 in substantial contact with the bed surface 32 with the support 10 beneath the legs 15, 17 having bent knees. Typically the user remains in this position for about 10 to about 60 minutes to relieve acute back pain, more typically from about 15 to about 30 minutes. However, the support can also be used for an entire sleep cycle, which can range from about 1 hour to about 12 hours, without adverse affects.

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the support, the support 50 including a base 52 with a flat undersurface 53, a right side 54 and a left side 56. The support 50 of FIG. 4 also includes an apex 58 with a groove 60 therein and a right side wing 62 and a left side wing 64. However, the groove 60 of this embodiment is dihedral (two-faced) in that it has indentations for both legs 15, 17 by including a central ridge 66 in the middle of the groove 60. The ridge 66 further aids the user to lie with their back and their feet flat on the bed with the support beneath the legs. The ridge 66 inhibits the legs from sliding about within the indentations in the groove 60.

In all embodiments, the base of the support is generally flat so that the support resists rolling on a substantially flat surface. Further, the support is typically wider at the base than at the apex, both from right side to left side and from the proximal to the distal portions, so that the support resists rolling or moving from side to side and from front to back. In one embodiment the base can be wide enough from right to left sides to approximate the width of a single-sized bed. In another embodiment the base can be from about 15 inches to about 50 inches wide, typically from about 16 inches to about 20 inches wide, from right to left sides, so long as the apex is narrower than the base. In one embodiment, from its proximal to distal portions, the base is from about 15 inches to about 50 inches wide, and typically from about 16 inches to about 20 inches wide. As noted above, the slope of the support at the proximal and distal sides is generally at an angle less than 90° from the base to the apex and is intended to provide a cushion beneath the thighs, knees and legs of the user, with the knees bent.

The entire support, including the side wings and the groove, typically comprises a soft yet dense viscoelastic material, such as a high resiliency, high density “memory foam” or such similar material. Such a material provides needed support without compromising comfort. The side wings typically extend above the groove from about 1 to about 8 inches, typically from about 3 to about 5 inches. Other than the side wings, the support typically has no other extensions above the height of the groove. In the embodiment having a central ridge in the groove, however, the ridge is below the height of the side wings. The height of the support is generally between about 5 to about 30 inches, typically between about 6 to about 20 inches high, and can be manufactured to fit different sized users. For example, children or small adults will benefit from a shorter base-to-apex height, while taller adults will be more comfortable with taller supports. However, in all instances it is intended for the user to lie with their back and feet substantially flat on the bed.

It should, of course, be realized that whenever severe back pain occurs, one should always seek prompt medical diagnosis since the cause of the pain may be due to serious physical injury or ailment, such as broken ribs, torn or cut muscles, tissue or ligaments, kidney problems, herniated or severely degenerated discs, osteoporosis, tumors, etc. In such cases, using the therapeutic support and method herein described may be harmful. Whenever symptoms are due to muscle strain or sprain, it is generally advisable to apply a cold substance such as an ice pack initially to reduce swelling and then to use the present invention. When minor pain is dealt with in its early stages, recovery time is greatly reduced and further escalation to serious back damage may be averted. If someone suffers from osteoporosis (brittle bones), they should not use the present invention without first seeking professional medical advice.

While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of embodiments and examples thereof, it is not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A therapeutic support for use by an individual when lying on a flat surface, comprising:

a base having a proximal portion, a distal portion, a right side and a left side; and

an apex having a groove for supporting both legs and side wings for preventing the legs from sliding out of the groove,

the base having a generally flat undersurface and being wider than the width of the apex from the right side to the left side and sloping upwardly from the proximal and distal portions to the apex, the side wings being integral with the support and extending above the level of the groove, the apex being free of extensions above the height of the side wings, the support having a height from the base to the apex adequate to allow a posture that is physiologically neutral.

2. The support according to claim 1, wherein the base has a width from the right side to the left side approximating the width of a bed.

3. The support according to claim 2, wherein the width of the base is from about 15 to about 50 inches from the right side to the left side.

4. The support according to claim 1, wherein the height of the support is between about 5 to about 30 inches.

5. The support according to claim 1, wherein the side wings extend above the groove of the apex from about 1 to about 8 inches.

6. The support according to claim 1, wherein the support is made of a high resiliency, high density, viscoelastic material.

7. The support according to claim 1, wherein the groove of the apex includes a central ridge and leg indentations, the central ridge parallel to the side wings.

8. A method for relieving lower back pain, the method comprising:

(1) laying supine on a substantially flat surface;

(2) inserting a support beneath both legs, the support comprising a base having a proximal portion, a distal portion, a right side and a left side, and an apex having a groove therein for supporting both legs and side wings to prevent the legs from sliding out of the groove, the base having a generally flat undersurface and being wider than the width of the apex from the right side to the left side and sloping upwardly from the proximal and distal portions to the apex, the side wings being integral with the support and extending above the level of the groove, the apex being free of extensions above the height of the side wings, the support having a height from the base to the apex adequate to allow a posture that is physiologically neutral;

(3) keeping the feet in contact with the substantially flat surface; and

(4) remaining in the supine position with the support beneath the legs.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein step (4) is continued for between about 10 minutes to about 12 hours.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein step (4) is continued for between about 15 minutes to about 30 minutes.

11. A therapeutic support for use when lying on a substantially flat surface to relieve lower back pain, comprising:

an apex including a groove configured to support the legs of the user and side wings configured to prevent the user's legs from sliding out of the groove; and

a base including a proximal portion, a distal portion, a right side and a left side, wherein the support promotes a posture in which the vertebrae of the spine are in a physiologically neutral position.

12. The support according to claim 10, wherein the base of the support is configured to have a generally flat undersurface and a width which is wider than the width of the apex from the right side to the left side and slopes upwardly from the proximal and distal portions to the apex, the side wings being integral with the support and extending above the level of the groove, the apex being free of extensions above the height of the side wings, the support having a height from the base to the apex adequate to allow a posture that is physiologically neutral.

13. The support according to claim 10, wherein the width of the base is from about 15 to about 50 inches from the right side to the left side.

14. The support according to claim 10, wherein the height of the support is between about 5 to about 30 inches.

15. The support according to claim 10, wherein the side wings extend above the groove of the apex from about 1 to about 8 inches.

16. The support according to claim 10, wherein the support is made of a high resiliency, high density, viscoelastic material.

17. The support according to claim 10, wherein the groove of the apex includes a central ridge and leg indentations, the central ridge parallel to the side wings.