ACHILLES STRETCHING DEVICES AND METHODS PERFORMED THEREWITH
Therapeutic devices and methods stretching the Achilles tendon. Each device includes base and wedge portions. The wedge portion has heel and toe ends, inside-foot and outside-foot edges, and an upper surface that includes a planar surface portion that lies in a wedge plane and an arcuate surface portion defined by a projection that extends out of the wedge plane. The wedge plane 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. The fore-aft taper and the lateral taper are sufficient so that placement of a user's foot on the upper surface of the wedge portion causes supination and locking of the foot and enables stretching of the Achilles complex, while the arch of the user's foot is against and supported by the arcuate surface portion.
This is a continuation-in-part patent application of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/750,754, filed Mar. 31, 2010, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/164,975, filed Mar. 31, 2009. The contents of these patent applications are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention generally relates to therapy and physical fitness equipment, and more particularly to devices capable of stretching the calf muscle-Achilles tendon unit.
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 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.
The normal human foot is a dynamic structure that can function as a flexible unit capable of adapting to uneven support surfaces during weight bearing, as well as a rigid unit capable of forward propulsion through tightening of the calf muscles. The loosening and stiffening of the foot automatically occur as a result of locking and unlocking the midfoot during walking and running. The same mechanism can be used in a reverse fashion to lock the midfoot and stiffen the foot by maximally lifting the big toe (hallux) and its metatarsal bone away from the ground or the level of the fifth toe and its metatarsal bone (supination of the forefoot). One can also pronate the forefoot by elevating the fifth metatarsal relative to the first metatarsal, which results in unlocking the foot and stretching the arch of the foot.
The Achilles tendon can be stretched by daily activities and specific exercises that force the forefoot (toes and metatarsus) toward the leg. In adults, weight-bearing exercises are generally more useful for stretching the Achilles tendon, whereas in children stretching is typically best accomplished with the assistance of an adult. Dynamic splints that provide constant stretching of the tendon can be used by both adults and children. However, such devices achieve limited stretching of the Achilles tendon because stretching of the calf muscle-Achilles tendon unit is more effective if the foot acts as a rigid lever and transmits all the stretch to the Achilles. If the foot is not rigid, some of the stretching forces tend to stretch the arch of the foot and can create or worsen an existing flatfoot condition.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides therapeutic devices and methods suitable for stretching the Achilles tendon. The devices provide for supination of the forefoot to make the foot more rigid and allow better stretching of the calf muscle-Achilles unit. Furthermore, the devices provide support for the arch of the foot, reducing stretching forces that would tend to stretch the arch of the foot and create or worsen an existing flatfoot condition.
According to a first aspect of the invention, a therapeutic device is provided that comprises a wedge portion and a base portion. The wedge portion has oppositely-disposed heel and toe ends in a fore-aft direction of the wedge portion, oppositely-disposed inside-foot and outside-foot edges in a lateral direction of the wedge portion, and an upper surface delineated by the heel and toe ends and the inside-foot and outside-foot edges of the wedge portion. The upper surface of the wedge portion comprises a planar surface portion that lies in a wedge plane and an arcuate surface portion defined by a projection that extends out of the wedge plane. The wedge plane 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 a higher elevation at the toe end than at the heel end and the outside-foot edge has a substantially constant elevation in the fore-aft direction. The fore-aft taper and the lateral taper are sufficient so that placement of a user's heel on the upper surface at the heel end and the user's toes on the upper surface at the toe end causes supination and locking of the foot and enables stretching of the Achilles complex. The projection extends from the inside-foot edge toward but not to the outside-foot edge in the lateral direction, and extends between but not to the toe and heel ends of the wedge portion. The arcuate surface portion of the projection has arcuate contours in both the lateral and fore-aft directions, and the arcuate contours of the arcuate surface portion define an apex that is at least ten millimeters to about forty millimeters from the wedge plane.
According to further aspects of the invention, the device can be configured as a freestanding structure, in other words, the device does not require any additional external structure to support the device or enable the device to perform its intended function of supination and locking of the foot during stretching of the Achilles complex. As such, the base portion is adapted for placement on a surface of a floor or ground and the wedge portion enables weight-bearing stretching of the Achilles complex. The device can also be configured as a shoe wherein the wedge portion causes weight-bearing stretching of the Achilles complex when the user walks and runs while wearing the shoe, or configured as a splint wherein the nonuniform elevation of the upper surface of the wedge portion relative to the base portion is a result of the splint twisting the wedge portion, or configured as an apparatus comprising at least one strap attached to the base portion so that a user can pull the wedge portion to cause stretching of the Achilles complex.
Other aspects of the invention include stretching techniques using the devices described above. In each case, the device is specifically configured for stretching the Achilles complex of one foot, yet can also be switched to the opposite foot to pronate that foot and stretch the arch of the foot, for example, as a therapeutic treatment for high arched feet.
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 promote the ability of the calf muscles and Achilles tendon to stretch and allow ankle dorsiflexion, thereby reducing abnormal stresses within the midfoot and forefoot. Furthermore, the projection minimizes if not avoids stretching of the arch of the foot, thereby avoiding the creation or worsening of a flatfoot condition.
Other aspects and advantages of this invention will be better appreciated from the following detailed description.
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.
The upper surface 24 of each wedge portion 12 is shown to lie in a plane but have a nonuniform elevation relative to the base portion 16 as a result of the size and shape of the risers 14a and 14b. In particular, the riser 14a adjacent the heel ends 16 of the wedge portions 12 is smaller than the riser 14b adjacent the toe ends 18 of the wedge portions 12, causing the wedge portions 12 to taper in both the fore-aft and lateral directions relative to a surface 26 on which the base portion 14 is supported, such that the inside-foot edge 20 has an increasing elevation toward the toe end 18, while the outside-foot edge 22 has a substantially constant elevation in the fore-aft direction. In addition, each wedge portion 12 has a nonconstant lateral width in the lateral direction as a result of the toe end 18 having a width that is greater than the width at the heel end 16. For example, the lateral width of each wedge portion 12 can nominally conform to a typical difference in the width of a human foot at the toes and heel. For this purpose, each wedge portion 12 may be sized for a specific range of foot sizes.
According to a preferred aspect of the invention, the fore-aft and lateral tapers of the wedge portions 12 are sufficient so that placement of one's foot on one of the upper surfaces 24 of the wedge portions 12 causes supination and locking of the foot and enables stretching of the Achilles complex. As an example, the inside-foot edge 20 at the toe end 18 may be elevated about one to about four inches (about 2.5 to about 10 centimeters) above the outside-foot edge 22 as a result of the fore-aft and lateral tapers of each wedge portion 12. As evident from
In use, an individual can utilize either or both wedge portions 12 of the device 10. In either case, a user places his or her heel against the upper surface 24 at the heel end 16 of the wedge portion 12 and places his or her toes against the upper surface 24 at the toe end 18 of the wedge portion 12 to cause supination and locking of the foot and stretching of the Achilles complex. In the embodiment of
While each wedge portion 12 is specifically configured for stretching the Achilles complex of either the right or left foot, each wedge portion 12 can also be used on the foot opposite the intended foot to pronate the opposite foot and stretch the arch of that foot, for example, as a therapeutic treatment for high arched feet.
Various materials can be used in the construction of the device 10 shown in
The embodiments of
In the embodiment of
As evident from
Alternatively, the device 10 can be used in combination with a leg splint 42 (
The wedge portions 12a and 12b are shown in
Lastly, the embodiment of
Similar to the therapeutic device 10 of
As seen in
The arcuate surface portion 24b defined by the projection 46 is intended to correspond to the size, shape and location of the arch of a human foot. As such, the projection 46 can be seen in
Though represented as adapted to accommodate only one foot (for illustrative purposes,
Consistent with the prior embodiments, the fore-aft and lateral tapers of the wedge portion 12 are sufficient so that placement of a user's foot against the upper surface 24 of the wedge portion 12 causes supination and locking of the foot to enable stretching of the Achilles complex. More particularly, the user's heel is supported at the heel end 16 by the planar surface portion 24a, and the user's toes are supported at the toe end 18 by the planar surface portion 24a. Additionally, the arch of the user's foot is against and supported by the arcuate surface portion 24b between the heel and toe ends 16 and 18 of the wedge portion 12, with the result that the projection 46 at least minimizes if not avoids stretching of the arch of the foot while a user stretches their calf muscles and Achilles tendon with the device 10. As such, the device 10 represented in
While the invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments, it is apparent that other forms could be adopted by one skilled in the art. For example, the physical configuration of the wedges and foot plates could differ from that shown, and materials and processes other than those noted could be used. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims.
Claims
1. A therapeutic device for the foot, the device comprising:
- a base portion;
- a wedge portion having oppositely-disposed heel and toe ends in a fore-aft direction thereof, oppositely-disposed inside-foot and outside-foot edges in a lateral direction thereof;
- an upper surface delineated by the heel and toe ends and the inside-foot and outside-foot edges of the wedge portion, the upper surface comprising a planar surface portion that lies in a wedge plane and an arcuate surface portion defined by a projection that extends out of the wedge plane, the wedge plane having 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 a higher elevation at the toe end than at the heel end and the outside-foot edge has a substantially constant elevation in the fore-aft direction;
- the fore-aft taper and the lateral taper being sufficient so that placement of a user's heel on the upper surface at the heel end and the user's toes on the upper surface at the toe end causes supination and locking of the foot and enables stretching of the Achilles complex; and
- the projection extending from the inside-foot edge toward but not to the outside-foot edge in the lateral direction, and extending between but not to the toe and heel ends of the wedge portion, the arcuate surface portion of the projection having arcuate contours in both the lateral and fore-aft directions, and the arcuate contours of the arcuate surface portion defining an apex that is at least ten millimeters to about forty millimeters from the wedge plane.
2. The therapeutic device according to claim 1, wherein the inside-foot edge at the toe end is elevated about 2.5 to about 10 centimeters above the outside-foot edge as a result of the fore-aft taper and the lateral taper of the wedge portion.
3. The therapeutic device according to claim 1, wherein the projection extends about 5.5 to about 7.5 centimeters from the inside-foot edge toward the outside-foot edge in the lateral direction, and extends about 9 to about 11 centimeters along the inside-foot edge in the fore-aft direction.
4. The therapeutic device according to claim 1, wherein the arcuate contours of the arcuate surface portion are parabolic or sinusoidal.
5. The therapeutic device according to claim 1, wherein the base portion comprises a rocker feature that enables the wedge portion to be pitched fore and aft for increased stretching of the Achilles complex.
6. The therapeutic device according to claim 1, wherein the nonuniform elevation of the upper surface of the wedge portion relative to the base portion is a result of the wedge portion having a nonuniform thickness defined by the fore-aft taper and the lateral taper of the wedge portion.
7. The therapeutic device according to claim 1, wherein the wedge portion is a first wedge portion of the device and the device further comprises a second wedge portion that is a mirror image of the first wedge portion, the first and second wedge portions causing simultaneously supination and locking of both feet of the user and enabling stretching of the Achilles complexes of both feet of the user.
8. The therapeutic device according to claim 7, wherein the first and second wedge portions are not coupled to each other.
9. The therapeutic device according to claim 7, wherein the first and second wedge portions are coupled to each other.
10. The therapeutic device according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the wedge portion is a slip-resistant surface.
11. The therapeutic device according to claim 1, wherein the device is a freestanding structure, the base portion is adapted for placement on a surface of a floor or ground, and the wedge portion enables weight-bearing stretching of the Achilles complex.
12. The therapeutic device according to claim 11, further comprising means for securing the wedge portion to the foot.
13. The therapeutic device according to claim 11, further comprising means for adjusting the elevation of the wedge portion relative to the base portion.
14. The therapeutic device according to claim 13, wherein the adjusting means comprises a rail coupled to the wedge portion and an abutment member movable into engagement with the rail to cause the wedge portion to pivot relative to the base portion and increase the elevation of the upper surface of the wedge portion relative to the base portion.
15. The therapeutic device according to claim 1, wherein the device is a shoe and the wedge portion causes weight-bearing stretching of the Achilles complex when the user walks and runs while wearing the shoe.
16. The therapeutic device according to claim 15, wherein the wedge portion is a removable insert in the shoe.
17. The therapeutic device according to claim 15, wherein the wedge portion is an integral portion of a sole of the shoe.
18. The therapeutic device according to claim 1, wherein the device is a splint and the nonuniform elevation of the upper surface of the wedge portion relative to the base portion is a result of the splint twisting the wedge portion.
19. The therapeutic device according to claim 1, wherein the device is an apparatus comprising at least one strap attached to the base portion, the wedge portion being between first and second ends of the strap by which a user can pull the wedge portion to cause stretching of the Achilles complex.
20. The therapeutic device according to claim 1, wherein the wedge portion has a nonconstant lateral width in the lateral direction and a toe width at the toe end thereof that is greater than a heel width at the heel end thereof.
21. A method of stretching of the Achilles complex using the device according to claim 1, the method comprising placing a user's foot against the upper surface of the wedge portion so that a heel of the user's foot is against the planar surface portion at the heel end of the wedge portion and toes of the user's foot are against the planar surface portion at the toe end of the wedge portion to cause supination and locking of the foot and stretching of the Achilles complex, and so that an arch of the user's foot is against and supported by the arcuate surface portion between the heel and toe ends of the wedge portion.
22. A method of stretching of the Achilles complex using the device according to claim 11, the method comprising:
- placing a user's foot against the upper surface of the wedge portion so that a heel of the user's foot is against the planar surface portion at the heel end of the wedge portion and toes of the user's foot are against the planar surface portion at the toe end of the wedge portion to cause supination and locking of the foot, and so that an arch of the user's foot is against and supported by the arcuate surface portion between the heel and toe ends of the wedge portion; and then
- shifting weight of the user to the foot to cause weight-bearing stretching of the Achilles complex.
23. A method of stretching of the Achilles complex using the device according to claim 15, the method comprising:
- donning of the shoe by a user to cause supination and locking of the foot, and so that an arch of the user's foot is against and supported by the arcuate surface portion; and then
- walking in the shoe to cause weight-bearing stretching of the Achilles complex.
24. A method of stretching of the Achilles complex using the device according to claim 18, the method comprising donning of the splint by a user by placing the user's foot against the upper surface of the wedge portion so that a heel of the user's foot is against the planar surface portion at the heel end of the wedge portion and toes of the user's foot are against the planar surface portion at the toe end of the wedge portion to cause supination and locking of the foot and stretching of the Achilles complex, and so that an arch of the user's foot is against and supported by the arcuate surface portion between the heel and toe ends of the wedge portion.
25. A method of stretching of the Achilles complex using the device according to claim 19, the method comprising:
- placing a user's foot against the upper surface of the wedge portion so that a heel of the user's foot is against the planar surface portion at the heel end of the wedge portion and toes of the user's foot are against the planar surface portion at the toe end of the wedge portion to cause supination and locking of the foot, and so that an arch of the user's foot is against and supported by the arcuate surface portion between the heel and toe ends of the wedge portion; and then
- pulling on the first and second ends of the strap to cause supination and locking of the foot and stretching of the Achilles complex.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 10, 2011
Publication Date: Feb 16, 2012
Inventor: Prasad Gourineni (Oak Brook, IL)
Application Number: 13/024,585