FI110306B - Foot care device - Google Patents

Description

110306

FOOT DEVICE - ANORDNING FÖR FOTVÄRD

The invention relates to a device for treating the foot, in particular to alleviate hamstrings, hallux valgus ailments and the like.

Even a healthy person may experience posture problems regardless of age. They may be congenital, disease-related, acquired, or post-traumatic. Treatments include manipulation, motion therapy, aids and surgical treatment. The most common misalignments of the toes are hammer toe (digitus Malleus or digitus hamatus) and dorsal bone (hallux valgus). The foregoing may occur singly or in combination. Causes of hamstring can be caused by neurological factors, diseases such as diabetes and rheumatism, or erroneous foot and ankle positions. Also wearing shoes that are too short or too narrow can cause hammer toe damage. Causes of poor bone can be hereditary predisposition, wearing of unsuitable shoes, and fall of the transverse arch of the foot. Bone bone is three times more common in women than men in all age groups.

The use of assistive devices and movement therapies is recommended until movement in the joints occurs. However, surgical treatment is the only option when the toe joints ... are completely dislocated and no longer moving. Surgical treatment is. however expensive and difficult. Even after surgery, time must be reserved.

• * 4 ....: Treatment for Toe Orthodontists Based on Biological Law, Bone by Wolfe _. ···. functional adaptation and functional soft tissue presented by Davis; adaptation. If the toes are held long enough in the wrong position, they tend to • «« stay in it, and accordingly, when placed and held in the correct position, •; · · · Are prone to failure if not fully stiffened.

• · * · ·. The use of an accessory is considered to be an advantage if the accessory is set by the user. · · ·. in place, or at least assisted by another. For this reason, it is necessary that the aid is simple and easy to use. However, there should be no harm or even danger to the accessory. For example, diabetic patients may have reduced sensation in the feet. There is a possibility that improper use of the accessory may result in 2 110306 skin lesions and circulatory disorders. In such cases, it is necessary to discuss the use of the aid with your physician and to monitor the situation more frequently. It is advisable to arrange regular visits to the pediatrician's office to prevent ulcers and other similar ailments.

When the toes have been in the wrong position for a long time, it is also more time-consuming to straighten them than in the relatively recent incorrect position. It has been found that the younger the person concerned, the non-congenital error positions are corrected more rapidly than the older person. The longer the patient uses the aid, the more effective the orthodontic treatment is. Therefore, it is necessary to use the aid as much as possible, and preferably whenever it is possible for the patient to use the aid. In most cases, it is very helpful if, in addition to the aid, the patient also receives motion therapy for the foot, massage, stretching of the muscles and tendons, and instructions on how to independently train the foot.

Numerous ways of treating the feet with mechanical means are known in the art, e.g. using toe fillings and using individual orthoses. US 963,605 discloses a shoe in which each toe is provided with its own · compartment by means of a partition. Then a lot of toes are quite common

,.: The type of posture error can be corrected, albeit often with relatively poor results. In US

: · 1,245,468 shows a stiffening method for turning the big toe back to the toe. ,,.: Number 2 from the direction with the support sleeve and strap. US 730,366 discloses footwear

bottom support to help keep the big toe in place. Nearly a similar solution, especially for the treatment of hallux valgus, is presented in JP

<»♦ 6062906. US 1,349,095 discloses toe spaces tied to the shoe by means of:: · · loops passing through the sole of the footwear, but in use such a device *" [: is difficult, at least for the person himself to insert. DE 928 087 discloses. ·. Large-feathered, tilt-adjustable, vaginal device for use. ** ·. special shoe. US 3,299,893 discloses arrangements for preventing the foot from moving forward within the footwear. There is an adjustable support collar on the foot and '!!! the sole of the footwear is provided with an upwardly raised, even spring-loaded support piece extending from the bottom, which extends over a number of toes, except for the 3 110306 big toe. US 4,263,902 discloses a device for treating hammer toes, although the arrangement is quite complex and requires the use of a special footwear. The required force, which presses down the support, is transmitted from the heel through a separate fixed shaft. Power is only effective when the person is walking. US 4,393,876 also discloses a device which is fixed to the shoe, i.e. the arrangement requires the use of a special footwear. Here, too, the force that presses the upper support down is transmitted from the heel. Power is only effective when the person is walking. The arrangement disclosed in US 4,745,927 also requires the use of a tailor-made special footwear.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device for treating the foot, which device, in particular for treating hamster toe, hallux valgus and similar problems and alleviating symptoms, maintains the correct position of the toes at least during the treatment period. As the treatment with the device lasts long enough, the position of the toes with errors tends to fade. In most cases, the patient himself is able to use the device of the invention effectively to treat his foot problems. It is a particular object of the invention to provide an adjustable device which, in most cases, allows the patient himself to adjust the intensity of the effect produced by the device while also taking into account how the foot feels. One object of the invention is to provide a device which is very compact and even possible ____; used in ordinary footwear without special measures. However, in some cases, the effect of the device could be adjusted even if, for example, some kind of sock or shoe was worn throughout the adjustment. In addition, one purpose is for the patient to use if needed. device for as long as possible, even when the patient is asleep and even while working, while the patient is at work. It is also intended to operate the device in a so-called. immobilization, ie the joints of the toes are made immobile, eg by stretching or fracture; > · * Aftercare. The device is also intended to be used to prevent deformities in the treatment of certain diseases.

I t. The object of the invention is achieved by a device comprising a relatively rigid padding extending over the toes or at least two toes and placed against the toes. coated upper support. Kim's mentioned upper support is separate from the shoe and adjustable! in place such that the upper brace presses the toes against the 4 110306 surface below the toes, the patient or at least the caregiver can adjust the bracing effect of the upper brace to maximize the effect but still, without special pain, hold the device for one treatment period to be long. However, it must always be ensured that the device is not set so tight that it will cause health hazards.

When the toe weight lifting force of the upper arm can be increased or decreased during the treatment period by means of at least one adjusting member, an effective form of treatment is provided in which the weight force can be increased over time. Particularly with acquired hammer toe, the posture is gradual, so it is good to make the correction gradually over time. However, if the patient feels that the gravity is too great, the gravity can, of course, be reduced at any time by the adjusting member.

If the weight of the upper arm toes can be increased or decreased steplessly, the adjustment of the weight may occur even slowly and in small increments, gradually increasing according to how the patient feels. Some patients have decreased or absent feet, which requires special care; ·. in accordance with the.

It is recommended that the underside of the toes is mainly plate-like and relatively rigid ·; ··: a lower support, at least on the upper surface of which is padded. In this case, the underside of the front of the foot, together with the upper brace, provides an effective interaction with the area being treated. Said cushion may be, for example, an insole material of the shoe or the like.

*****

When the weight of the upper arm's toes is exerted by the adjusting screw, tightening the adjusting screw is a very easy operation for almost anyone. If the base of the adjusting screw is shaped like a wing nut or large diameter, especially knurled '; t cylindrical, the adjustment is done without the use of special tools and quite effortlessly and quickly.

110306 5

When the adjusting screw is positioned between the toes # 1 and # 2, the adjusting screw is in a particularly suitable position for strength and anatomical consideration. Since the distance between toes # 1 and # 2 is thus intended to be obtained and at the same time to remain fairly large, the adjusting screw is in a very good position for space use. Usually this spot is also the tallest and most spacious item on the front of the footwear.

It is possible that at least part of the weight applied to the toes of the upper brace may be exerted by at least one velcro. If the velcro strap is followed by tensioning to press down the upper support, an adjustable structure is provided in which the downward force on the upper support can be selected as desired and adjusted as necessary during the treatment period.

It is also possible that the device has an adjusting screw and an adjustable velcro that connects the upper support and lower support near toe # 5. This gives the advantage of: an effective and adjustable printing effect of the adjusting screw on the upper support and, at the same time, a printing effect close to toe 5, based on the velcro and its adjustable tension.

Alternatively, the upper support and lower support may be attached close to toe # 5 for adjustment; to each other by means of a joint or the like. In this case, the joints may also have an adjustable structure,. so even in this case, the device has to be adjusted, up to two positions. It is possible that the device; installation on your own foot for the treatment period is sufficient for many people * »•. | easy, and most often at least if said joint is a joint.

i If the device has control means for preventing rotation between the upper support and the lower support, the upper and lower parts of the device can be maintained in the desired position even if a '' device according to the invention having only an adjusting screw for connecting the upper and lower parts is used.

:; The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawing which: - FIG. 1 illustrates an apparatus for treating the foot according to the invention when the device is t 1 »,; assembled, viewed from the front in a rearward direction; Fig. 2 shows the device according to Fig. 1, viewed from above, * · * * a 6 110306 - Fig. 3 shows the end of the device according to Fig. 2, partially cut away from A - A, - Fig. 4 shows a device according to the invention and Figure 6 shows an arrangement of the device according to the invention.

In the drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes a device for treating the right foot.If it is necessary to treat the left foot, it is necessary to use a device similar to a mirror image. The device 1 comprises an upper support 2 and a lower support 3 made of a relatively rigid material, e.g. a stainless steel plate. The upper bracket 2 and the lower bracket 3 are connected by an adjusting screw 4, the upper end 5 of which is intended to be adjusted without tools. Top end 5 may be as required knife-shaped cylindrical, very low or higher, like a wing-nut with a smaller size, or other shape that is found to be suitable. The adjusting screw 4 is disposed in the region between the toes 1 (ref. 11) and 2 (ref. 12) near the rear of the toe. At the lower end of the adjusting screw 4 is an elongated sleeve 6 with an internal thread (not shown) attached to the lower support 3. The downward portion of the upper end 5 is a screw 7 having an outer thread of the same size as the inner thread of the sleeve 6. The function of the adjusting screw 4 .. is to tighten the upper support 2 and the lower support 3 relative to each other with the desired force and. keeps said parts at a distance from one another until the next adjustment. From the figure: 1 it is shown that the upper support 2 is provided with a plate-shaped bent support piece 8 with a hole for the sleeve 6. The support piece 8 extends from the 1-toe 11 to at least the 2-toe. Up to 12 points, even longer. The support piece 8 and the upper support 2 are secured to each other firmly, for example by spot welding (not shown). Toes # 3, # 4 and # 5 are located at reference numerals 13, 14 and 15 within device 1. The end of the lower bracket 3 has a ·: * · upward bend 9, to which the end 10 of the upper bracket 2 can be adjusted in an adjustable manner.

"': The lower surface of the upper support 2 and the support piece 8 respectively is covered with a padding 16 which may, e.g., be 1-2 mm in thickness. The upper surface of the lower support 3 is covered with a padding 17 and» I ·, ··· with the padding 18 which, for example, when walking without shoes, the device 1 being in contact with the floor, the device 1 is operated such that the adjustment screw 4 is unscrewed in the open direction, but preferably not completely. The toes of the foot are positioned in positions 11-15 and 7, respectively, 110306 device 1 is fitted so that the force exerting a pressure on the toes of the upper support is applied to the toe joints. which causes the upper support 2 with its support members 8 to start pressing against the toe 3 of the toes, the effect of rotation the toe should be monitored and rotation should not be continued so that the force on the toes becomes excessive. If necessary, adjust the adjusting screw 4 slightly. Later, the compression effect may be increased to enhance the treatment.

Figure 2 shows that the upper support 2 is shaped to fit the toes. The upper support 2 presses the toes off, and most of the weight is not necessary or desirable at the very front of the toes, ie the nail. Since toe # 1 is in most cases higher than the other toes, it is preferable to design the descending point of the upper support 2 at the toe space 12. Therefore, the device 1 is only slightly elevated at the points of the toe spaces 13-15, so that the device 1, when mounted on the foot, may fit very slightly in a loose footwear or at least in an open-toed shoe.

Figure 3 is a partial sectional view of the end of the device 1 of Figure 2 in direction A-A. By way of example, the end 10 is threaded into a slot 19a provided in the upper bend 9.

There may be a plurality of slots (19a, 19b, 19c, 19d, etc.) so that the device can be adjusted by the adjusting screw 4 ....: in addition, at one end, i.e. near the small toe.

Fig. 4 shows a device 1 according to the invention in use in footwear 20. The foot shows «: * ': only the front part. The device 1 is particularly well suited for use in the care of the foot in a shoe 20 as shown in Fig. 4, wherein the front is completely open and the front end of the shoe 20 is adjustable by a buckle 21 or the like. Because the front is open, it is possible to use the adjusting screw »*:" ϊ 4 without removing the shoe. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the shoe 20 is made such that the lower support 3 is only:; * j a disc-shaped piece disposed beneath the insole of the shoe 20. The bottom support 3 has * «*: '' ': the attached sleeve 6 and the insole of the footwear 20 are provided with a hole for the sleeve 6 between the toes, .1 and # 2. This makes the arrangement very simple as the foot is simply inserted. in footwear 20, the upper support 2 is positioned and the adjusting screw 4 is tightened on the upper support 2 to press the toes with the force deemed suitable.

8 110306

Figure 5 shows an upper support 22 according to an embodiment of the device according to the invention, which is substantially similar to the upper support 2, but is shorter and is intended only to be positioned at the toes 1, 2 and 3. For these there are points 11, 12 and 13 formed by the support piece 8 and the padding 16. For the adjusting screw 4, the upper support 22 and its support member 8 have a hole at 23. The upper support 22 may be used in the footwear of Figure 4 instead of the upper support 2, especially when the weight of toes 4 and 5 is not required but toe positions 1 and 2 are desired. Figure 5a shows a hole 28 for the support piece 8 for the sleeve 6. There are also holes 29a, 29b in the vicinity of the hole 28 through which, in this embodiment, guide pins (not shown) which are firmly attached to the lower support 3 near the sleeve 6 are inserted. Because of these guide pins, the upper support 22 remains very reliably in the correct direction when using the device 1. Of course, many other solutions can prevent the rotation between the upper support 22 and the lower support 3. One preferred way I would be to make the sleeve 6, for example, square in cross-section and the corresponding hole also in square.

Fig. 6 shows an apparatus 1 for treating a foot according to an embodiment of the invention. The top bracket 24 is similar to the above top bracket 2 but does not have a head 10. The bottom bracket 25 is similar to the above bottom bracket 3 but does not have slots 19a-d or necessarily '(i. E. having a counter piece: ^ 27 is fastened near the end of the upper bracket 24. The velcro fastening (26, 27) replaces the adjustable articulation structure (9, 10, 19a-d) shown in Figures 1-3, but still between the upper bracket 24 and the lower bracket 25. the tension is easily and infinitely adjustable from this end in addition to the tensioning by the adjusting screw 4. The velcro fastening (26, 27) holds the free ends of the upper bracket 24 and the lower bracket 25 • at one another and the adjusting screw 4 holds at one end.

The Velcro fastening can also be applied to the shoe 20 shown in Fig. 4 such that ': the velcro 26 is attached to the sole structure of the shoe 20 and the counterpart 27 to the upper support 22 or 24.

I * | The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown, but many variations thereof are &quot; t · ';;; within the scope of the appended claims.

»· T I a 9 110306

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 foot care device 1 2 upper support 2 3 lower support 3 4 adjusting screw 4 5 upper end 5 6 sleeve 6 7 screw 7 8 support piece 8 9 bend 9 10 head 10 11 toe 1 point 11 12 toe 2 point 12 13 toe 3 point 13 14 toe 4 point 14 15 toe point 5 15 16 cushion 16 17 cushion 17 18 cushion 18 19 gap 19 20 footwear 20 21 buckle 21 22 upper bracket 22 23 hole 23 23 upper bracket 24 25 lower bracket 25 26 velcro 26 27 counter piece 27 28 hole 28 *. 29 holes 29a, 29b t 1 »* 1» »* <· · t t» I »*« »* t» f · »» I '»t

! t I

Claims (12)

110306 Apparatus for treating the foot (1), in particular for relieving hamstrings, hallux valgus ailments and the like, comprising (1) a relatively rigid upper support (2, 22, 24) extending over at least two toes, characterized in that said upper support (2) , 22, 24) is separate from the shoe and adjustable in position so that the upper support (2, 22, 24) presses the toes against the surface below the toes. Device (1) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the upper support (2, 22, 24) is covered with a cushion. Device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the upper support (2, 22, 24) is at least partially conforming to the shape of the toes. Device (1) according to Claim 3, characterized in that the toe-weight force of the upper support (2, 22, 24) can be increased or decreased during the treatment period by means of at least one adjusting member. A device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the upper support (2, 22, 24); '·': The weight of the toes can be increased or decreased steplessly. »*» | » Apparatus (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a lower plate (3, 25) having a mainly plate-like and relatively stiff underneath L 1 · * is covered with a padding (17) at least on its upper surface. >> * I Device (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the upper support (2, 22, 24); force applied to the toes is achieved by the adjusting screw (4). • * I I Device (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the adjusting screw (4) is ''. placed between toe # 1 and # 2. 110306 Apparatus (1) according to Claim 6, characterized in that at least part of the toe-pressing force of the upper support (2, 22, 24) is achieved by at least one velcro (26). Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (1) has an adjusting screw (4) and an adjustable Velcro (2) connecting the upper support (2,22, 24) and lower support (3, 25) near the toe # 5. 26). Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the upper support (2, 22, 24) and the lower support (3, 25) are connected to each other in an adjustable manner by means of a joint or the like near the toe 5. Device (1) according to Claim 8, characterized in that the control means are prevented from rotating between the upper support (2, 22, 24) and the lower support (3.25). h »* · ♦ • · t> · t t s t · • 1» * * »» »t 1 i t t, 2 110306