JP2024053410A - Trigger point compression belt - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To enable a patient to relieve pain caused by trigger points at muscle attachments in the patient's back, lower back, lumbosacral region, and buttocks by themselves. [Solution] A flexible belt and a trigger point pad that can locally apply pressure to muscle attachments on the patient's body from the outside are used, and the trigger point pad is selected from a number of different types of pads according to the patient's symptoms, and the flexible belt with the selected pad attached is wrapped around the patient's body and fixed with a fastener, and the trigger point pad is placed on the affected part of the patient's body to continuously apply pressure in a direction perpendicular to the patient's body. [Selected Figure] Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to a trigger point compression belt that can be wrapped around a patient's body and can reduce or eliminate pain by continuously applying moderate pressure locally to muscle attachment points in the back, lower back, lumbosacral region, and buttocks.

Lumbosacral pain is a modern disease that is on the rise. To treat lumbosacral pain, a corset is worn around the waist to increase intra-abdominal pressure and stabilize the lumbosacral junction and sacroiliac joint, thereby improving lumbosacral instability (see Figure 8).

However, in addition to being caused by lumbosacral instability, lower back pain can also be caused by disorders of the muscle attachments that connect bones to muscles. Muscle attachments, where soft muscles turn into tendons near joints and attach to hard bones, are prone to concentration of stress as muscles contract, and can easily cause disorders. Painful muscle knots are called trigger points, and are the source of myofascial pain syndromes that present with chronic pain, as well as pain caused by muscle tension secondary to other diseases. If the cause of lower back pain is muscle attachment disorders, corsets are of no use.

It is known that applying pressure through acupressure is an effective analgesic treatment for musculoskeletal pain. Tennis elbow is a muscle attachment disorder that occurs in tennis players' arms, and it has been reported that wrapping a support around the arm and applying pressure to the muscle attachment has a therapeutic effect in relieving pain.

JP 2014-125705 Publication Name of invention: Arm supporter Patent Publication JP 6-335488 Name of invention: Tennis elbow brace

Pain relief by trigger point compression and changes in autonomic nervous function and cerebral hemodynamics Saeko Fukuda et al. Journal of the Tokai-Hokuriku Physical Therapy Academic Conference 27th Tokai-Hokuriku Physical Therapy Academic Conference December 22, 2011 Musculotendinous Enthesopathy (Musculotendinous Enthesopathy) Tomohiro Matsui Onshi Foundation Saiseikai Website November 6, 2021

Chronic lower back pain significantly impairs the daily life of the elderly and is a major factor in the decline of their quality of life. Its symptoms are mainly persistent dull pain and a feeling of heaviness in the lower back, and intense pain when starting to move. From his many years of clinical experience as an orthopedic surgeon, the inventor of the present invention has noticed that many patients suffer from muscle attachment disorders in the back, lower back, lumbosacral region, buttocks, etc., due to long hours of desk work every day, overuse of certain muscles, aging, etc. In such cases, the pain can be relieved by applying acupressure to the area where the pain is occurring. However, the effect of acupressure is temporary and does not last, and it is practically difficult for patients to apply acupressure to the back, lower back, lumbosacral region, buttocks, etc., of their own body. Under such circumstances, there was a demand for a method or means by which patients can easily eliminate or relieve the pain caused by muscle attachment disorders in the back, lower back, lumbosacral region, buttocks, etc., of their own body, using simple tools.

In order to solve the above problems, the inventors of the present invention conducted extensive research and discovered that by attaching a pad to a belt and wrapping it around the patient's body, and then placing the pad on the area of pain (trigger point) and applying moderate pressure continuously for a certain period of time, pain occurring in the patient's back, lower back, lumbosacral region, buttocks, etc. can be surprisingly effectively relieved. Furthermore, they discovered that after the severe pain has been reduced or eliminated by applying pressure to the trigger point with the pad, further pain reduction and increased activity can be achieved by using the pad in combination with a regular lower back pain belt with a weakened pressure intensity.

Based on the above findings, the inventor of the present invention has developed a trigger point compression belt that can improve muscle attachment disorders by continuously compressing trigger points that occur at muscle attachments in the patient's body, the trigger point compression belt comprising:

a flexible belt having a predetermined length and width that can be wrapped around the patient's body;

A trigger point pad capable of compressing a muscle attachment portion of a patient's body in a direction perpendicular to the body,

the flexible belt has a pad attachment portion at a substantially central portion in a longitudinal direction of the belt and a fastener at an end of the belt, and is configured so that the flexible belt can be fixed by using the fastener while maintaining a wrapping strength when wrapped around a patient's body;

The trigger point pad is configured by attaching a pad selected from a plurality of types of pads having different sizes, shapes, or materials according to the symptoms of the affected part of the patient to a pad attachment part located at approximately the center in the longitudinal direction of the flexible belt,

The flexible belt is wrapped around the patient's body and worn, and the trigger point pad is placed against the patient's trigger point, and the fastening strength of the flexible belt wrapped around the patient's body is adjusted and fixed using the fastener, so that the trigger point pad can continuously press the patient's trigger point in a vertical direction with an adjusted strength.

We arrived at the invention of the trigger point compression belt.

The inventor of the present invention further provides a trigger point compression belt set that can improve muscle attachment disorders by continuously compressing trigger points that occur at muscle attachments in a patient's body, the set comprising:

a flexible belt having a predetermined length and width that can be wrapped around the patient's body;

A plurality of types of pads having different sizes, shapes, or materials are provided,

the flexible belt has a pad attachment portion at a substantially central portion in a longitudinal direction of the belt and a fastener at an end of the belt, and is configured so that, in a state where the flexible belt is wrapped around a patient's body, the fastener can be used to fix the flexible belt while maintaining a wrapping strength;

a pad selected from the plurality of types of pads according to the symptom of the affected part of the patient is attached to a pad attachment part located at a substantially central part in the longitudinal direction of the flexible belt to form a trigger point pad;

The flexible belt is wrapped around the patient's body and worn, and the trigger point pad is placed against a trigger point of the patient's body. By adjusting the fastening strength of the flexible belt wrapped around the patient's body and fixing it using the fastener, the trigger point pad can continuously press the patient's trigger point in a vertical direction with an adjusted strength.

Thus, the invention of the trigger point compression belt set has been arrived at.

Preferably, the pads used in the trigger point compression belt or set of the present invention are selected by the patient or doctor from among several types of pads depending on the condition of the patient's affected area.

Preferably, in the trigger point compression belt of the present invention, the pad attachment portion is located approximately in the center of the belt in the longitudinal direction. If the pad is attached near the end portion away from the center of the belt, the force with which the trigger point pad compresses the trigger point when the belt is tightened will be weaker.

Preferably, the trigger point compression belt or set thereof further includes an attachment member, and a pad is attached to a pad attachment portion located approximately in the longitudinal center of the flexible belt via the attachment member to form a trigger point pad. By attaching the attachment member to approximately the longitudinal center of the flexible belt, it becomes possible to apply stronger vertical compression to the patient's muscle attachment disorder. When using the trigger point compression belt of the present invention, it is desirable for a doctor who examines the patient to select the type of pad and decide whether or not to use an attachment member.

Preferably, multiple types of attachment members with different sizes, shapes, and materials are prepared, and the one selected according to the type of pad to be used as the trigger point pad is used.

Preferably, the attachment member has two through grooves at the front and rear of the small plate that are large enough to pass the flexible belt through, and the trigger point pad is attached to the small plate at a position between the two through grooves by a Velcro strap. When the flexible belt is passed through the two through grooves at the front and rear of the attachment member and the flexible belt is wrapped around the patient's body and tightened, the trigger point pad is compressed from the outside by the flexible belt through the attachment member, and the affected area of the patient is continuously compressed in the vertical direction.

Preferably, the trigger point compression belt is worn on the patient's body several times a day for about 20 minutes each time, and the trigger points that have developed at the muscle attachment points are continuously compressed with moderate pressure. The pressure should be strong enough that the patient feels comfortable when applying pressure with the pad against the trigger point.

Preferably, a magic belt is provided at the pad attachment portion of the flexible belt over a certain distance in the longitudinal direction of the belt, and the trigger point pad is attached to the desired position of the pad attachment portion of the flexible belt via the magic belt.

Preferably, after the flexible belt is worn, a corset is wrapped around the patient's body to cover the patient's back, waist, and/or buttocks.

Preferably, the size of the pad used in the trigger point pad of the trigger point compression belt of the present invention is a certain height, and the portion of the pad that contacts the affected area has a certain area or more. If the height of the pad is high, the force with which the pad contacts the affected area in the vertical direction will be strong, and if the area of the pad that contacts the affected area is large, the force of the pad contacting the affected area will be distributed over the entire contact surface, and the compression strength will be weak. The compression strength also varies depending on the material of the pad. Therefore, in order to cure muscle attachment disorders using the trigger point compression belt of the present invention, it is desirable to prepare multiple types of pads with different sizes, shapes, and materials, and select and use the one that suits the condition of the patient's affected area.

Preferably, the shapes of the pads include a rectangular parallelepiped shape, an elliptical shape, or a ball shape.

Preferably, the pad used for the trigger point pad of the trigger point compression belt of the present invention is made of felt, EVA, polyvinyl chloride, or polyurethane.

Preferably, the small thick board constituting the mounting member is made of wood, plastic, or metal. It is preferable that the thickness is about 4 mm.

Preferably, after using the trigger point compression belt of the present invention to reduce or eliminate severe pain, a regular back pain belt is wrapped around the trigger point compression belt in a weakened compression strength state. By using it in this way, it is possible to obtain even greater pain reduction and activity-increasing effects.

By using the trigger point compression belt of the present invention to compress trigger points with a pad, it is possible to reduce the severe pain felt when the patient begins to move and increase activity, making it possible to begin exercise therapy and reducing or eliminating dull pain and a feeling of oppression.

The trigger point compression belt of the present invention can apply a pad to trigger points that occur at muscle attachment sites on the patient's back, lower back, lumbosacral region, buttocks, etc., and apply continuous pressure with an appropriately adjusted strength. In order to use the trigger point compression belt of the present invention to cure or improve muscle attachment disorders, it is effective to apply the pad to the affected area and apply continuous pressure for about 15 to 20 minutes with a strength that the patient finds comfortable.

The trigger point compression belt of the present invention can apply continuous pressure with an appropriately adjusted strength by placing a pad on the muscle attachment area in accordance with the various symptoms of each individual patient. Muscle attachment disorders that occur in the patient's body vary in location, symptoms, size, etc., and the range and strength of compression required to heal each of these varies. The trigger point compression belt of the present invention can apply a pad selected from multiple pads in accordance with the patient's symptoms to the desired location on the body, and adjust the compression strength at that location.

The trigger point compression belt of the present invention applies a trigger point pad to the muscle attachment where a trigger point occurs and applies continuous vertical pressure for a certain period of time, reducing the excessive load placed on the muscle attachment due to muscle contraction.

The trigger point compression belt of the present invention can soothe the condition in which stiff muscles stimulate adjacent nerve tissue and cause pain by applying moderate pressure to the affected area with a trigger point pad.

The trigger point compression belt of the present invention can calm the partially excited state of the sympathetic nerves in the trunk by applying moderate pressure to the trigger point with a trigger point pad.

The trigger point compression belt of the present invention can be used in conjunction with a corset by wrapping the belt over the corset around the patient's body. When the cause of lower back pain is lumbosacral instability and muscle attachment disorders, using the trigger point compression belt in conjunction with a corset is extremely effective.

FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of the trigger point compression belt of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows one embodiment of the trigger point compression belt of the present invention in which the pad is attached to the attachment member using a Velcro strap. 3A and 3B show the state in which a pad is attached to the attachment member of the trigger point compression belt of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows one embodiment of the trigger point compression belt of the present invention wrapped around the patient's body. FIG. 5 shows the location of trigger points occurring on the back, lower back and buttocks of a patient's body. FIG. 6 illustrates a second embodiment of the trigger point compression belt of the present invention. FIG. 7 shows an example of a trigger point compression belt set of the present invention. Fig. 8(A) shows a simple corset used as a lumbar pain belt, and Fig. 8(B) shows the simple corset used as a lumbar pain belt wrapped around the patient's waist.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
<Definition>

In the present invention, "muscle attachment" refers to the part where a muscle attaches to a bone. Muscle attachment includes tendons and ligaments depending on the part of the human body.

In the present invention, "muscle attachment disorder" refers to a condition in which the area where a muscle attaches to a bone is damaged, such as by inflammation.

In this invention, a "trigger point" is a sensor inside the body that causes pain, and in Japan it is also called a pain point. It is known that trigger points occur at muscle attachments due to maintaining the same posture for a long time or overusing a muscle. Figure 5 shows the locations of trigger points that occur on the back, lower back, and buttocks of a patient's body.

In the present invention, the term "trigger point pad" refers to a pad that is applied to a patient's trigger point using the trigger point compression belt of the present invention. The length of the belt may be any length necessary to wrap around the patient's body, but if it is too long it becomes difficult to use, so it is made to an appropriate length taking these factors into consideration. Trigger point pads made of a flexible material that provides a wide contact area when applied to a trigger point are preferably used. However, depending on the patient's symptoms, a hard spherical pad like a golf ball that provides a small contact area when applied to a trigger point may be used to apply force locally to the affected area.

In the present invention, the term "trigger point compression belt" refers to a flexible belt with a fastener to which a pad is attached. The fastener can be preferably a combination of a metal buckle and a Velcro strap at the end of the belt.

In the present invention, the term "attachment member" refers to a device for attaching a pad to a flexible belt. In one embodiment of the present invention, the attachment member is configured with two through grooves at the front and rear of a small thick plate that are large enough to pass the flexible belt through. When a trigger point pad is attached to the small thick plate at approximately the midpoint between the two through grooves, and in this state the flexible belt is passed through two through grooves at the front and rear of the attachment member, and the flexible belt is wrapped around the patient's body and tightened, the trigger point pad is compressed from the outside by the flexible belt through the attachment member, pressing the affected area in a direction perpendicular to the patient's body.

EMBODIMENT 1

Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the trigger point compression belt of the present invention. In Figure 1, the pad 12 is fixed to the attachment member 11 using a Velcro strap, and the strap is passed through two through grooves at the front and rear. Figure 2 shows the dimensions of the pad 12 fixed to the attachment member 11. Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the pad. Figure 4 shows the trigger point compression belt 1 of the present invention wrapped around the patient's waist.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, a first embodiment of the trigger point compression belt of the present invention comprises a flexible belt 10, a trigger point pad 12, and an attachment member 11 for attaching the trigger point pad 12 to the flexible belt 10.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the mounting member is a small, thick rectangular plate, and has two slots at the front and back of the rectangular plate in the longitudinal direction for passing a flexible belt through. The area between the two slots is used as the trigger point pad mounting area. In the example shown in Figure 3, a magic belt is provided in the trigger point pad mounting area, and the pad can be attached to the mounting member using the magic belt.

Referring to Figures 1 and 4, the pad 12 is attached to the trigger point pad attachment area of the attachment member 11, and the flexible belt 10 is passed through two slots at the front and rear of the attachment member 11, and the flexible belt 10 is wrapped around the patient's waist and attached. The attachment member 11 is then slid longitudinally along the flexible belt, moving the pad 12 attached to the attachment member 11 to the area where the patient feels pain, and the pad 12 is brought into contact with the affected area. As a fastener, a buckle 13 is attached to the end of the belt, and the belt 10 is passed through the buckle 13, folded back, and secured with a Velcro strap provided on the opposite side of the belt.

Referring to FIG. 1, a buckle 13 is provided at the end of the flexible belt 10 as a fastener. After wrapping the flexible belt 10 around the patient's body, the pad can be moved to the position of the affected area and then secured in place using the fastener while tightening it to the desired strength.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 4, when pad 12 is attached to the pad attachment area of attachment member 11 and a flexible belt is passed through two slots at the front and rear of attachment member 11 and the flexible belt is pulled in the longitudinal direction, a force acts on the flexible belt, which has become curved due to the presence of the trigger point pad, to straighten itself, and this straightening force acts as a force pressing the trigger point pad vertically against the affected part of the patient's body. As a result, the force tightening the flexible belt wrapped around the patient's body is converted into a force by which the trigger point pad presses the affected part vertically against the patient's body. The patient can adjust the force with which the trigger point pad presses the affected part by adjusting the force with which the flexible belt is tightened.

The trigger point pad is preferably made of a resin such as polyurethane or a soft material such as sponge. The trigger point pad is preferably rounded in shape. However, depending on the symptoms of the patient's muscle attachment disorder, a hard material such as a golf ball can also be used. Using a small member made of a hard material such as a golf ball as the pressure member is suitable for applying strong localized force, but since the painful area is being pressed, the tightening strength of the flexible belt must be carefully adjusted.

Embodiment 2

FIG. 6 illustrates a second embodiment of the trigger point compression belt of the present invention.
6, the second embodiment of the trigger point compression belt of the present invention is composed of a flexible belt and a pad, and does not use an attachment member. A magic belt 15 is provided in the center of the longitudinal direction of the flexible belt, and a pad is attached to the magic belt 15 to form a trigger point pad (see Fig. 6(A) and (B)).

Referring to Figs. 6(C) and (D), when the flexible belt is passed through the buckle at the end of the belt and pulled in the longitudinal direction, a force acts to straighten the flexible belt, which is curved due to the presence of the trigger point pad, and this force acts to press the trigger point pad against the affected area of the patient's body. As a result, the force tightening the flexible belt wrapped around the patient's body is converted into a force of the trigger point pad pressing the affected area vertically in a direction perpendicular to the patient's body. However, compared to embodiment 1, in the configuration of embodiment 2, the force with which the trigger point pad presses the trigger point by tightening the flexible belt is weak. Therefore, the trigger point compression belt of the second embodiment is suitable for compressing the affected area with a soft force.

Figure 7 shows an example of a set of trigger point compression belts of the present invention. As shown in Figure 7(A), pads are available in four types made of different materials, as well as small and spherical shapes. Figure 7(B) shows the state in which the six pads and two attachment members shown in Figure 7(A) are selected according to the patient's symptoms and attached to a flexible belt.

experiment

Samples of the trigger point compression belt of the present invention were made and worn on patients' bodies to observe whether each resulted in a cure or improvement of the patients' lower back pain.

<Sample Preparation>
Samples of the trigger point compression belt of the present invention were made using the following component materials:
Flexible belt: A 10 cm wide belt made of cowhide leather, with a metal buckle at one end and a Velcro strap at the other end to form a fastener.
・Pad: Length 6cm, width 7.7cm, height 3.2cm, made of urethane ・Attaching the pad to the belt: A small thick board, length 7cm, width 12cm, thickness 4mm, is used as the attachment material. There are two through grooves on the front and back of the small thick board.

The inventor wrapped the trigger point compression belt made up of the above-mentioned components around his own waist and applied the pad to the area of his lower back pain twice a day for 20 minutes each time, and observed any relief from his symptoms.
In addition to the inventor, four other volunteers also tried wearing the device. The patients themselves were asked to choose the hardness of the compression pad. The results were as follows. (QOL: Quality of Life, TPB: Trigger Point Compression Belt)

<Evaluation and consideration of experimental results>
The trigger point compression belt of the present invention can achieve a remarkable pain-relieving effect by applying a pad of appropriate size and material to the damaged muscle attachment site and continuously applying pressure with an appropriately adjusted strength for a certain number of hours a day.

The trigger point compression belt of the present invention allows the patient to easily adjust the pressure with which the trigger point pad is applied to the trigger point based on their own sense, allowing them to reduce or eliminate pain caused by trigger points themselves without relying on a doctor. This type of treatment device is effective in treating lower back pain that cannot be cured by corsets, and has long been needed but has not been realized.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and can be modified and implemented in various embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

1: Trigger point compression belt 10: Flexible belt 11: Mounting member 12: Trigger point pad 13: Buckle 14: Pad mounting tape 15: Magic belt

Claims (9)

A trigger point compression belt that can improve muscle attachment disorders by continuously compressing trigger points that occur at muscle attachments of a patient's body, the trigger point compression belt comprising:

a flexible belt having a predetermined length and width that can be wrapped around the patient's body;

A trigger point pad capable of compressing a muscle attachment portion of a patient's body in a direction perpendicular to the body,

the flexible belt has a pad attachment portion at a substantially central portion in a longitudinal direction of the belt and a fastener at an end of the belt, and is configured so that the flexible belt can be fixed by using the fastener while maintaining a wrapping strength when wrapped around a patient's body;

The trigger point pad is configured by attaching a pad selected from a plurality of types of pads having different sizes, shapes, or materials according to the symptoms of the affected part of the patient to a pad attachment part located at approximately the center in the longitudinal direction of the flexible belt,

The flexible belt is wrapped around the patient's body and worn, and the trigger point pad is placed against the patient's trigger point, and the fastening strength of the flexible belt wrapped around the patient's body is adjusted and fixed using the fastener, so that the trigger point pad can continuously press the patient's trigger point in a vertical direction with an adjusted strength.

The trigger point compression belt.
2. The trigger point compression belt of claim 1, wherein the trigger point pad is slidably attached to the flexible belt via an attachment member.
3. The trigger point compression belt according to claim 1, wherein the attachment member is configured with two through slots at the front and rear of a plate plate, the through slots being large enough to allow the flexible belt to pass therethrough, the trigger point pad is attached to the plate plate at a midpoint between the two through slots, and when the flexible belt is passed through the two through slots at the front and rear of the attachment member and the flexible belt is wrapped around a patient's body and tightened, the trigger point pad is compressed from the outside by the flexible belt via the attachment member, thereby locally compressing the affected area of the patient.
The trigger point compression belt according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a Velcro belt is provided on the surface of the flexible belt for a certain distance in the longitudinal direction of the belt, and the trigger point pad is attached to a desired position of the Velcro belt.
The trigger point compression belt according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the flexible belt is worn by wrapping around the patient's body together with a corset that can be wrapped around the patient's back, waist, and buttocks.
The trigger point compression belt according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the trigger point pad is made of felt, EVA, polyvinyl chloride, or polyurethane.
The trigger point compression belt according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the plate constituting the mounting member is made of wood, plastic, or metal.
A trigger point compression belt set that can improve muscle attachment disorders by continuously compressing trigger points that occur at muscle attachments of a patient's body, the set comprising:

a flexible belt having a predetermined length and width that can be wrapped around the patient's body;

A plurality of types of pads having different sizes, shapes, or materials are provided,

the flexible belt has a pad attachment portion at a substantially central portion in a longitudinal direction of the belt and a fastener at an end of the belt, and is configured so that, in a state where the flexible belt is wrapped around a patient's body, the fastener can be used to fix the flexible belt while maintaining a wrapping strength;

a pad selected from the plurality of types of pads according to the symptom of the affected part of the patient is attached to a pad attachment part located at a substantially central part in the longitudinal direction of the flexible belt to form a trigger point pad;

The flexible belt is wrapped around the patient's body and worn, and the trigger point pad is placed against a trigger point of the patient's body. By adjusting the fastening strength of the flexible belt wrapped around the patient's body and fixing it using the fastener, the trigger point pad can continuously press the patient's trigger point in a vertical direction with an adjusted strength.

The trigger point compression belt set.
9. The trigger point compression belt set of claim 8, further comprising an attachment member slidably attached to the flexible belt via the attachment member.

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