Surgery: kinesitherapy – Kinesitherapy – Device with applicator having specific movement
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-03
2001-09-25
Yu, Justine R. (Department: 3764)
Surgery: kinesitherapy
Kinesitherapy
Device with applicator having specific movement
C601S136000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293916
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to adjustment devices and a method for use particularly with a human body to assist in restoring and maintaining optimal biomechanical functioning.
As any living body ages, and particularly as a human body ages, it usually experiences a variety of increasingly severe aches and pains. To at least some degree this can be attributed to the aging process. But often such aches and pains result from maladjustments in the biomechanical functioning of the body itself. The bone and muscular structure of the human body has evolved over many thousands of years, and in an environment far different than that typically encountered by most people today. For example, the human foot evolved while waking barefoot on the ground. Now, though most people wear shoes and walk on a hard, flat surface. Both of these conditions are unnatural; the raised heel used as part of most shoes adds to the unnatural forces applied to the foot. Since the body is adaptable, it will strive to adjust to these unnatural forces. Because the heel of the foot is raised by the typical shoe, the muscles and joints above it must adjust; this can lead to significant problems in the ankle, knee, hip, lower back and other biomechanical structures of the body, which in turn often results in what most people view as typical aches and pains.
Such afflictions have been treated in various ways. Modem medicine seems to view them as site specific, and to treat the afflicted knee, lower back or whatever other area happens to be the locus of the pain, often by surgery. Chiropractic treatments usually attribute the pain to a misalignment of the spine or extremities, and therefore manipulate the skeletal and muscular structures to restore proper alignment of these structures. Both such approaches have their advocates, and have experienced success. But they also have experienced failures, too.
The present invention arises out of many years' experience in treating the aches and pains of the human body. Such treatments have imparted what may be a unique view of the biomechanics of the human body. Since the present invention arises out of that understanding, it will be explained in the context of this view of human biomechanics. Whatever the accuracy of that view, though, the invention has been shown through use to be extraordinarily effective. Put differently, the present invention should not be judged by whatever may be the perceived accuracy of the biomechanical understanding here stated, but rather by the effectiveness of the disclosed and claimed structure, device and method.
Experience in treating the aches and pains of the human body using relatively conventional chiropractic techniques led to incorporation into such treatments of techniques of the methodology known as applied kinesiology, often referred to as AK. It is a less forceful treatment methodology than traditional chiropractic, but seems to be at least as effective. AK offers a direct and effective way to gauge the afflicted areas of the body and the results of the treatment by testing specific muscle groups related to the affliction and to the treated areas. Such testing certainly is helpful to the care-giver, it also can be used to make clear to the person being treated the effectiveness of the treatment.
As these techniques developed, it also became clear that the site of many of the body's problems was centered in the feet. With great regularity, a person would be treated to minimize or eliminate the conditions which occasioned the treatment, only to return a short while later with the same condition. Clearly there was some underlying cause that was regenerating the affliction with depressing regularity. It now appears that this cause is centered in, or significantly involves, the feet. They seem to determine to a significant degree the nature of the energy flow in the rest of the body. If they are functioning naturally, which is to say—if they are functioning as they were designed by nature to function, then the rest of the body seems to assume, or readjust to, its natural state. “As below, so above” appears to be quite true in this context. For that reason, how the foot functions seems to be critical to the biomechanical functioning of the rest of the body.
The structure of the human foot, and the ligaments, tendons and muscles that affect functioning of the human foot, have been known for a long time. In general, the foot consists of three groups of bones, the large tarsal bones (the talus or ankle bone and the calcaneus or heel bone) the small tarsal bones, and the long anterior bones (the metatarsals and phalanges). In their normal orientation, these bones and their associated ligaments, tendons and muscles hold the foot in a position that exhibits various arches, including the medial longitudinal arch (extending from the large tarsal bones along the medial length of the foot across the small tarsal bones to the metatarsal bones), the lateral longitudinal arch (extending generally longitudinally across the small tarsal bones of the foot and their connection to the metatarsal bones) and the metatarsal transverse arch (extending generally transversely across the metatarsal bones and their connection to the phalanges up to the small tarsal bones). For the foot to function as intended by nature, all of these arches must be free to respond to the pressures exerted during walking. The modem shoe does not permit this, however, which in turn seems to be a significant cause of biomechanical problems in the human body. In addition, the modern shoe includes a heel, which exacerbates such biomechanical problems. Certainly these problems can be minimized by a proper shoe design (or by simply waling barefoot on appropriate surfaces). But if one has worn a modern style shoe for any significant period, and particularly if one is experiencing biomechanical problems, simply using the correct shoe or walking barefoot, very likely will not eliminate those problems. The foot needs to be retrained into its natural position and functioning. This in turn requires freeing it from the unnatural, constrained state imposed on it by the modern shoe, and very likely considerable repetition of this treatment until the foot has regained and is stable in its natural state. Such treatments need to be performed regularly—a few times a day, for example—for optimal results. Expecting a person to visit a chiropractor or other treatment provider that often is unrealistic.
A way to permit a person to manipulate their own foot, especially its arches, is needed for these reasons. But until this invention there was no way for a person to self-treat their own feet. Indeed, in the past few perceived the desirability of such treatment.
An object of the present invention is to provide a methodology for treating a person's feet to optimize the biomechanical functioning and energy balances of the person's body.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device and methodology for a person to effectively manipulate their own feet, and particularly to manipulate their feet to optimize the beneficial results that can be obtained by doing so. These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in this field from the following detailed description.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The preferred device of the invention is designed to assist in the biomechanical adjustment of the human foot. It has an association of pairs of pad surfaces, each of the pair including a first surface for applying pressure to the medial longitudinal arch of a foot, a second surface for applying pressure to the lateral longitudinal arch of a foot, and a third surface for applying pressure to the transverse arch of a foot. Preferably each surface is provided by a different pad, and sufficient pads are provided and located to apply pressure simultaneously to both feet while the person being treated is standing on the pads. Also, in the preferred construction of the device the pads are attached to a resilient floorboard or panel, and are movable to permit the
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