TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to an exercising device; and more specifically, to a device and a method of foot exercise. More specific the device and method concern controlling and/or monitoring of the foot exercise. The device and method according to the present invention can be used to advantage in both training and therapy.

BACKGROUND

A variety of foot deformities and symptoms (such as wrong positioning of bones, muscles and so forth) may exist in a foot of a person. Such foot deformities may be congenital or acquired, or both congenital and acquired. In an example, commonly known foot deformities include Achilles tendonitis, Flatfeet, Metatarsalgia, second metatarsal overload syndrome, Neuromas, Stiff big toe joint, Bunions, Limited big toe motion, Hammertoes, Heel pain, Posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (PTTD), Nerve compressions within the foot/ankle/neuropathy/neuroma,Anterior compartment syndrome, Patello-femoral pain syndrome, Plantar fasciitis, Tarsal tunnel syndrome, Hallux limitus, Hallux rigidus, Hallux valgus, and so forth. The deformities and the symptons above can be caused by weaknesses in the foot and in the calf muscle.

Presently, known techniques for treatment of the foot deformities include surgical procedures. The known surgical procedures include removal of abnormal bones, removal of bone enlargements, realignment of bones, realignment of cartilagenous surfaces of toe joints and so forth. However, the known surgical procedures give rise to long periods of recovery and a need for patients to wear a cast or surgical boot for weeks following the surgical procedures. Furthermore, the patients are often left with significant scars and poor cosmesis. Finally, the surgical procedures are costly, have a lengthy operating time, and require extensive pre/post-operative care from trained medical staff.

Alternatively, the treatment of the foot deformities may include physical medicine and rehabilitation treatments. Typically, such treatments include use of bunion pads, external splints, and use of exercising devices. However, the physical medicine and rehabilitation treatments are associated with various drawbacks. For example, known foot exercising devices may be designed specifically to target particular joints or muscles of the foot. Moreover, the foot exercising devices may be side specific, i.e. could be used either for a given left foot or for a given right foot.

Therefore, in light of aforementioned problems associated with known approaches for providing treatment for foot deformities, there exists a need to address, for example to overcome, the aforementioned drawbacks associated with the treatment of foot deformities. The problems mentioned above can be solved by a foot exercising device described in PCT/SE2016/050973.

Persons with the deformities and symptoms described above has been treated successfully in a foot exercising device described in PCT/SE2016/050973. However, it has been shown that there is a need to control and monitor the pressure applied to the calf and to the sole. The pressure could be too high, which may injure the patient. The pressure could also be too low, wherein the desired effect is not achieved.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure seeks to provide a foot exercising device to control and/or monitor an exercise of a foot. Moreover, the present disclosure also seeks to provide a method to control and/or monitor an exercise of a foot using the foot exercising device. The present disclosure seeks to provide an at least partial solution to the problems associated with the treatment of foot deformities.

In one aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a foot exercising device comprising:a foot support comprisingan elevated footrest to support a foot of a person thereon, wherein the elevated footrest forms a positive elevation between a heel and toes of the foot, wherein the positive elevation refers to positioning of the toes at a higher level with respect to the heel of the foot on the elevated footrest;a tilting arrangement, which is hingedly coupled to the footrest to exert pressure on a calf of the person, wherein the tilting arrangement is connected to a rod operable to move the tilting arrangement and exerting pressure on the calf for decreasing an angle between the calf and the foot of the person,characterized ina sensor means arranged in the tilting arrangement and/or on the elevated footrest to measure the pressure applied to the calf and the pressure on the sole of a foot supported on the footrest respectively; anda display means to display the measured pressure to an operator of the foot exercising device.

The present disclosure seeks to provide a foot exercising device, for example a non-invasive solution, for treatment of foot deformities and weaknesses. The foot exercising device is easy to operate and designed to target desired joints and/or muscles of the foot. This allows a user to perform effectively foot correction and strengthening exercises using the device of the present disclosure.

Optionally, a first sensor unit of the sensor means is arranged in the tilting arrangement.

Optionally, a second sensor unit of the sensor means includes at least one sensor arranged on the footrest to measure the pressure on the sole.

Optionally, the second sensor unit of the sensor means includes at least two sensors arranged on the footrest to measure the pressure distribution on the sole.

Optionally, an angle sensor is arranged to measure the dorsal flexion angle of the person using the foot excercising device.

Optionally, the angle sensor is arranged to measure the motion of the tilting arrangement to the footrest.

Optionally, an alert means is arranged at the foot exercising device to monitor the area where the heel of the person is supposed to be placed in order to alert when the heel lifts from the footrest during the treatment.

Optionally, the alert means is a switch arranged in the area where the heel of the person is supposed to be placed on the footrest, wherein the switch is connected to a lamp at the foot exercising device and wherein the lamp illuminates when the heel is lifted.

Optionally, the tilting arrangement comprisinga pair of spaced apart fixed plates coupled to the elevated footrest;at least one movable plate hingedly coupled to the fixed plates;a centre plate coupled with the at least one movable plate, the centre plate operable to receive a calf of the person, anda rod pivotally coupled to the centre plate, the rod operable to tilt the centre plate to exert pressure on at least the heel, the middle foot bones and the toes to perform foot correction exercises.

Optionally, a lift wedge is arranged on the elevated footrest and operable to receive the toes thereon to form a positive elevation between middle foot bones and the toes.

Optionally, the foot support of the foot exercising device further comprising a platform coupled to the elevated footrest for supporting the elevated footrest on a floor.

Optionally, the foot exercising device further comprises a detachable angled plate operable to be arranged between the lift wedge and the elevated footrest to form a positive elevation between a medial arch and a lateral arch of the foot of the person. More optionally, the angled plate forms the positive elevation in a range of 4 degrees to 25 degrees.

Optionally, the foot exercising device further comprisinga see-saw plate, anda ridge member arranged on the elevated footrest, wherein the ridge member is coupled to a central portion of the see-saw plate to allow the see-saw plate to tilt about the ridge member to form the positive elevation between a medial arch and a lateral arch of the foot of the person.

Optionally, a see-saw plate sensor is arranged to measure the inclination of the see-saw plate.

Optionally, the lift wedge comprises at least one sloped surface.

Optionally, the tilting arrangement comprises a pair of spaced apart movable plates hingedly coupled to the fixed plates.

Optionally, the centre plate comprises a cushion to support the calf of the person.

Optionally the rod is tiltable sideways to optionally the left and to the right to enable the rod to pass the back of the person when tilting the centre plate.

In another aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method for controlling and/or monitoring an exercise of a foot using the aforementioned device, the method comprisingmeasuring the pressure on the calf of a person exercising in the exercising device; and/or measuring the pressure on the sole of the foot supported by the footrest;storing of the measuring results in a storage medium; andpresenting the measuring results to an operator on a display arranged at the foot exercising device.

Optionally, the method further comprises measuring the dorsal flexion angle of the person using the foot exercising device.

Optionally, the method further comprises alerting when the heel of the person lifts from the footrest.

Optionally, the method further comprises measuring inclination of the see-saw plate.

Additional aspects, advantages, features and objects of the present disclosure would be made apparent from the drawings and the detailed description of the illustrative embodiments construed in conjunction with the appended claims that follow.

It will be appreciated that features of the present disclosure are susceptible to being combined in various combinations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

