The present invention relates in general to flexible straps which are easy to apply, comfortable to wear and are useful for alleviating discomfort associated with tendons, specifically those arising from the medial and lateral epicondyle and patellar tendon.
Support bands are currently produced in a variety of designs. Generally, a support band is designed to supply compression to the forearm or knee joint to alleviate symptoms associated with lateral epicondylitis, medical epicondylitis, patellar tendinitis or the like.
Patellar tendinitis is the inflammation of the patellar tendon at the point at which it attaches to either the inferior pole of the patella or the tibial tuberosity. Patellar tendinitis may also be caused by inflammation of the body of the tendon, quadriceps tendon at the point at which it attaches to the superior pole of the patella. Patellar tendinitis is primarily caused by continuous stress on the patellar or quadriceps tendons. Although repetitive jumping, such as that which occurs while playing soccer or basketball, is an activity commonly associated with aggravating the onset of patellar tendinitis, there are several other activities that can cause rapid growth of the condition, such as running, walking, bicycling or trauma.
Tennis elbow is the inflammation of a tendon, muscle or tendon sheath located at the lateral epicondyle. Tennis elbow is primarily caused by repetitive stress on the extensor and supinator muscles of the forearm. There are several other activities responsible for this condition such as continuous use of hand tools, turning knobs/handles, trauma, painting with a brush and maintaining static posture for prolonged periods of time. Each of these activities requires repetitive use of the same muscle groups, which may lead to overuse and inflammation and micro-tearing associated with medial and lateral epicondylitis, patellar and various other forms of tendinitis.
Although some severe or chronic cases of tendinitis may require the use of anti-inflammatory drugs or surgical intervention, the vast majority of cases are resolved using simpler methods. Standard treatment for a typical case of tendinitis involves applying ice to and resting the affected area and alleviating any associated pain. In many cases, an external device will also be used to support the affected tissue, thereby reducing the risk of further injury while allowing time for the damaged area to heal.
While prompt diagnosis and treatment of tendinitis can minimize the pain associated with the condition and reduce the extent of treatment needed, prior art methods available for treatment often fail to provide adequate relief. A typical external elbow wrap used to treat lateral epicondyle tennis elbow consists of nothing more than an elastic strap which extends around the forearm with possibly a means to apply force directly to the involved muscles. This type of prior art strap does not provide concentrated support directly over the injured area. Those devices which do attempt to direct support specifically to the injured region generally apply direct pressure against a part of a bone or tendon. In fact, various straps and bands have been configured either by applying circumferential pressure against the affected area or direct pressure against the tendon. Although the straps generally have had limited success in alleviating discomfort associated with tendonitis, a new method and device for treatment is still required.