GB2181949A

GB2181949A - An orthopaedic aid

Info

Publication number: GB2181949A
Application number: GB08526862A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Charles Mitchell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-10-31
Filing date: 1985-10-31
Publication date: 1987-05-07
Also published as: GB2181949B; GB8526862D0

Abstract

An orthopaedic aid suitable for positioning between a bed-base and a mattress has a substrate 10 provided with eyelets 13 to allow the substrate to be tied in position to the bed-base. First and second pads 11 and 12 are fitted into a pocket in the substrate, pad 11 being of a relatively firm material, whereas pad 12 is relatively soft. The overall dimensions of the aid and the characteristics of the pads are selected having regard to the height, build and age of the intended user, to give optimum support to the lumbar region. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An orthopaedic aid This invention relates to an orthopaedic aid, suitable for disposition between a bed base and a mattress.

Back-pain, especially in the lumbar region, is a most common complaint, and its causes are manifold. To ease back-pain, many diverse treatments have been prescribed, but perhaps the most important is to obtain proper rest for the back, whilst lying in a good weil-supported position. To this end, many orthopaedic mattresses and complete beds have been designed, these aiming at providing improved supportforthe body.

Many beds are too soft to give proper support to the body of a user, especially when a bed is a few years old. As a consequence, sleeping in such a bed may well aggravate back-pain, rather than ease it.

Though a new bed may be the optimum solution so as to give support to the body where it is most needed, an orthopaedic bed is most expensive and so for many people this may not be a practical solution.

In an attempt to overcome the disadvantages of sleeping in a bed which is not able properly to support a body, especially should the user suffer back-pain, it is sometimes recommended that a large rigid board (such as a door) be positioned between the bed base and the mattress. This may help, but it is far from a satisfactory solution; it serves to provide a rigid bed-base, but if the mattress is badly worn or is too soft, the body still will be improperly supported. In particular, the lumbar region of the user will be able to 'sink' in the mattress to too great an extent, so allowing the back to take up a curvature which may aggravate the back problem.

It is an aim of this invention to provide an orthopaedic aid for positioning between a bed-base and a mattress, which aid may assist a user to assume a better sleeping posture so assisting the reduction of backpain.

Accordingly, this invention provides an orthopaedic aid suitable for positioning between a bed-base and a mattress, which aid comprises a sheet-like substrate, a first pad of relatively firm material carried by the substrate adjacent one end thereof, and a second pad of relatively soft material carried by the first pad so as to overlie that first pad, the length of the substrate between the first pad and the other end of the substrate being selected so that when the aid is positioned on a bed base below a mattress with said other end of the substrate substantially at one end of the bed and with the second pad uppermost, the pads are disposed generally below the lumbar region of a person lying in the bed, to give support to those.

The aid of this invention is configured to provide support to the body of a user at the region where that support is most required-namely, atthe lumbar region. This is achieved by careful selection of the length of the substrate between said other end thereof and the first pad, such that the pads are disposed below the 5 lumbar region when the aid has properly been disposed under the mattress.

Preferably, the substrate has such a length that said other end thereof should be positioned at the bed head in order to have the pads in the correct location to support the lumbar region, and the weight of the upper half of the body of a user will help to maintain the aid in the correct position. The substrate could instead be configured so that said other end may be positioned at the foot of the bed, the pads then again being below the lumbar region. Such a configuration would however require a longer substrate, between said other end and the pads.

Conveniently, the substrate is provided with eyelets to permit ribbon ties to be attached thereto.

Such ties may pass round the mattress to hold the orthopaedic aid in position. Also, the ties may be used to link together two aids of this invention positioned side-by-side under a double mattress, so that two partners who suffer back-pain can have individually designed supports.

In order that the orthopaedic aid of this invention may perform optimally, the length of the substrate between the pads and said other end should be selected having regard to the height of the individual who intends to use the orthopaedic aid.

By "personalising" the orthopaedic aid in this way, support in the lumbar region of that user can be assured. Moreover, it is most preferred for the characteristics of the first and second pads to be selected having regard to the individual who wishes to use the aid. For example, in the case of a relatively heavy person, the relatively firm first pad may be made with a greater thickness or of a more rigid material than would be the case for a lighter person. Moreover, age may also be taken into account; for an older person, the second pad may be made of a softer material, or may have a greater thickness, than would be the case for a younger person, whose own muscles may be better able to provide support.

By way of example only, one specific embodiment of this invention will now be described in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing which is a general perspective view, partially cut away, of an orthopaedic aid arranged in accordance with this invention.

Referring to the drawing, the embodiment of orthopaedic aid constructed in accordance with this invention comprises a cotton fabric substrate 10 of generally rectangular elongate shape. Typically, the overall length of the substrate may be about 1100 mm, and about 650 mm wide. Provided adjacent one end of the substrate is a pocket in which are positioned a first pad 11 and a second pad 12 disposed over the first pad 11. The first pad 11 is made of a relatively dense polyethylene foam material and so is relatively firm, whereas the second paid 12 is made of a low density polyurethane foam material, so that it is soft, as compared to the pad 11. The characteristics of pad 12 are such that local pressure causes elastic deformation of that pad, but on removal of that pressure, the pad recovers to its original shape.The two pads are disposed in the pocket provided in the substrate 10, which is then closed by sewing such that the pads are held against movement with respect to the substrate.

Provided adjacent each corner of the substrate is an eyelet 13 to permit ties to be attached to the substrate, and let into the material of the substrate adjacent its other end 14 is a transparent window 15 in which a label may be contained. Instead, a simple self-adhesive label may be used.

The precise characteristics of the orthopaedic aid are selected having regard to the person who intends to use that aid. In particular, the height, weight and age of the user should be taken into account, in the following way. The dimension 'a' shown in the drawing is chosen having regard to the height of the intended user, in order than when the aid is positioned on a bed base beneath a mattress, with said other end 14 of the aid adjacent the bedhead, the pads 11 and 12 are disposed generally below the lumbar region of a person lying on that bed. For example, for a person of height 1.75 m, the dimension 'a' would be selected to be about 560 mm.

The relative thicknesses of the pads 11 and 12 are selected primarily having regard to the weight of the intended user. The heavier the person, the greater should be the thickness 'b' of the pad 11, in order to provide adequate support for that person. On the other hand, it is found that the older the person who intends to use the aid, the greater should be the thickness of the pad 'c', to offer softer support. The precise dimensions of these thicknesses 'b' and 'c' depend upon the characteristics of the foam materials employed, and in particular the relative densities thereof, and once a range of suitable thicknesses for the pads has been determined by experimentation, a selection can be made of appropriate dimensions for a given user, for optimum comfort and support.

Claims

1. An orthopaedic aid suitable for positioning between a bed-base and a mattress, which aid comprises a sheet-like substrate, a first pad of relatively firm material carried by the substrate, adjacent one end thereof, and a second pad so as to overlie that first pad, the length of the substrate between the first pad and the other end of the substrate being selected so that when the aid is positioned on a bed base below a mattress with said other end of the substrate substantially at one end of the bed and with the second pad uppermost, the pads are disposed generally below the lumbar region of a person lying in the bed, to give support to that region.

2. An orthopaedic aid according to claim 1, wherein the substrate has such a length that when said other end thereof is positioned at the bed head, the pads will be at the correct location to support the lumbar region of a user.

3. An orthopaedic aid according to claim 1, wherein the substrate has such a length that when said other end thereof is positioned at the foot of the bed, the pads will be at the correct location to support the lumbar region of a user.

4. An orthopaedic aid according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the substrate is provided with eyelets to permit ribbon ties to be attached thereto.

5. An orthopaedic aid according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the length of the substrate between the pads and said other end should be selected having regard to the height of the individual for whom the orthopaedic aid is intended.

6. An orthopaedic aid according to claim 5, wherein the characteristics of the first and second pads are selected having regard to the build and/or age of the individual who wishes to use the aid.

7. An orthopaedic aid suitable for positioning between a bed-base and a mattress and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.