Gird compression tensioning garment with cervical collar

A gird compression garment designed to provide compressive support extending throughout the cervical and thoracic portions of the wearer's spine so as to help relieve pain and to help promote healing from muscular/skeletal ailments and injuries. This gird compression garment is constructed of a resiliently flexible and stretchable material and includes a cervical collar that extends to the base of the skull of a wearer and a fastening device adapted to vary the amount of compressive force exerted by the garment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to a compression garment that, through its unique combination of elements, is adapted to provide gird compressive support for both the cervical and thoracic portions of a wearer's body.

Millions of individuals suffer from chronic neck, shoulder, and upper back pain. There are a litany of causes for such chronic pain, including injuries, muscle strain, joint damage, radiculopathy, and complications from surgeries such as those affecting the upper spine.

The spine consists of thirty-three vertebrae that have been categorized into five regions: the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum, and coccyx regions. The cervical region consists of 7 vertebrae (known as C1 through C7), while the thoracic region consists of 12 vertebrae (known as T1 through T12). The cervical region extends generally from the base of the neck to the base of the skull, which is known as the occipital lobe. The thoracic region extends generally from the base of the neck to the base of the rib cage.

There are a variety of devices available to treat pain in portions of the body that include the cervical or thoracic regions of the spine. One such device is a neck brace, which could be made either of a soft foam rubber, a rigid material, or a combination thereof. A typical neck brace consists of thin foam, which is encased by a hard plastic shell that restricts head and neck movement after surgery on or near the cervical spine. A number of different single-site support devices are also available, including shoulder braces and clavicle straps made of soft, breathable foam and cotton material. While these devices can stabilize or immobilize certain parts of the body and prevent further injury, these devices have proven insufficient at alleviating and relieving pain in many individuals suffering from painful conditions in the neck, shoulders, and upper back. In addition, these prior art devices can cause headaches and discomfort for wearers, and thus may impart inferior remedial functionality, particularly for injuries that involve both the cervical and thoracic portions of the spine.

A variety of compression shirts are also currently available for use in athletic endeavors or for post-surgical treatment, but they do not include a compressive cervical collar, and have no means of providing compressive support to the cervical portion of the spine in combination with thoracic compressive support. In addition, while those compressive shirts may include means for tightening or loosening the compressive support, they lack a means to tighten or adjust the compressive support for regions of the body other than the thorax, such as the cervical portion of the spine. This means that these existing compression shirts are often ineffective or unable to be used to relieve suffering from neck, shoulder, and back pain for certain individuals.

Thus, there is no existing compression garment that provides combinatorial and continuous girded compressive support that encircles the wearer's body and extends from the base of the occipital lobe through the thoracic spine, to aid in recovery from surgery or a non-surgical injury, and to relieve joint and muscle pain in those regions of a wearer's body. Accordingly, there is a need for a resiliently flexible compression garment to provide girded support and treatment for both the cervical and thoracic regions of the body.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a resiliently flexible compression garment adapted to encircle both the thorax and cervical regions of the wearer's body, that further comprises a cervical collar and a fastening placket. The present invention is further directed to a gird compression garment made of bi-directional stretchable fabric that is adapted to extend from the base of the occipital lobe of a wearer to at least approximately the twelfth thoracic vertebra of a wearer. Preferably, the present invention comprises a plurality of resiliently flexible panels adapted to conform to the body of a wearer and extending from the wearer's shoulders to approximately the wearer's twelfth thoracic vertebra; a resiliently flexible cervical collar adapted to provide compressive support for the wearer's cervical vertebrae; and a fastening placket adapted to adjust the compressive force exerted by the garment on the wearer. The gird compression garment of the present invention is preferably adapted to encircle the wearer's body and extend from approximately the C1 vertebra of a wearer to the T12 vertebra of a wearer, so as to gird and support both the cervical and thoracic portions of the spine. Preferably, the cervical collar is integrally formed as part of the gird compression garment. More preferably, both the cervical collar as well as the panels adapted to conform to the body of a wearer are formed from a material that is bi-directionally stretchable, such as spandex or elastane. The bi-directionality of this material is advantageous because it allows for it to be oriented so as to provide effective, girded compressive support that extends from approximately the base of the occipital lobe of a wearer to approximately the twelfth thoracic vertebra of a wearer.

The object of the present invention is to provide relief from certain chronic upper body pain that is not fully treatable using prior art compression garments or other known treatment devices. By providing resiliently flexible, girded compression that is not limited to isolated portions of the upper body, but rather that extends throughout the entire cervical and thoracic regions, the embodiments of the present invention are adapted to provide remedial support for treatment of injuries and alleviation of pain. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention are adapted to provide for better joint coordination, more stable movements, and muscle relaxation for performance of daily activities.

The embodiments of the present invention are believed to be useful for the treatment of a variety of ailments, including neck radiculopathy, herniated discs in the upper back, dislocated joints, torn cartilage, torn muscles, torn ligaments, joint tendinitis, or joint arthritis, and in the prevention of injury recurrence. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention can be used to reduce and/or minimize pain in the cervical vertebrae, the thoracic vertebrae, the clavicle/collar bone, and the scapulars. In addition, the embodiments of the present invention can be particularly effective for treatment during the remodeling phase of muscle or joint recovery, i.e., after the injury phase, the acute/inflammatory phase, and the repair/regeneration phase have been completed. In this way, the embodiments of the present invention can aid in the rehabilitation of injuries and can promote comfort for a wearer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1illustrates the front view of an exemplary embodiment of a gird compression garment with cervical collar for a male user. The garment10ofFIG. 1comprises a right-side panel31, which is adapted to conform to the right-hand side of a male wearer's thorax, and a left-side panel32, which is adapted to conform to the left-hand side of a male wearer's thorax. The garment10ofFIG. 1further comprises a resiliently flexible cervical collar11adapted to encircle and conform to the anterior and posterior regions of a wearer's neck, so as to provide compressive support to the cervical vertebrae C1 through C7, for instance. In this preferred embodiment, the cervical collar11is integrally formed as part of the garment10.

The garment10ofFIG. 1further comprises a fastening placket21. Preferably, the fastening placket21is adapted to extend from the anterior portion of the wearer's neck to the base of the wearer's rib cage or to the anterior portion of the wearer's thorax (i.e., the wearer's sternum). Preferably, the fastening placket21is at least approximately 10 inches in length, and at least approximately 4 inches in width. The fastening placket21of this embodiment is further adapted to allow for the adjustment of the compressive force exerted by the garment10on the body of the wearer. The fastening placket21preferably includes a fastening strip that can be attached to one or more complementary fastening strips22located on a panel31or32of the garment10. Multiple complementary fastening strips can be included on a panel of garment10to allow for the fastening placket21to be joined to a garment panel in varying positions (for varying the compressive force exerted). In the embodiment depicted inFIG. 1, the underside of the fastening placket21is adapted to be fastened to either of the fastening strips22, which are spaced apart from one another. Those complementary fastening strips22may be integrally sewn into the panel31or32. Preferably, the complementary fastening strip22is adapted to extend approximately the entire length of the fastening placket to ensure a strong, complementary connection. More preferably, the fastening placket21and complementary fastening strips22comprise VELCRO® brand hook-and-loop or touch fasteners.

In a preferred embodiment, the fastening placket21is sewn into the garment10, such that the lining or backing of the fastening placket21is exposed on the front portion of the garment10. More preferably, the fastening placket21is sewn into the right-side panel31, such that the backing or liner of the fastening placket21is covered by the same resiliently flexible material as the panels31and32.

The garment10further comprises a thoracic base strip33. This thoracic base strip33is adapted to encircle the lower thorax of a wearer, at a location approximately at the wearer's twelfth thoracic vertebra, known as T12. Within the scope of the present invention are variations in the length of the garment10, so that it may extend, for instance, to just the eleventh or tenth thoracic vertebra of a wearer, or as far as the first or second vertebra of the lumbar region.

The garment10, including the panels31,32, the cervical collar11, and the thoracic base strip33, are preferably made from a resiliently flexible material that is bi-directionally stretchable. More preferably, all of those portions of the garment10are made from the same resiliently flexible, bi-directionally stretchable material. More preferably, the resiliently flexible material is more stretchable in a first direction than it is in a second, perpendicular direction. For instance, bi-directionally stretchable resiliently flexible materials that are well-suited to the present invention include spandex, polyester, or elastane that is approximately four times as stretchable in a first direction than it is a second, perpendicular direction.

Preferably, the bi-directionally stretchable resiliently flexible material is oriented so that the more stretchable axis of the material is oriented diagonally with respect to the median or sagittal plane of the wearer's body. This orientation is illustrated inFIG. 1by the parallel, striated lines that form an angle with respect to the median plane (which is parallel to the fastening placket21). This diagonal orientation is believed to provide for superior compressive support as compared to prior art garments because it better mimics and enhances certain compressive forces of the thoracic musculature.

FIG. 2illustrates the front view of an exemplary embodiment of a gird compression garment.10with cervical collar11for a female user. This embodiment is generally similar to that depicted inFIG. 1, except that the right-side panel31includes a cut-out61that is adapted to accommodate a breast panel.55, and the left-side panel32also includes a cut-out62that is adapted to accommodate a breast panel56. These additional panels55and56can preferably be included in the design of the garment10to provide greater comfort for a female wearer. Because of the strong compressive forces exerted by the garment10, a female wearer can experience discomfort if the panels are not adapted to provide additional space to accommodate the breasts. The breast panels55and56are preferably made of mesh fabric or netting, and are preferably the shape of a prolate spheroid, as shown inFIG. 2, or an oval shape, as shown in breast panels57and58inFIG. 4,FIG. 4also depicts a cut-out63and a cut-out64which are adapted to accommodate the aforementioned breast panels57and58respectively.

FIG. 3illustrates the rear view of an exemplary embodiment of a gird compression garment10with cervical collar11. This rear view applies to embodiments of the present invention for both male and female wearers. In other words, this rear view is the same for both the embodiment adapted for a male wearer depicted inFIG. 1and the embodiment adapted for a female wearer depicted inFIG. 2.

The rear view of this embodiment includes a yoke panel45. Preferably, the right and left panels31and32, respectively, are sewn into opposite sides of the yoke panel45. More preferably, the yoke panel45is V-shaped with an acute angle, as shown inFIG. 3. The yoke panel45can preferably extend up to the base of the occipital lobe of a wearer, and is preferably made from the same bi-directionally stretchable, resiliently flexible material as the other portions of the garment10, e.g., spandex or elastane. Preferably, the cervical collar11is rounded at its upper-most portion, as shown inFIG. 3.

In this embodiment, the cervical collar11is preferably formed by coupling together three elements: the upper portion of a yoke panel45, a left-side collar portion12, and a right-side collar portion13, as illustrated inFIG. 3. The resiliently flexible material that comprises the yoke panel45is preferably oriented so that the more stretchable axis of the material is oriented parallel to the median or sagittal plane of the wearer's body, and along the spinal column of the wearer. This orientation is shown by the vertical striated lines depicted in the interior of the yoke panel45inFIG. 3. It is believed that this particular orientation and the fact that the yoke panel45is adapted to extend from the base of the occipital lobe of the wearer to the top of the thoracic base strip33are collectively effective at reducing pain in the upper back and neck of a wearer, while advantageously allowing the wearer to bend and flex the back and neck with continuous support from the garment10.

The depicted garment10inFIGS. 2-4is sleeveless; however, other embodiments of the present invention, as shown for instance inFIG. 1, comprise sleeves of varying lengths, including full sleeves extending to at least approximately the location of the wearer's wrists, three-quarter length sleeves, and half sleeves.

Although the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.