Abstract:
A therapeutic pad comprises a spinel powder having the formula of AB 2 O 4  which emits 3-18 or 3-30 micron wave length depending the composition of the spinel for treatment of pain. A novel method for treatment of pain by placing the said pad with the spinel powder over the painful area.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a novel method for the treatment of common illnesses such as joint pain, headaches, insect bites, and bruises with far-infrared radiation, as well as a therapeutic pad incorporating a spinel powder, capable of emitting such radiation. More particularly, it relates to certain wave length radiation for relieving pain or related discomfort. 
     2. Prior Art 
     Inorganic spinels are known for their antimicrobial properties as shown in applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 6,051,246. Infrared radiation is known for its beneficial effects in the human body. However, no method or product using spinel compounds of the general formula AB2O4 as disclosed herein is known in the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It has now been discovered that far-infrared radiation emitted by spinels having the general formula AB2O4 have broad pain-relieving potential. No source of far-infrared radiation other than AB2O4 is known to have comparable healing properties. 
     The object of this invention therefore is to provide a safe product having ground spinel AB2O4 mixed with adhesive supported by a soft substrate (hereinafter referred to as therapeutic pad), and a method as taught in this invention for applying said pad to the area of the body afflicted by pain such as joint pain, back ache, headaches, insect bites, and bruises as well as arthritis, rheumatism, and other degenerative diseases of joints due to the aging process. Relieving pain in accordance with this invention is an effective remedy for reducing suffering when no other cure is available. Furthermore, this method is safe in that it is topical, non-invasive and non-reactive, causing no side effects of concern. It reduces the cost of medical treatment due to the chemical stability of the spinel, which is a source of radiation in the desired range of wavelength in the far infrared spectrum. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The novel component of the therapeutic pad of this invention is a far-infrared emitting spinel having the general formula of AB2O4, wherein A is magnesium, divalent iron, nickel, manganese, cobalt, or zinc. B is aluminum, trivalent iron, trivalent manganese, or trivalent chromium. O is oxygen. The spinel AB2O4 emits radiation in the range of wavelength from 3-30 microns, which has the desired pain-relieving effect. It is further found that treatment with radiation in the 3-18 micron spectral range is preferred due to its high efficiency. In the preferred embodiment of this invention, B is aluminum, trivalent chromium, or trivalent manganese. Any of the following compounds, MgAl2O4, ZnAl2O4, CoAl2O4, MnAl2O4, NiAl2O4 or any combination of A with B as chromium, and manganese, and O4 are preferred. 
     The therapeutic pad is a pliable substrate coated with ground AB 2 O 4  mixture by any method known to the art. 
     It is to be noted that the infrared range of radiation is from about 0.75 microns to 10 microns. However, it is the far infrared range of wavelength, 3 to 30 microns, that has the most beneficial effect on human health. The preferred range of far-infrared radiation for pain relief is 3-18 microns. 
     It has further been found that the range of wavelengths emitted by the spinel is determined by the chemical component B which has most beneficial results in relieving pain. Aluminum, trivalent chromium, or trivalent manganese are the preferred elements in B. 
     The therapeutic pad comprises a coat of a paste of ground spinel mixed with an adhesive and applied in a thin layer on a pliable substrate, preferably, a breathable tape made by 3M company. Any other commercially available soft plastic sheet, may also be used. The method of coating is available in the prior art. Should the substrate be a self adhesive type, then the adhesive need not be mixed with the powder spinel. 
     The shape of the pad can be adapted to conform with the contours of the human body. The method of treatment involves placing the pad having the coated spinel powder over the skin where the pain is and allowed to remain in place until pain is relieved. 
     The efficacy of the therapeutic pad having irradiation of 3-18 micro was tested experimentally and the test results are summarized in the following table. The number of patients participating in the test was 107, 43 females and 64 males. The parts of the body treated are indicated by an alphabetic code listed below the table. The time of treatment and duration of pain relief are expressed as average in hours, so are the standard variation of the measurements. 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 time treatment, hr. 
                 pain relief duration, 
               
               
                   
                 (pain relief) 
                 hr. 
               
             
          
           
               
                 Parts of body 
                 no of 
                   
                 standard 
                   
                 standard 
               
               
                 treated 
                 person treated 
                 average 
                 deviation 
                 average 
                 deviation 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 a 
                 3 
                  1.40 
                 1.04 
                 16.13 
                 13.28 
               
               
                 b 
                 9 
                  9.05 
                 11.26 
                 29.44 
                 23.17 
               
               
                 c 
                 5 
                 12.70 
                 19.87 
                 48.00 
                 16.97 
               
               
                 d 
                 1 
                  4.0* 
                   
                 72*   
               
               
                 e 
                 12 
                 37.08 
                 43.67 
                 87.08 
                 100.08 
               
               
                 f 
                 13 
                 23.08 
                 21.97 
                 59.08 
                 27.04 
               
               
                 g 
                 14 
                 18.68 
                 20.69 
                 63.43 
                 34.72 
               
               
                 h 
                 14 
                 38.75 
                 34.98 
                 105.43  
                 70.79 
               
               
                 i 
                 14 
                 44.21 
                 54.75 
                 152.64  
                 186.70 
               
               
                 j 
                 2 
                 94.25 
                 132.58 
                 240.50  
                 338.70 
               
               
                 k 
                 13 
                 16.62 
                 21.83 
                 70.46 
                 47.99 
               
               
                 l 
                 7 
                 43.50 
                 61.31 
                 115.14  
                 115.61 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Notes:  
               
               
                 *no standard deviation  
               
               
                 Parts of body: a, temple; b, nostrils; c, tooth; d, ear; e, neck; f, arm; g, shoulder; h, back; i, lumbar, j, coccyx; k, patella; and l, ankle. Time of treatment is accumulative.  
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Therapeutic pads used in this experiment were made from ground spinel powder mixed with adhesive so as to give the consistency of paste. A thin coating of about ⅛ inch thickness of the mixture is applied to the surface of a breathable tape made by 3M company. The shape of the pads varied according to contour of the parts of the body. 
     The above table demonstrate the efficacy of the therapeutic pad and the method of predictably relieving pain from a suffering patient. The pad will remain effective for a long time due to the spinel&#39;s ability of adsorbing energy from environment and converts to different radiation energy. It does not need special maintenance or parts replacement for a period of time. The pad does not cure any underlying medical causes for aches and pains. However, any relief of pain is a great comfort to the patient. Due to its ability to promote blood circulation, the treatment eliminates any blood clots in bruises. The healing of superficial cuts is enhanced.