Patent ID: 7744513

Claim:
Apparatus for therapeutic treatment of a patient having two legs, a first one of which requires the therapeutic treatment, the apparatus comprising: a therapeutic device for attachment to the first leg of the patient for applying a therapeutic effect to the first leg, the therapeutic device being arranged such that the foot of the first leg of the patient is supported at a position spaced from the ground by a first distance when walking; a shoe for attachment to the foot of a second one of the legs of the patient to be worn when walking, the shoe defining a second distance of the foot of the second leg from a bottom of the shoe; and a leg lift device for attachment to the shoe, comprising: a sole plate arranged to engage underneath the shoe for engaging the ground beneath the shoe, the sole plate defining a first lift distance by which the shoe is raised from the ground; a flexible shoe receiver attached to said sole plate around a periphery of said sole plate, said receiver including a first section to releasably engage over a toe of the shoe and a second section to releasably engage around a heel of the shoe such that the flexible shoe receiver engages around the shoe to hold the sole plate onto the shoe to remain in place between the shoe and the ground during walking, the shoe being readily removable from the flexible shoe receiver; and a lift insert piece arranged to be inserted between the shoe and the sole plate and arranged to remain in place during walking, the lift insert piece defining a second lift distance by which the shoe is raised from the ground; the therapeutic device being arranged such that: either the first distance is substantially equal to the sum of the second distance and the first lift distance; or the first distance is substantially equal to the sum of the second distance, the first lift distance and the second lift distance; so as to reduce the physiological strain placed on the knees, hip and back of the patient when walking.