Diabetes
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Foot Shaped Required space in shoe: 4,5 mm Soft springy EVA-upper sole with a sensory water filled massage under sole Great comfort |
MEDICOVI D40 relieves the skin under the sole of the foot by: The water movement in combination with the soft upper sole reduces the pressure load on the sole of the foot which gives great comfort.
The water movement stimulates one's balance.
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Foot Shaped Required space in shoe: 6 mm Soft springy EVA-upper sole with two high performance shock-absorbent pressure relieving plates and a sensory water filled massage under sole Extra Great comfort |
MEDICOVI D50 relieves the skin under the sole of the foot by: Painful areas under the forefoot and heel can be individually relived through the cut outs in the high performance shock-absorbent pressure relieving plates. The water movement in combination with the soft upper sole and the inserted high performance shock-absorbent pressure relieving plates creates a cushion that distributes the pressure so that painful areas under the foot are relived of pressure loads which gives extra great comfort.
The Water movement in the heel combined with the inserted high performance shock- absorbent pressure relieving plate provides huge shock absorption and pressure relief in the heel as well as in the knees, hips and back.
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Prevention of ulceration on the sole under the foot
The reason for ulceration on the diabetic's foot sole is due to a too large pressure loading (pressure multiplied by time) in a given skin area in connection with poor blood circulation.
The problems occur, when the pressure multiplied by the loading time is exceeding the skin cells' carrying capacity in a localised area of the surface under the foot. In other words, if a reduction of the pressure on the skin on the surface under the foot is desirable, a reduction of the pressure or of the time the pressure is applied is of equal importance.
If a given, localised skin layer under the foot is exposed to a continuous overloading (pressure multiplied by time) the blood supply to the area will be reduced due to the fact that blood vessels, capillaries and veins are being compressed by the bodyweight. The skin cells will hereby lose the energy supply and will die over a period of time. This situation is amplified for diabetics, because the illness will over time by itself reduce the blood circulation in the skin layers on the surface under the foot, whereby even small and localised loadings can reduce the blood flow to the cells to a degree whereby the cells will perish and foot wounds can develop.
A further complication of the above mentioned process is that the diabetics often develop neuropathic infection of the tips of the nerves in the sole of the foot. This can reduce or completely remove the sense of touch.
A reduced sense of balance is often experienced in connection with development of neuropathy, because the communication between the sensing organs in the surface under the foot and the centre of balance is reduced, together with the disappearance of the sense of touch in the individual cells.
Preventive measures of foot ulcers must therefore reduce the pressure as well as the time of the pressure to each little area of the foot surface, combined with an effort to improve the blood circulation. MEDICOVI soles D40 and D50 have been developed in order to fulfil exactly these three criteria.
The MEDICOVI Soles
Movement, movement and more movement in connection with dynamic pressure load relief is the foundation of the orthopaedic developments behind the MEDICOVI-soles. The sensory water filled massage sole that makes up the under sole of D40 and D50 provokes under pressure loads the foot into constant movement, combined with a large pressure relief upwards towards the foot created by the relatively soft EVA-upper sole. The movements are independent of the shape of the shoe, but naturally there has to be room enough in the shoe so the foot can move on top of the MEDICOVI sole.
Sensory massage
Sensory massage is defined as a type of activity for the foot consisting of the following three elements:
> Constantly changing pressure loads under the sole of the foot (pressure diversification)
> Stimulation of muscle activity and movement of the foot
> Increased awareness of posture and balance
The steady and continuous interaction between these three elements causes sensory massage to provide powerful and instant positive change to factors concerning pressure load on the foot sole and blood circulation in the feet and legs.
The MEDICOVI sensory water filled massage soles have been developed according to the medical expertise available at the Laboratory for Functional Anatomy and Biomechanics, University of Copenhagen which in conjunction with the Centre for Sensory-Motor Interaction, University of Aalborg Denmark, have tested the sensory and massaging effects of the MEDICOVI-soles.
How do the D40 and D50 reduce the loading of the surface under the foot (pressure multiplied by time)?
A hydraulic pressure will be established in the underlying sensory water filled massage sole when loading is applied to the MEDICOVI-soles D40 and D50. The hydraulic pressure will create new and large pressure relieving areas upwards against the foot, with each small modification of the body's centre of gravity. Even when standing, each little movement of the body will create new pressure relieving areas upwards against the foot. These changing pressure relieving areas will provoke or force the foot to much bigger and more frequent movements.
Due to the fact that we cannot hover like a bird, the surface of the foot must of course carry the weight of the body continuously. However, how this happens varies. For instance by standing, the body weight will often for longer periods of time be supported by just a few areas in the sole of the foot. This will significantly increase the risk of developing foot ulcers. If a normal sense of touch exists in the sole of the foot, one will automatically change position during over loading of the foot, thereby reducing the time of loading and thus preventing damage caused by overloading. For a diabetic, this automatic pattern of reaction will be lost when the sense of touch, due to neuropathic infection, is being reduced or have disappeared completely.
When using MEDICOVI D40 and D50 the soft EVA-upper sole will primarily distribute the pressure on a larger part of the foot surface, thereby reducing the pressure. Then the underlying sensory massage sole will provoke movements of the foot, ensuring continuous position changes of the foot. The D40 and D50 will therefore continuously change the load from the body weight forwards and backwards between a numbers of different small areas on the surface under the foot. This means that the time each little area is put under pressure is short and the results from the damaging long term loading is being reduced. This changing of the load of the sole of the foot is being provoked by the water movement and will therefore also be happening with a reduced sense of touch..
Increased Blood Circulation in the Sole of the Foot
The underlying sensory massage sole in D40 and D50 will provoke continuous movements of the foot and sole. The movement will activate the venous pumping system in the feet -, calf and thigh muscles, the sum of which will increase the blood circulation. The blood circulation in the sole of the foot will furthermore be increased by the dynamic pressure reduction, created through the soft upper soles, as well as the reduced long term loading of the exposed skin layers.
Customization of MEDICOVI D50
The built-in shock absorbing pressure load relieving plates under heel and front of the foot in D50 can easily be adapted through straight forward cut-outs, thereby providing special relief for exposed areas under the heel and the front of the foot. On the packing and on www.medicovi.com you can find further information on how to make the individual customization of D50.
Sense of Balance
Clinical testing was in 2005 carried out and this showed the effect of the sensory massage on the sense of balance (www.medicovi.com ). The meaning of this is that the diabetic's weakened sense of balance can be stimulated in a positive way by using D40 and D50.
Comfort
Increased level of activity
Comfort is a very important factor when you experience pain when you walk. The pain will automatically lower the activity level. By reducing the pain the activity level will automatically increase, resulting in a better life quality.
MEDICOVI D40 and MEDICOVI D50 provides comfort at a very high level due to dynamic pressure relief that occurs in a combination with the soft EVA-upper sole and the sensory water filled massage sole. D50 provides the biggest comfort due to the inserted high performance shock-absorbent pressure relieving plates that can be individually customized to reduce the pressure on painful areas under the heel and forefoot.