A novel device for accelerated recovery and pain relief for knee conditions
As an avid tinkerer and volleyball player, I hope to create this device to help all individuals help relieve their knee pain. In my junior year season, I was stricken with my first injury and the season hadn't even started. I had almost fractured my kneecap, while playing off-season volleyball. My doctor told me to rest for two weeks until the sprain was fully healed. After two weeks, I was ready to get on the court, but I had gained weight from not exercising. I started to push my legs as I exercised until my injury got worse. I had a micro-tear in my calf muscle which almost reached my knees, and I was devastated. I wanted to play volleyball this season. Luckily, I was recovered in three to four weeks and played my first game, but the injury had taken a toll on my left leg. My knee would always hurt after and during practices and games. My teamate who had chronic knee issues recommended that I see an acupressure specialist. After I saw the acupressure specialist, my knee problems had completely subsided within two months and I was able to play volleyball comfortably again.
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Abstract:
Knee injuries are the leading cause of sports-related injuries and overall second only to ankle joint injuries. Knee pain has affected nearly twenty-five percent of adults and the prevalence of knee pain has increased an estimated sixty-five percent, accounting for approximately four million primary care visits annually [6]. My knee brace solution will be based on a compression sleeve knee support. My design will directly address pain relief by using user-controlled pressure applicators positioned at traditional acupressure points known to alleviate knee pain and promote accelerated recovery of the knee. The pressure applicators, digital servo motors, are incorporated into the elastic sleeve and are controlled by the user through a smartphone interface. The user has the ability to activate any or all of the servo motors to apply pressure at various locations and with varying amounts of pressure. Given that every knee injury might require a different acupressure protocol, my device will allow the user the flexibility to choose which acupressure points provide the most relief.
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