A foot strengthening and mobility device which may help people with arthritis of the joints in their feet will be launched onto the market this summer.
Gerry Farrell, a dentist from Glasgow, created the Novabow device with specialist designers and advisers from the Medical Device Manufacturing Centre at Heriot-Watt University.
“My patented foot exercise device has evolved into a powerful tool for clinicians to help treat a whole range of painful foot conditions which may respond to conservative treatments like muscle strengthening and improvement of foot joint mobility,” he told Age Tech World.
“Arthritis is a condition which commonly affects the foot with the big toe joint being an area that can be particularly affected.
“This condition can have a big impact on everyday activities like walking or taking part in sports.”
Strengthening
Flexibility and range of motion exercises are the most commonly recommended treatment for arthritis in the big toe followed by intrinsic and extrinsic muscle strengthening exercises, a 2020 study found.
“The Novabow foot exercise system makes these types of exercises easy to complete,” Farrell said, “when this might otherwise be difficult especially for older, less mobile, patients who have difficulty reaching their feet.”
While there is some consensus about conservative treatment of arthritis of the big toe joint, much less is known about treating arthritis affecting the mid-foot, largely due to a lack of research in the area.
However, some evidence concerning this common and debilitating condition is now starting to emerge.
UK research in 2020 said: “People with symptomatic midfoot OA (osteoarthritis) demonstrate weakness in the foot and leg muscles compared to asymptomatic controls.
“Preliminary indications from this study suggest that strengthening of the foot and leg muscles may offer potential to reduce pain and improve function in people with midfoot OA.”
Weakness
A recent study has demonstrated that modern footwear makes intrinsic foot muscles weak, with six months of using more minimal shoes improving toe flexor strength by a huge 57 per cent in the study group.
Intrinsic foot muscle weakness is believed to contribute towards lesser toe deformity and to the development of bunions which may then develop painful arthritic complications.
“The Novabow System offers an alternative to weak feet,” Farrell, who founded the company Jomarg Innovation to produce his product, said.
“I am confident it will become a standard tool for physicians dealing with a whole range of conditions affecting the foot, both as a conservative treatment for existing conditions and as a tool for helping to prevent these conditions from developing in the first place.”
Potential
Professor Marc Desmulliez, manager of the Medical Device Manufacturing Centre (MDMC) at Heriot-Watt University, said he can see enormous potential for the Novabow device.
He said it may address and prevent a wide range of health conditions as well as support both amateur and professional sportspeople to exercise safety.
“The MDMC has been established to help SMEs like Jomarg Innovation to source the right manufacturers for their product, to fully utilise our £2 million lab equipment with expert guidance and to navigate the challenging path of medical device regulation.
“Our support is free to Scottish SMEs, demonstrating our institution’s commitment to accelerating life sciences innovation in Scotland and beyond.”