Clinical Studies
ViscoHeel - the Viscoelastic Heel Pad for Sports Medicine
Dr. Christian Benezis, Montpellier, France
- ViscoHeel N and ViscoHeel K were worn by 204 athletes engaged in various sports activities including track and field, football, basketball, dancing, rugby, tennis, volleyball, handball and others. The athletes suffered from conditions including overexertion of the foot (tendon inflammations, neuralgia of the heel), overexertion of the lumbar spine (mechanical lumbar neuralgia in cases of leg length discrepancies), and pain due to muscle injuries in the pubic bone region, the adductor muscle and the calf triceps (gastrocnemius). Assessments of the athletes' conditions were made on three occasions: On day 0, on day 15 and on day 30.
- The data evaluated on the 15th day shows 54% of participants experienced very good or good improvement.
- The data evaluated on the 30th day shows 65% of participants (2 out of 3) experienced very good or good improvement
- A positive effect of some degree is noted in 80% of the cases.
- The heel pads, at 0.6 cm high, enable the heel to be lifted, accordingly providing partial compensation for the difference in the length of the lower limb by relieving the lever arm of the triceps (gastrocnemius)/Achilles tendons/heel-bone/sole system.
- The study recommends adding the Bauerfeind ViscoHeel pads to the range of therapeutic measures for complaints of the foot and the triceps and in the lumbosacral region.
- The study finds that the Bauerfeind ViscoHeel pads are compatible and adapt well to the active stress of the front part of the foot when subjected to shock loads, exertion of heavy pressure when walking, and other circumstances.
- The Bauerfeind ViscoHeel pads are also shown to offer good resistance for different types of training.
- The Advantages of using the ViscoHeel pads are listed as:
- Excellent Cushioning
- Excellent adhesion to the sole
- Correct adaption to the heel-bone without slippage
- Making the use of an insole, which presses on the forefoot, unnecessary
- Easy to clean and hygienic
