A new and innovative Smart Textile to alleviate muscle pain
Advancement in polymer process engineering, driven by recent developments in fields such as nanotechnology, chemistry, informatics, engineering, electronics and textile technology itself, together with societal demand for promoting health, have led to the development of the innovative and multidisciplinary field of ''Smart Textile''. And it is from these premises that Research Module 2 (RM2) of the TINCARE Flagship Project, in collaboration with the ''Associazione Tessile e Salute'', wanted to invest in this field for the design of a new prototype T-shirt containing sections of nanoceramics.
The T-shirt has as peculiarity the ability to interact harmoniously with our body, adapting to every movement thanks to its fabric type, which provides high confort, resistance and elasticity with FIR (Far Infrared) technology thus obtaining an elastic but non-compressive prototype.
The FIR radiation emitted by the nanoceramic particles is perceived at the skin level as a gentle radiant heat: the resulting epidermal temperature is higher when the skin is exposed to FIR. This depends on the mechanism of action associated with nanoceramics: the FIR energy emitted/dispersed normally by the human body is transferred to the ceramic particles, which act as ''reflective mirrors'' by transmitting the energy back to the skin.
Althought this may seem like an energetically neutral process, it's actually not because the material emitting FIR prevents its dispersion, allowing the body to derive the maximum benefit. Due to these properties, a clinical trial protocol has been developed for testing the prototype to explore its tolerability and beneficial properties for patients suffering from cervical and lumbar pain.
The primary objective of the study will be to explore the impact of the T-shirt on patients' quality of life, while simultaneously assessing muscle soreness and spasms. As of now, the study protocol has been drafted and we are awaiting approval from the Local Ethics Committee.
