The Official Home Page of Treadwell Corporation

Congratulations.  Your inertia-assisted treadle has been designed to give you years of smooth, quiet service in the treatment of a number of physical problems.  Treadwell^® is a wellness device that has been found in preliminary medical studies to increase the velocity of blood flow into and out of the lower extremities.  Users have reported reduced swelling in their legs, relief of night cramps, reduction of symptoms of restless leg syndrome, and healing of leg ulcers.  The effort required to use it is minimal and there have been no observations or reports of negative side effects in the several hundred people who have used it.

Download the manual in PDF format.

How Does It Work?

We know that the Treadwell^® increases venous blood flow velocity from initial sonographic testing that was completed in 2007.  This increase in blood flow velocity occurs without increasing blood pressure, pulse rate, or respiratory rate.  There is a great deal more to learn why the Treadwell® delivers the wellness benefits that have been documented but we are confident that medical researchers will continue to study it extensively. 

Our theory, however, is that the tightening of the calf muscles that occurs during the up and down motion of the ankle squeezes the veins in the legs.  Because leg veins have valves to prevent back-flow, this squeezing action propels the blood up the legs toward the heart.  Some call this mechanism a “calf pump”.

By moving more blood out of the leg veins, we believe that using the Treadwell® reduces pressure in them, allowing fluid in the tissues to reenter the capillaries.  Edema fluid can thus flow from the tissues into the bloodstream to be carried back to the heart and ultimately to the kidneys where it can be eliminated.

The reason for increased arterial blood flow into the legs is also something for medical research, but here are a couple of possible reasons.  By removing fluid from the legs, using the Treadwell^® reduces pressure, allowing freshly oxygenated blood to more easily enter the limbs to nourish the tissues.  Think of emptying old water from a bucket so that you can refill it with new.  We also think that there may be a hormonal effect that causes the arteries to open up, allowing more blood to enter the extremities.

Safety Precautions

Although the Treadwell^® has been used by hundreds of people ranging from the young and healthy to the old and sickly without reported or known bad side effects, performing any exercise or using any exercise device could theoretically be harmful to some people.  In preliminary medical studies, no significant effects on blood pressure, pulse rate, or respiratory rate were observed.  Nevertheless, this is no guarantee that it could not happen to you.  The Treadwell^® team wants you to enjoy this device and urges you to use care and common sense in relation to it.  Although not seen so far, potential symptoms as well as risks associated with the Treadwell^® could include but are not limited to:

• Falls:  To avoid falls and injuries, use the Treadwell^® only from a seated position.  Do not stand on the Treadwell^®.
• Heart and Lung Symptoms:  If you develop shortness of breath, chest pain, and/or dizziness, stop treading immediately and seek medical assistance.
• Cramps:  If you develop pain or cramping that won’t go away in the calf or leg, stop treading and rest the legs in a slightly elevated position.  If the symptoms do not subside, seek medical assistance.  If these symptoms subside but then return each time you tread, stop using the Treadwell™.
• Pinching:  The Treadwell^® has been engineered to reduce the likelihood of people or their pets having their fingers, toes, paws, tails, etc. being pinched in the pedal mechanism.  These are moving parts, however, so users and owners should take measures to protect themselves, children, and pets, etc. from injury.
• Damage to Electrical Wires:  Avoid allowing electrical wires to be placed in such a way as to possibly be pinched or worn by the Treadwell^® pedal or casing.  Even though the Treadwell® is not operated by electricity, damage to adjacent wires could result in electric shock or other harm to the user or surroundings.
• Weight:  The Treadwell^® is heavy enough that lifting or moving it could be harmful.  Lift or move it only if you are capable of doing so and know proper methods of lifting and moving heavy objects.
• Injury from the Internal Mechanism:  Do not remove the cover of theTreadwell^® and do not operate it without the cover.  Serious injury could occur.  Furthermore, removing the cover will be apparent and will invalidate your warranty.

Operating Instructions

The user should sit in a comfortable chair and place his/her feet on the pedal of the Treadwell^®.  The ankles should be approximately lined up with the circular plate attachments inside the walls of the pedal.  The thighs should be level with the knees and hips about the same height as each other.  Then use the muscles of the lower leg to move the pedal up and down.  Once the pedal has started moving, inertia helps keep it going.  Just keep pedaling at a steady, comfortable rate.
The user should position himself/herself in such a way that the ankles and feet are comfortable and the knees move up and down only slightly if at all.  This can be adjusted by moving the chair closer to or further away from the Treadwell^® and/or by moving the feet up and forward or down and backward on the pedal.  In many people, the toe part of the shoe will stick up above the top of the pedal.  Once proper positioning has been accomplished, most users can tread with very little motion by the rest of the body, allowing them to read, write, type, talk, and perform other tasks at a desk or table.  Proper positioning to prevent excessive knee and thigh motion may also help prevent soreness in the upper thigh and buttocks areas.

Times and Rates of Use

Many users have treaded for hours a day without problems.  The preferred time will vary among individuals, but we recommend sessions of at least twelve to fifteen (12 – 15) minutes two, three, or more times per day.  Each person will learn what works best for him or her by experimentation.  Once regular use has been established, some people find that they can go for a few days without treading before their symptoms return and they have to resume use on a more regular basis.  Naturally, if you are treating poor circulations, ulcers, etc., you should tread every day if you can.
The best rate (speed of treading) varies among individuals.  We recommend that you tread fast enough to make the pedal go fully up and down but not so fast as to make you tired, short of breath, or perspire. 

Conditions That May Respond to Treatment with the Treadwell^®

• Calf pain and night cramps
• Restless leg syndrome
• Swelling of the legs from a variety of conditions such as heart disease, kidney disease, lymphedema, radiation therapy, and so on
• Poor circulation of the legs and feet such as is found in diabetes mellitus (DM), peripheral arterial disease (PAD), and venous disease (venostasis)
• Ulcers of the legs
• Neuropathy
• Achilles tendonitis
• Athletic injuries
• Ankle sprains
• Calf strains
• Foot injuries

Special Notice to First-Time Users

Many people find that in their first session or two that their legs start tiring after the first eight to ten minutes of treading.  Typically this goes away and one can continue to tread for as long as s/he wishes.
Should pain, cramping, or other symptoms persist, however, stop treading and seek medical assistance.

Protecting Your Investment

 The Treadwell^® has been engineered to give you years of enjoyable use with little or no maintenance.  The internal mechanism is complicated, however, and subject to wear and deterioration.  Some ways that you can keep your device working better and longer are as follows:

• Avoid spilling liquids onto the device as they could enter the mechanical area and cause damage.
• Operate and store upright on a level surface.
• Keep the Treadwell® inside your home or other building, protected from the weather.
• Avoid stacking heavy objects on it as this could distort the pedal mechanism or cover and cause scraping.
• Do not stand on the Treadwell®.

Warranty

Treadwell^® Corporation warrants this product to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of purchase to the original end user. In the unlikely event that a problem does occur, contact the Treadwell^® Corporation as to how to return the product to our factory or authorized service center, freight prepaid and allowed, so that a determination of fault can be made. If the fault is determined to be defective material or workmanship, a no-charge replacement or repair will be made, at our discretion. It will be returned to you freight prepaid and allowed. This warranty does not cover accidents, abuse or misuse and in no case will Treadwell^® be liable for incidental or consequential damages. No other warranty, written or verbal, is authorized.