HK1188923A - Restraint, reposition, traction and exercise device and method - Google Patents

Description

Restraint, repositioning, traction and exercise device and method

Technical Field

Various implementations of the present invention are envisioned, including its use as a lumbar pelvic (lumbar pelvic) restraint during exercise to reduce pain and/or restore range of motion to the back, pelvis, and legs under pain, or to a healthy person desiring to restore, or increase range of motion, which may also be used to treat pain, and/or restore, or increase range of motion to the neck, shoulders, upper back, mid back, pelvis, hips, knees, and other body parts.

Background

In the human anatomy, the junction of the lower spine, also known as the lumbar spine, and the pelvic bone is known as the sacro-iliac joint, which is a relatively stiff, or inflexible, joint. The upper leg bone, also known as the femur (femur), is connected to the pelvic bone at the location of the hip joint by means of the hip ligament. Because of the stiffer or inflexible nature of the lumbar spine, the only limited degree of movement of this joint relative to the pelvis is possible at the sacroiliac joint. Thus, in general, movement of the lumbar spine in any direction will be translated, at least some, into movement at the hip joint because the hip joint has relatively free movement relative to the stiff sacroiliac joint. Movement of the leg causes at least some of the hip ligaments to begin to twist. When these hip ligaments are then fully coiled, further movement of the leg is translated into pelvic movement.

One health problem that is mainly worldwide and has long been present is acute, or chronic, back pain. Countless individuals suffer from pain in the lumbar pelvic region, including the lower back and hips. There are too many causes of back pain that can be enumerated, including injury, wrong posture, accidents, genetic defects, disease, and aging. Wherein, for some people, pain only occurs during exercise. Thus causing many people to remove the beneficial sports from their routines. In addition, pain in the buttocks, and/or lower back is common to others. For many of these people, exercise is required or necessary to treat pain. But, as such, there is difficulty in performing exercises that just alleviate pain due to the increased pain during the exercise. These people often become trapped in a cycle of increased pain when the exercises and treatments required to relieve pain are performed too painful, and lack of proper exercise results in weakening of muscles and increased pain and/or discomfort.

The amount of money and effort expended trying to treat back problems, and/or alleviate pain and/or discomfort, is quite staggering. Modern medical attempts to locate these tissues (including medications, surgery, traction, hand adjustments, and exercise) are expensive and have a low chance of success. Therefore, there is no doubt a long felt need for a safe, reliable and cost effective solution to the problems associated with pelvic and lumbar backache and maladjustment. Further, it is also doubtful that many attempts by others to meet this need and solve these problems have largely failed.

Pelvic restraint devices have been proposed for various uses, such as those disclosed by Hilyard et al in U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,216, McIntyre et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,678,186, Marras et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,249, and McCormick et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,086. Among other deficiencies, none of these devices propose a device that can position the pelvis in any three-dimensional space using six stages of free movement to find a substantially pain-free position. And in which position the pelvis may be subsequently restrained by the device and movement may be performed in a substantially pain-free manner. In short, they fail to propose a device that eliminates pain, operates in a non-painful position, and directs the movement of the affected joint or body part. These and other similar devices also have other disadvantages. First, the types of exercises that a user can perform are limited; second, some of these devices are not easy to use; third, some of these devices fail to meet the user's build and preferences; fourth, these devices have had insufficient efforts to avoid pain in the user.

Applicants have patented and commercialized unique devices and methods that meet the aforementioned needs by allowing different areas of the body to be positioned and repositioned within a simultaneous period of time using six levels of free movement, thereby finding locations where the body area is confined and substantially free of pain. Therapeutic movement becomes possible when the body area is confined to a location where substantially no pain is produced. See applicant's previous U.S. patent nos. 6,656,098 and 6,749,548, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In addition, applicants also have commercially available devices for practicing the teachings of these patents, including ATM2, which allows for simultaneous repositioning and compression of a body region while in a functional weight-bearing upright position. The ATM2 has produced significant and immediate results in terms of eliminating and reducing pain and restoring or increasing range of motion for some appropriate users.

The present invention is an improvement over the prior patented devices and methods of the applicant (e.g., the ATM2 device) which may include all of the functions of the ATM2 device, yet still allow adjacent body regions to be simultaneously repositioned and compressed while applying spinal traction to certain body parts. There are many traction systems on the market today that provide reduced pressure to the entire spine, primarily by applying spinal traction between two areas of the body, usually the armpits and buttocks. They do not have the ability to apply traction to any other selected body area and, furthermore, there is no system available today that can apply spinal traction to a selected body area to compress less than the entire spine and absolutely not allow adjacent body areas to be repositioned and compressed in a position that is functionally weight bearing. Accordingly, there is a need for a device that can apply spinal traction between various specific locations on the user's body, including, but not limited to, between the groin, hip, abdomen, chest, and shoulder regions. In addition, known traction systems do not allow the user's spine to be compressed when in a substantially upright (vertical) position, a substantially horizontal position, or an angled position between vertical and horizontal. Accordingly, there is also a need for traction systems that allow a user to perform specific motions while being subjected to repositioning, compression, and traction.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention addresses the needs described above for a number of people suffering from back, pelvis, neck, shoulder and/or leg pain, as well as avoiding the problems and disadvantages of the prior art, by providing a mechanism that allows a user to position and secure his or her body in a substantially pain-free position, with or without a physician, clinician, physical therapist or other health care professional. The position at which the body is immobilized is then restricted between performing the selected body regions. For example, in spinal traction between areas such as the groin, buttocks, abdomen, chest, and shoulders, it is maintained in a position that is substantially free of pain.

For example, while allowing repositioning and compression of the constrained body part above, and/or below the traction area, e.g., while the user is in a full functional weight bearing (upright) position with six-stage freedom of movement, special spinal segment traction may be achieved by independently applying lifting forces to the left or right side of a person. In addition, the unique combination of traction force application with repositioning and compression allows the patient to find a relatively large number of substantially pain-free postures and/or a greater range of pain-free postures than would be available without traction force, while providing spinal decompression in a substantially horizontal position, or any angle between horizontal and vertical, in addition to providing the targeted spinal decompression when the user is in a substantially upright (vertical) position.

Movement of other body parts in relation to the restricted area may be performed in substantially, or completely, pain-free conditions. In particular, the movement can now be directed to a specific area of the body region that is causing pain. Applicants believe that these and other similar movements will produce the same noticeable and immediate results for some suitable users as compared to the elimination, or reduction, of pain and restoration, or increase, of range of motion achieved by the ATM2 device, as experienced with ATM2, which users may experience a lasting increase in range of motion and/or strength.

The principles of the present invention can be implemented in several ways. Accordingly, in one aspect of the invention, a spinal restraint, traction, and exercise device includes a first support surface configured to support a first portion of a person, a first restraint securing the first portion of the person relative to the first support surface, a second support surface configured to support a second portion of the person, a second restraint securing the second portion of the person relative to the second support surface. Wherein the first and second limits allow the person to position and reposition against the support surfaces in any number of three-dimensional directions, and an adjustment mechanism to move the second support surface relative to the first support surface to apply spinal traction.

At least one of the support surfaces is configured to support the person in a substantially horizontal, substantially vertical, or at an angle. Additionally, a locking mechanism is configured to hold the first and second support surfaces apart and maintain a spinal traction between the first and second portions of the person. Wherein the locking mechanism includes a self-locking threaded connection forming at least a portion of the adjustment mechanism and is operative to maintain the first and second support surfaces in a plurality of spaced apart positions.

The second support surface is raised or lowered relative to the first support surface while applying spinal traction to maintain the constrained position of the person's body in a substantially pain-free position. Wherein the second support surface comprises at least two sections that move independently relative to the first support surface. And the two sections include a right section and a left section, at least one of the right section and the left section being movable along a track system away from the first support surface to apply a traction force between the first portion and the second portion of the person.

The adjustment mechanism may comprise an actuator arranged to move the second support surface along the rail system, and the actuator comprises at least one of a manually operated mechanism and an electric motor. In addition, the adjustment mechanism may include at least two actuators, and each actuator operates to move one of the two sections, and the tension of at least one of the first and second limits is adjustable.

A support structure is capable of carrying the first and second support surfaces. Wherein the support structure is arranged on at least one part and is movable along the part for adjusting the support structure relative to the height of the person. The rail system may include at least one rail secured to the support structure and at least one rail secured to one of the first and second support surfaces, and wherein the rails are matingly mounted together to guide movement of the first and second support surfaces relative to each other.

The first and second limits may be independently adjustable with respect to the height of the person and with respect to the support structure, wherein each of the limits may include at least one connection to connect the limit to the support structure, the connection enabling independent adjustment of the tension of the limit, wherein the connection may include a ratcheting mechanism to achieve adjustment with an accuracy of at least about 7-8 mm, or less, without releasing any tension of the limit, and further wherein each of the first and second limits may include a pair of limiting members. Further, a third constraint may be configured to couple between the person and a connecting portion of the device, thereby enabling the person to move by movement relative to a resistance provided by at least one of the third constraint and the connecting portion.

The support surfaces may include cushions, and at least one of the support surfaces may be adjustable in specific angles, for example, by using at least one of:

a wedge disposed between the at least one support surface and the person;

a mechanism for pivoting the at least one support surface relative to a substantially horizontal axis.

According to another aspect of the invention, a method of applying spinal traction to a body of a person includes the steps of: positioning a first portion of the person's body at a first location; positioning a second portion of the person's body at a second location; constraining the first and second portions of the person's body in any number of three-dimensional directions; and applying spinal traction by using a mechanical device to move the first and second portions of the person's body apart.

The method may further comprise the steps of: repositioning the first portion of the person's body to a third position; repositioning the second portion of the person's body to a fourth position; re-constraining the first and second portions in any number of three-dimensional directions; and reapplying spinal traction by moving the first and second body portions.

The method further includes the step of performing the movement while constraining the first and second body portions in a substantially pain-free direction, wherein the movement is performed while applying the spinal traction force, wherein the three-dimensional direction may include a substantially pain-free direction, and wherein the step of performing the movement may occur while re-constraining the first and second body portions of the person in a substantially pain-free direction and/or while re-applying the spinal traction force.

The first portion may be an upper portion of the person's back and the second portion may be a lower portion of the person's back, wherein the step of applying spinal traction may include applying spinal traction between the upper portion of the person's back and the lower portion of the person's back.

At least one of the positioning steps may include positioning the body in a substantially horizontal, substantially vertical, or angled position, the first and second portions being in a substantially vertical position, and the application of spinal traction forces may occur when the person is in a substantially upright, weight-bearing position, and at least one of the positioning steps may include positioning the body portion relative to an angled support surface, and the method may further include maintaining the application of spinal traction forces by locking the mechanism in any continuously variable position.

According to another aspect of the invention, a spinal restraining, traction and movement device includes a first means for supporting a first portion of a person in a first position, a first means for restraining the first portion of the person, a second means for supporting a second portion of the person, a second means for restraining the second portion of the person, the first and second means being means for allowing the person to be positioned and repositioned in any number of three-dimensional directions, and means for moving the first support means relative to the second support means to apply a spinal traction force.

At least one of the first and second support devices is configured to support the person in a substantially horizontal, substantially vertical, or angled position, and means are provided for locking the first and second support devices in a spaced apart position to maintain the application of the spinal traction force.

Additional features, advantages, and embodiments of the invention may be set forth or apparent from the detailed description, drawings, and claims that follow. Furthermore, it is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and intended to provide further explanation without limiting the scope of the invention as claimed.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the detailed description serve to explain the principles of the invention. Furthermore, the apparatus is intended to show structural details which are not beyond what is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the apparatus, and the various ways in which it may be practiced, wherein:

FIG. 1: which is a perspective view of a restraining, repositioning, traction, and exercise device constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention having a movable bolster;

FIG. 2: which is a perspective view of the device of fig. 1 to show one of the upper support pads raised relative to the lower support pad;

FIG. 3: which is a perspective view of the device of fig. 1 to show two upper support pads raised relative to the lower support pad;

FIG. 4: which is a rear view of a portion of the apparatus of fig. 1, to show a slide carriage having support rails that slidably support a lower support pad relative to the lower support pad;

FIG. 5A: which is a perspective view, partially in section, of the device shown in fig. 4 to illustrate the sliding carriage and the sliding connection between the sliding carriage and the upper support pad of the present invention;

FIG. 5B: which is a perspective view of a set of slidable support rails for guiding relative movement, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5C: which is a perspective view of the support rail shown in figure 5B, in broken away;

FIG. 6: which is a plan view of the monorail member shown in figures 1-3 for slidably supporting the sliding gantry of the present invention on the support posts;

FIG. 7: it is an exploded view of the ratchet and monorail assembly of the present invention that can be used to adjust the tension and height of the strap;

FIG. 8: it is a cross-sectional side view of another embodiment of the present invention to illustrate the side wings of the present invention having recesses for adjustably positioning the ratchet wheels;

FIG. 9: which is a perspective view of another embodiment of a restraining, repositioning, traction, and exercise device constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention with auxiliary exercise equipment;

FIG. 10A: which is a perspective view of a motion strip that may be used with the present invention; and

FIG. 10B: which is a test chart for the motion strip of fig. 10A used in the device of fig. 8.

Detailed Description

The embodiments and various features and advantages of the present invention are explained in more detail with reference to the non-limiting embodiments and examples that are described and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description, it being noted that the features illustrated in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale and that, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, features of one embodiment may be employed in other embodiments even if not explicitly stated herein, and further that descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques may be omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments of the present invention.

The examples and embodiments used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the invention may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments of the invention, and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention which is defined solely by the claims appended hereto and by the principles of applying the same, it being noted that like reference numerals are used to represent similar parts throughout the several views.

The term "distraction" will be used hereinafter to describe any tension, or pulling force, applied to the skeletal system, including the forces that cause compression of the spine, which may be used to relieve pressure on the skeletal system.

The drawings illustrate apparatus for supporting a user's back, hips and pelvis in any substantially fixed position while applying spinal traction, and may also be used during leg, back, neck or shoulder exercises, for example, during back exercises in which the user's spine and user's pelvis are substantially constrained from rotating relative to the hip joint, and instead most of the movement of the user's back is translated into rotation of the spine itself and of the pelvis at the ilium joint, and similarly during leg exercises in which all of the movement of the leg is substantially constrained from rotating relative to the pelvis, and in which case the user's pelvis is substantially constrained from rotating relative to the sacroiliac joint and the lumbar spine, and in other cases, the restraining band may be used to restrain movement of the spinal segment between the bands and to facilitate movement of other segments above or below the bands, where the user may be a painful patient or a healthy person who wishes to perform an exercise that increases range of motion and/or strength.

In order to increase the therapeutic effect thereof, the device is adjustable to help position and fix the user in a position substantially free from pain, so that those who previously had to endure pain-even if intolerable-are able to perform continuous movement of movements on the device in a substantially pain-free manner, the therapeutic effect on suitable users resulting from performing these substantially pain-free movements being quite good in terms of pain relief and/or in terms of increased range of motion, the applicant believing that in some cases, after a short period of treatment with the invention, the result may be immediate and the pain may be completely eliminated and/or the maximum range of movement of the user with chronic pain restored.

Fig. 1 illustrates a first example of a restraining, repositioning, traction, and movement device according to the present invention, which is a spinal traction device that provides a particular vertical segment when the person assumes a substantially upright, weight-bearing position, and further, when the user is restrained and undergoing spinal traction, movement may be performed, as shown in fig. 1, the restraining, repositioning, traction, and movement device 1 may include a sliding gantry 2 that holds support pads 7, 8, and 9 in a manner described below, the sliding gantry 2 being slidably coupled to feet 3 and 4, wherein the feet 3 and 4 are tightly connected to a base 5, the base 5 being wide enough to ensure that the device 1 will assume a steady, flat state when the user moves thereon, as shown in fig. 1, the base 5 may be constructed to define a platform, to allow the user to assume a substantially upright, weight-bearing position thereon when the user's back and/or pelvis are clamped against the support pads 7, 8, and/or 9, whereby the user's weight will thus further stabilize the device 1.

In use of the device 1, the user steps on the base 5 and sets his body in any three-dimensional posture to find a pain-free posture with his back, or front, and pelvis resting against the support pads 7, 8, and 9, then the user and/or clinician restrains the user to the device 1 using the straps 16, 17, 18, 19 while maintaining a substantially pain-free posture, as shown in figure 8. Furthermore, as shown in figures 2 and 3, once the user is strapped to the device 1, the support pads 7, 8 may be independently raised (in a manner described in more detail below) to apply spinal traction while conforming to the user's preferences and characteristics. For example, only support pad 8 may be raised, as shown in fig. 2, or only support pad 7 may be raised, or both support pads 7 and 8 may be raised, as shown in fig. 3. In this method, when the support pads 7 and/or 8 are raised, spinal traction will occur at the spinal segment that falls between the straps 17 and 18, for example, when the user is facing away from the support pads, if only the support pad 8 is raised, spinal traction will be applied to the left side of the user, the area between the straps 17 and 18, further, if only the support pad 7 is raised, spinal traction will be applied to the right side of the user, the area between the straps 17 and 18, and further, if both the support pads 7 and 8 are raised, spinal traction will be applied to the sides of the user, the area between the straps 17 and 18. Details of the sliding stage supporting the support pads 7, 8, 9 with respect to movement are described next.

Fig. 4 is a rear view of a portion of the apparatus shown in fig. 1, showing in detail the components of the sliding carriage 2, while fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the sliding connection between the sliding carriage and the upper pads 7, 8 of the carriage.

As shown in fig. 4 and 5A, the sliding gantry 2 includes top and bottom platforms 2A and 2B, respectively, that are fixedly coupled together by a row of axially extending plates 30 and 31, wherein the platforms and the plates may be made of a suitable, durable material, such as steel, or any other well-known fastening means, such as welding, rivets, bolts, screws, etc., to secure the same. Top platform 2A has a front end 20A, a top end 22A, a rear end 24A, and sides 26A, 28A, wherein front end 20A is not shown in fig. 5A, but shows a downwardly depending edge (downward depending lip) adjacent to rear surfaces 7A and 8A of support pads 7, 8, sides 26A and 26B extend between and connect front end 20A and rear end 24A of top platform 2A. Further, the bottom platform 2B has a front end 20B, a top end 22B, a rear end 24B, and sides 26B, 28B extending between and connecting the front end 20B and the rear end 24B of the top deck 2B, additionally, the fastener may be secured to the frame by, for example, one or more fasteners, such as welds, rivets, bolts, etc., as illustrated in FIG. 5A, while the bottom of the extension plate 30 is connected to the upwardly extending edge 20B forming the front end of the bottom platform 2B, two extension plates 30 may extend between the top platform 2A and the bottom platform 2B to connect the two at the middle portion of the sliding stand, and, in addition, similarly, the top portions of the extension plates 30 are connected to the depending edges of the front end 20A forming the top platform 2A, but again this connection is not visible in fig. 4 and 5A. On the sides of the extension plates 30 are further extension plates 31 extending between and connecting the sides of the top platform and the bottom platform, so that one of the extension plates 31 (as shown on the right side of fig. 4) extends between and connects the sides 26A of the top platform 2B and the sides 26B of the bottom platform 2B, while the other extension plate 31 (as shown on the left side of fig. 4) extends between and connects the sides 28A of the top platform 2B and the sides 28B of the bottom platform 2B, in which case the platforms and extension plates form a relatively strong and open-like box and are adapted to carry the support pads 7, 8, 9 to be described next. The sliding gantry 2 may include one or more cross members to provide lateral support, such as side plates 34 fixedly attached to and extending between the side plates 31.

The support pad 9 may be fixedly attached to the slide carriage by any means known in the art, fig. 4 and 5A illustrate the support pad 9 formed with appropriate supports that may be fixedly attached to side plates 34 by, for example, fasteners 37 shown in fig. 4, and the top pads 7, 8 are each slidably attached to the slide carriage to independently achieve sliding movement relative to the slide carriage, and fig. 4 and 5A illustrate a slidable track system for guiding relative movement, where any known system capable of achieving the desired relative movement may be used.

Fig. 5B and 5C show an example of a slidable track system that can be used for this purpose, as shown, the protruding part 10A/11A of the track system is slidably coupled to the complementary recessed part 10B/11B, for example, by having a conforming cross-section, e.g., a generally conventional T-shaped protruding cross-section 10A/11A is covered by a recess of a complementary shaped (generally C-shaped cross-section) recessed monorail part 10B/11B. Slidable movement can be achieved by fixedly connecting one of the raised track inserts to the sliding carriage and one of the support pads and fixedly connecting the recessed monorail member to the sliding carriage. Here, the rail may be made of metal or other suitable materials.

For example, referring again to fig. 4 and 5A, two recessed track sections 10B and 11B are fixedly connected (by any known means) to the middle and sides of the sliding gantry 2, respectively, and two corresponding protruding tracks 10A and 11A are fixedly connected (by any known means) to the middle and sides of each of the support pads 7, 8.

More specifically, each intermediate recessed rail 10B is fixedly connected to one of the intermediate extension plates 30 and extends from a position substantially level with the top platform 2A of the slide stand along the vertical height of the support pads 7, 8 to the bottom of the support pads 7, 8, as shown in phantom in fig. 4, and similarly, each slide recessed rail 11B is connected to each outer surface of the side plates 31 and extends from a position substantially level with each support pad 7, 8 along the vertical height of the support pads to the bottom of the support pads 7, 8, as shown in fig. 4. It is noted here that the top portions of three of the recessed tracks 10B, 11B seen in fig. 5A are shown above the top end 22A of the sliding gantry platform 2A for ease of illustration only, and therefore, preferably, the recessed tracks do not extend beyond the top end 22A, but are substantially level therewith, as previously described. Furthermore, the projecting tracks 10A and 11A may be fixedly attached to the backup pads 7, 8 at locations corresponding to the respective recessed tracks 10B/11B in a manner to be described below, and the backup pad 7 may include one or more rigid supports, such as metal plates 15A, 15B at the top and bottom thereof and attached to the back surface 7A of the backup pad 7, as shown in FIG. 5A across the width of the backup pad 7. Alternatively, another metal plate, called a flap 14A, is fixedly attached between the metal plates 15A, 15B (by welding, or any other known means) and extends rearwardly from the back surface 7A of the backup pad 7 along the entire vertical height of the backup pad 7, or alternatively, the metal plates 15A, 15B may be replaced by a single support that extends across the back surface 7A, and the flap 14A forms the attachment surface, as discussed below. The support pad 8 also has similar features including metal plates 15C, 15D attached to the back surface 8A, and wings 14C fixedly attached between the metal plates 15C, 15D and extending downwardly to form depending surfaces.

As shown in fig. 5C, the projecting rail 10A is fixedly connected to and extends between the support plates 15A and 15B of the support mat 7 and between the metal plates 15C and 15D of the support mat 8 such that they extend substantially along the overall vertical height of the support mats 7, 8, and each metal rail 11A is fixedly connected to the inner surface of the side wings (side wings 14A of the support mat 7 and side wings 14C of the support mat 8) and extends substantially along the overall vertical height of the support mat, and the outer surface of each side wing 14C is adapted to respectively depend from a monorail 29A that slidably carries one or more ratchets (or any other suitable tightening mechanism (s)), 29C, as will be discussed later.

In this case, the projecting tracks 10A, 11A may be received in corresponding recesses of recessed tracks 10B/11B, respectively, to guide the sliding of the support pads 7, 8 with respect to the sliding carriage 2, and the raising and lowering of the support pads 7, 8 may be carried out independently to apply spinal traction by any well-known means, such as a simple crank mechanism described below, the sliding carriage 2 may also include damping cylinders (damming cylinders) connected between the sliding carriage 2 and a suitable, fixed part of the device, such as the feet 3, 4 or the base 5, such as gas springs 60 (or any other known damping means), partially shown in fig. 4, to assist in the raising of the sliding carriage 2B and/or damping the lowering movement of the sliding carriage 2B, as will be discussed further below. Furthermore, the entire sliding gantry 2 including the movable support pads 7, 8 and the fixed support pad 8 can be moved up and down along the columns 3 and 4 as a single unit by using a quick release mechanism, the operation of which is shown in fig. 5A at 60, as will be discussed in more detail below.

As shown in fig. 4 and 5A, ratchets 12 and 13 are disposed on the top of the sliding gantry 2 to provide the necessary force for lifting and lowering the support pads 7 and 8 along the support rails 10 and 11, wherein the ratchets 12 and 13 may each be connected to a long threaded bolt 35A, 35B, respectively, extending through holes in the top end 22A, and further wherein the bottoms of the bolts are coupled to the support pads 7 and 8, respectively, via brackets 36A, 36B, respectively, wherein the brackets have nuts 38A, 38B fixedly locked thereon, respectively, which may be double (fig. 4) or single (fig. 5A) nuts, and wherein the brackets 36A, 36B are welded to, or otherwise locked to the backs of the support pads 7, 8, respectively, such as plates 15B, 15D, where the bolts 35A, 35B and the ratchets 12 and 13 are provided to the top 22A for rotation relative to the sliding gantry by any known means, such as threaded holes. In this case, when the ratchets 12, 13 are rotated manually by a user, the bolts thereof also rotate along their threads, and the rotation of the bolts 35A, 35B causes the respective brackets 36A, 36B to move up or down along the respective bolts 35 and to move with the support pads 7 or 8, so that the rotating bolts 35A or 35B can move the corresponding support pads 7 or 8 vertically along the threads of the bolts with the sliding table 2 (and the support pads 9) maintained in a fixed position, that is, the support pads 7 and 8 can be raised or lowered by the ratchets 12 and 13, where the threaded connections (threaded connections) between the bolts 35A, 35B and the nuts 38A, 38B, respectively, are self-lockable, thus, as soon as the rotation of the ratchet wheel stops, its corresponding pad is locked in the current vertical position, and other known means for locking the pads in the separated position can be used, in which the height of each pad 7 and 8 can be adjusted independently of each other, fig. 5A showing that the pads 7, 8 are both raised at the same angle relative to the pad 9 with a certain spacing therebetween. Although fig. 4 and 5A and the foregoing describe how the ratchets 12 and 13 and threaded bolts are used, any known mechanism or device for raising and lowering the support pads 7 and 8 may be used in the present invention, including, for example, electric motors operable with respect to the frame and the sliding gantry 2 and/or the support pads 7, 8 to allow for motorized movement of the sliding gantry 2 and/or the support pads 7, 8 relative to the frame.

As noted above, the support pads 9 are shown as being fixed rather than movable relative to the sliding gantry 2, however, in alternative embodiments, the support pads 9 could be raised and lowered along their own support rails, or otherwise oriented to span the width of the device 1, for a wide range of spinal traction applications, the support pads 7 and 8 could be combined into a single wide support pad, or split into three or more support pads, to span the width of the device 1, and the support pads 9 could be split into two or more support pads spanning the width of the device 1 to allow more specialized spinal traction, and the support pads 7, 8, and/or 9 could be rotated, for example, about a generally horizontal axis to allow the working face of the support pads to be angled relative to the user, it is also easier to achieve a posture that does not cause pain.

As mentioned previously, the sliding stage 2 can be coupled to feet 3 and 4 made of metal (e.g., steel), for example, the sliding stage 2 can be slidably locked to the feet 3 and 4 to achieve upward and downward movement along the feet 3 and 4, and subsequently locked in any position, for example, by a suitable quick release mechanism, to adjust the height of the sliding stage 2 and support pads 7, 8, 9 for the user so that the sliding stage 2 can move up and down along the feet 3 and 4 relative to the base 5.

The upward and downward movement of the sliding carriage 2 along the legs 3 and 4 can be achieved in a number of ways. For example, the sliding carriage 2 may be slidably disposed over the feet 3 and 4 via a quick release mechanism, or any other well known height adjustment mechanism that allows locking, the feet 3 and 4 may include, or may be formed as, one, two or more monorail, i.e., a member having an elongated recess, as shown in FIG. 6, the sliding carriage 2 may also include a member protruding from, and slidably retained within, the recess 12 of the monorail, thereby enabling the sliding carriage 2 to move up and down the monorail, one or more protruding portions of the sliding carriage 2 may include a quick release mechanism, similar to quick release (quick releases) used on bicycles to dispose wheels on a frame, where the release (release) acts as a latch to lock the sliding carriage 2 in a desired position, when the release is opened, the sliding carriage 2 can move up and down along the monorail on the feet 3 and 4. Examples of suitable single-track and quick-release mechanisms are shown in fig. 8A-8C and described in detail with reference to fig. 8A-8C and applicant's prior U.S. patent nos. 6,656,098 and 6,749,548. The operative parts of such a device and bolts are schematically illustrated at 60 in fig. 5A.

In addition, damping cylinders, such as the aforementioned pneumatic rods 60, may be associated with the feet 3 and/or 4 to facilitate lifting of the skid 2 and/or to avoid dropping the skid too quickly due to release of the quick release mechanism. In another example, the feet 3 and 4 may themselves be, or may include, damping cylinders, and the support pads 7, 8, and/or 9 may be secured to the feet 3 and 4.

Although it has been described that the sliding carriage 2 is attached to the feet 3 and 4 connected to the base 5, the sliding carriage 2 may also be attached to a rigid support structure, such as a wall, door, floor or sports equipment (e.g. weight equipment), provided that the rigid structure comprises a mechanism that allows the sliding carriage 2 to move up and down in a lockable position, and if so attached, the base 5 may not be required, and any suitable means may be used to attach the sliding carriage 2 to the rigid support structure, for example recesses may be provided in the sides of the sliding carriage 2 relative to the support pads 7, 8, and 9, and the recesses may be attached to corresponding protrusions on the support structure, such as hooks, tight fits, or, in the alternative, well known brackets may be used, Or any other suitable device.

The lateral surface of each pad includes one or more adjustable ratchet mechanisms 21-28 slidably disposed thereon for adjusting the position and tension of the operative portion (e.g., strap) for positioning and maintaining the user relative to the pad, and in particular, the outer surface of the side wing 14A of the pad 7 includes a C-shaped channel 29A fixedly connected to the side wing 14A and having a cross-section similar to that of a monorail shown in fig. 6, and the outer surface of the side wing 14C of the pad 8 includes a C-like channel 29C fixedly connected to the side wing 14C. One or more ratchets may be coupled to each of the monorail 29A and 29C, e.g., ratchets 21, 23 slidably coupled to monorail 29C; the ratchets 22, 24 are slidably coupled to the monorail 29A. Each ratchet is coupled to the end of one strap, so that two straps 16, 17 can be used to position and restrain the user with respect to the top support pads 7, 8, as will be described below.

Similarly, two straps 18, 19 may be positioned and restrained with respect to the bottom support pad 9, the ends of which straps are coupled to one of the ratchets 25-28, wherein the ratchets 25, 27 are slidably coupled to the monorail 29C ' and the ratchets 26, 28 are slidably coupled to the monorail 29A ' at the same time, and furthermore, the monorail 29A ' and 29C are fixedly connected to the sliding gantry side plate 31 via one or more blocking members (block members), or welds, as shown in fig. 100B and 100D, respectively, as shown in fig. 4 and 5A, wherein the blocking members 100B, 100D function as spacers, since the support pad 9 in this example is fixed with respect to the sliding gantry 2, and therefore does not need to have a slidable rail, a, And/or side wings, in addition, the monorail 29A 'and 29C' may also have a "C" shaped channel section similar to that illustrated in figure 6.

The ratchet mechanisms 21-28 function as leverage points for the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 on the user's side, each ratchet mechanism may include a quick release structure protruding into and enclosed by the passageway of the monorail to support the ratchet mechanism for sliding up and down the length of the monorail, as shown in FIG. 7, wherein FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a ratchet and monorail assembly constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention to adjust strap tension and height, the ratchet mechanisms 21-28 may have a structure, indicated generally at 56 in FIG. 7, and may be locked to the mounting bracket 150, the bracket 150 may be in the form of an angled bracket having L-shaped portions 152, 154, the ratchet mechanism 65 may be locked to the L-shaped portion 152 by bolts 156, washers 158, and nuts 160, the L-shaped portion 154 may include through holes 165, the set of bolts 164 can pass through the through holes 162 and further through the holes 166 formed in the square washers 168 and through the bushing 170, both of which are located in the monorail recess 120, in which case the nuts 172 can be loosely tightened over the set of nuts 164 to restrain the ratchet mechanism 65 in various positions on the monorail 29.

Washer 168 is preferably made of polyethylene to frictionally engage the inner channel surfaces 114b, 116b of the "C" -shaped channel section 110 shown in fig. 6 when the nut 172 is tightened on the bolt assembly 164, while in another embodiment, the bushing 170 and nut 172 may be replaced by a square steel nut having similar dimensions to washer 168 and having threads for engaging the nut assembly 164. Accordingly, the ratchet mechanism 65 can slide vertically up or down the monorail channel section 110 to assist the user in a pain free position, as previously described. Additionally, nut 172 is loosely tightened onto nut assembly 164 to provide sufficient play so that the weight of ratchet mechanism 65 may cause foot 154 to tilt about a vertical axis, and L-shaped portion 154 then imparts tension to nut assembly 164, which in turn pulls washer 168 into frictional contact with monorail channel surfaces 114b, 116b sufficient to support the ratchet mechanism and to properly adhere to a strip, as commercially available under the trade designation TDB-502 of A-Belt-Lin Industrial and tracking Co., Ltd. (www.abeltc.com), although other ratchets, such as those of similar width and greater precision, may be used, as will be described. Alternatively, other means for adjusting the tension of the holding strap may be used, such as an electrically driven stepper motor, or similar device suitable for adjusting the length of the strap.

Another way to couple the ratchet to the support pads is by using a recess 61 formed in a plate (wing) attached to the side of each support pad, as shown in FIG. 8. The recesses 61 are spaced along each side of the support pad and are configured to releasably receive the ratchets which may be attached to the side wings by securing feet extending through each ratchet and into the cooperating recesses 61, such that the position of the ratchets 21-28 may be adjusted up or down the side wings and, accordingly, the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 around the user may thus be adjusted to the user's appropriate position. Of course, other types of strap position adjustment devices may be used instead of the recessed and fixed leg arrangements.

The ratchets 21-28 allow the clamping tension of the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 to be selectively and incrementally adjusted by the user, or by another person (e.g., a supervising physician), thereby ensuring that the user's back, and/or pelvis are clamped in a substantially pain-free position against the support pads 7, 8, and 9 prior to performing spinal traction, or exercises, where each ratchet is preferably capable of precise adjustment of at least about 12-13 mm, more preferably less than 7-8 mm, and even finer precision, and when not required, less than about 7-8 mm, including several mm, may be achieved by any well-known means, such as the noted stepper motors, while providing better ability to achieve a substantially pain-free posture, of course, each ratchet may have more precise adjustments of several millimeters, for example, a precision of about two millimeters or less, a precision of about three millimeters or less, a precision of about four millimeters or less, a precision of about five millimeters or less, or more depending on the application and desired adaptations of the device. In addition, each strap 16, 17, 18, and 19 may have at least two independently adjustable leverage points, as previously noted, as opposed to using ratchets, electronic, or other adjustments with the same fine adjustment capability.

As shown in fig. 1, 2 and 3, each of the four straps 16, 17, 18 and 19, or similar safety straps, may be connected to two of the ratchets 21-28, which may be disposed across the width of the device to restrain the user to the device. Additionally, straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 may be spaced apart and extend between side flaps 14 and 15 and then wrap around to the other side flap 14 and 15, however, it should be understood that straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 may be integral with one of the side flaps of the bolster and releasably attached to the other side flap of the bolster, or alternatively, straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 may be integral with the side flaps with fasteners 20, such as clasps, clips, or cords, proximate the end of each strap 16, 17, 18, and 19, which fasteners 20 enable straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 to be quickly and easily opened to release the applied clamp to the user's back and/or pelvis from bolster 7, 8, and 9, thus providing a safe way of using the device 1. In any event, any known, suitable attachment means may be used to attach the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 to the side flaps 14 and 15.

In addition, any suitable number of straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 may be used. Only one, two, or three straps, or any number of additional straps may be used to restrain other parts of the body (e.g., upper back, neck, arms, legs), the additional straps may be coupled to the device in the same manner as straps 16, 17, 18, and 19, tension gauges (or similar mechanisms) may be provided to allow the user to determine the tension of the straps, and straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 may also be varied in design and configuration, for example, to help the user achieve a non-painful posture.

It should be understood that each of the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 can be independently adjusted to tilt up, down, or in various ways, first they can be moved up or down using their respective ratchet wheels and positioned at any number of lockable locations along the side wings 14 and 15, and further that the tilting of the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 extending from the side wings 14 and 15 can be adjusted by rotating the ends of the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 within the monorail 29 or recess 30 using any known structure.

The clamping tension in the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 can be adjusted, for example, by a ratcheting mechanism, as previously discussed, or other known structures, the tension in the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 can also be adjusted by fasteners 20 intermediate at the ends of the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19, and when any adjustment mechanism is used, it is preferable that the mechanism maintain the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 under tension and allow the straps to be increasingly tightened without releasing tension. In addition, adjusting the clamping tension at each end of each strap allows for a widthwise rotation of the back, and/or pelvic region, along the user's body, i.e., about a substantially vertical axis, and in addition, different rotational movements of the back, and/or pelvis may be achieved by adjusting the position of the ratchet along the wings 14 and 15, and simultaneously the adjustment of straps 16, 17, 18, and 19, and the change in the different tensions between straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 allows for a lengthwise rotation of the back, and/or pelvis, along the user's body, i.e., about a substantially horizontal axis.

The straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 are preferably made of a strong, resilient, and durable material similar to, or the same as, fibrous materials used in conventional airline or automotive seat belts, soft foam pads, or wedges (wedges), may be provided on the contact side of the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 to enhance the comfort of the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 in securely gripping around the user, and the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 may have a high coefficient of friction coating, such as a rubber paint, to prevent the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 from slipping around the user's clothing and/or body.

In order to be able to comfortably secure a person to the device 1 by means of the straps 16, 17, 18 and 19, the support pads 7, 8 and 9 may be made of hook and pile fastener material, such as Velcro @, optionally including wedges releasably attached to the support pads 7, 8 and 9, or pillows which may be selectively arranged over the support pads 7, 8 and 9 to ensure that the user may be held in a comfortable, non-painful position whilst being clamped against the support pads 7, 8 and 9.

The support pads 7, 8, and 9 are preferably made of a resilient material, such as foam or rubber, to provide a sufficiently rigid surface while simultaneously gripping the user's back and pelvis, and furthermore, the support pads 7, 8, and 9 may have a sufficient width to extend across the entire width of the user's back and pelvis, and the support pads 7, 8, and 9 may be contoured to accommodate the shape of the back and pelvis, and support pads of different shapes may be provided to accommodate different body configurations. In addition, the backup pads 7, 8, and 9 may include a rigid support, such as a splint, covered with high density polyurethane foam. The foam may be covered with a vinyl cover layer, although other suitable support pads and cover materials may be used.

The support pads 7, 8, and 9 should be relatively flat pads, however, one or more of the support pads may also be shaped, or angled, to conform to the user, as described above. Alternatively, pressure points may be provided, and wedges may be coupled to the support pads to provide the same effect. Additionally, extensions may be added to the upper, lower, or sides of the bolster where the extensions may be pivotally attached to the bolster so that they may be angled toward or away from the user, and the angle of inclination of the bolsters 7, 8, and 9 may be adjusted by any suitable mechanism, and bolsters, or wedges may be placed between the restraining straps and the user using the device, and/or under one or both ankles, and the use of the bolsters and wedges may angle the back, pelvis, and so on, which may be beneficial for positioning in a non-painful posture.

As discussed previously, to position the body on the device, the user steps towards the base 5, and orient itself in a substantially pain-free position with its front, back (spine), and/or pelvis resting against the support pads 7, 8, and 9, to restrain oneself to the device, the user (or an assistant) removes one of the ends of the strips 16, 17, 18, and 19 from the side wings 14, 15, the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 are then reattached to the other side flaps 14, 15, alternatively, if the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 are integral with the wings 14, 15, the fastener 20, which mediates the tapes 16, 17, 18, and 19, is operated, to securely restrain the user with the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19.

Typically, the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 are positioned around the front, back, and/or lumbar pelvic region of the user to restrain the user in a position where the user does not feel painful or uncomfortable, for example, the strap 16 may extend around the upper portion of the user's back and the strap 17 may extend around the lower portion of the user's back, then the straps 18 and 19 are positioned below the strap 17 on the user to encircle the user's pelvis, and further, the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 may extend around the user at any position on the user's body so long as the user is firmly clamped against the support pads 7, 8, and 9. It should be understood that the desired clamping position will vary depending on the particular user and the desired location for spinal traction, and thus, straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 may also be placed over or under the user's pelvis, or any other body area determined by the user or physician. In this case, the adjustability of the device 1 provides adaptability to different body areas that may be used in a variety of situations and that may cause people to feel pain, discomfort, and/or reduce the quality of their activities.

As already discussed, the support pads 7, 8 can be adjusted independently of each other, which allows the user to achieve a substantially pain-free posture against the support pads 7, 8, irrespective of lack of symmetry of the back or pelvis, as often occurs for actual users not of ideal body shape, so that the independent adjustability is particularly advantageous if the support pads 7, 8 are contoured, as it is important that the user's back and/or pelvis are angled with a previously shaped contour to avoid discomfort.

Furthermore, the user can maintain this posture by raising or lowering the legs and then tightening the straps while simultaneously allowing his pelvis to move around the support pads 7, 8, and 9 the axis of the front surface, a user may stand on a bolster, wedge, or other support, to help position in a desired direction, and by means of all ratchet wheels 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28, can assist the user in repositioning the back, and/or pelvic region until a substantially pain-free position is reached, where, preferably, the ratchet wheels 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28 may be turned tight or loose one at a time until a substantially (or completely) pain-free posture is found, which ensures that continuous movement allows the user to have the greatest therapeutic effect.

In this example, the device 1 helps the user to reach a substantially pain-free position, and to apply a specific spinal segment traction, this is achieved by first allowing the back, and/or pelvic region, to move freely through six stages to a substantially pain-free posture, the specific back and/or pelvic region is then restrained against the support pads 7, 8, and 9 by the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19, which, in turn, the support pads 7, and/or 8 are moved vertically relative to the support pad 9, as a result of which traction is applied to the body section between the straps 17 and 18, and, consequently, the device 1 provides three-dimensional adjustability, which substantially increases the likelihood of finding substantially pain-free postures, or increasing the number of such postures. This adjustment is achieved gradually while the user is fully, or at least partially, fixed with respect to the support pads 7, 8, and 9 by means of the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19, so that the user can reposition himself even if the back and/or pelvis have been initially restrained, and once a non-painful position is found, the ratchets 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28 can be tightened evenly to maintain this substantially non-painful posture and to avoid the back and pelvis area from returning to a more painful posture.

In summary, once the user positions and restrains himself/herself to the device in a substantially pain-free position, one or both of the support pads 7, 8 may operate one or both of the crankshafts 12, 13 to apply spinal traction, then the user may reposition himself/herself to the device in respective substantially pain-free positions, and then the user may restrain himself/herself to the device in this new position and reapply spinal traction. These steps may be repeated any desired number of times to increase the number of postures found to be substantially pain free, to reduce the level of pain, and/or to reapply traction to various parts of the spine.

Furthermore, when a substantially pain-free posture has been reached, the user can then move his back, or other body part, usually without the need for further assistance, or intervention, such as bending forwards, or sideways, or raising the legs, so that, unlike manual immobilization techniques performed by physicians, the present invention allows the user to exercise with his own muscles, and during exercise the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19, and/or the support pads 7, 8, and 9, can be adjusted to ensure that the user is in a substantially pain-free posture throughout.

Generally, exercise can help rotate a portion of the lumbar spine around the pelvis, or the legs around the pelvis, in addition, the utility model can also help to move other parts of the spine under the condition that the movement of part of the spine is limited, moreover, this rotation may also help to reposition any errors that may develop pathological postures at the lumbar spine relative to the pelvis at the iliac joint and/or at the legs relative to the pelvis at the hip joint, by moving partially firmly clamped to the pelvis in a pain-free posture, the spine, and/or pelvis, and/or hip joint may become correctly realigned, the motion may additionally, or alternatively, include a twisting, or rotational movement, an extension movement, a flexion, or extension movement, a lifting of the moving weight, a lateral bending, or any other suitable movement, for example, as specified by the user by a physician. Applicants believe that exercising with their muscles in a reduced pain environment may induce certain beneficial neurological, or muscular, responses that are not possible with manual immobilization techniques, which may be beneficial for treating and/or reducing pain. Specific examples of motion and motion enhancing devices are described with reference to fig. 9, 10A, and 10B.

After applying spinal traction, and/or exercise, the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 may be removed from the ratchets 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28, or the fasteners 20 may be opened, and the user may then step away from the support pads 7, 8, and 9 and away from the base 5, where it may be found that the pain-reducing sensation, or the substantially pain-free sensation experienced by the user while being clamped by the support pads 7, 8, and 9, continues, in some instances for an extended period of time, after such a spinal traction, and/or exercise session.

Figure 9 illustrates another example of a restraint, repositioning, traction, and exercise device 80 constructed in accordance with the present invention, the device 80 including at least one leg/foot rest to assist a user in moving his or her legs, for example, the device 80 may include a footrest 81 to assist in moving the user's legs, the footrest 81 having a leg platform 82 supported above the base 5 by a rod 83, wherein the rod 83 is releasably secured to the base 5 by a securing foot 84, the securing foot 84 being accessible through a hole 86 in the base 5 into a root 85 of the rod 83 below the base 5, and further wherein a double hole 86 in the base 5 facilitates adjustment of the footrest 81 to a position suitable for the user.

When the user's back and pelvis have been clamped in a substantially pain-free position relative to the support pads 7, 8, 9, the user's feet are placed on the platform 82, and the footrest 81 assists in moving the user's legs, for example by pressing down on the platform 82 during extension of the legs by the feet.

The apparatus 80 may also include a pivotable leg support 87 for twisting the user's leg. The leg support 87 has a curved support pad 88 substantially parallel to the base 5 for supporting the user's knee, or lower leg, wherein the support pad 88 is supported above the base 5 by a rod 89. other shapes are possible, such as a V-shape, have been found to increase the friction between the user's leg and the leg support 87 and facilitate movement as described below, and further wherein the height of the rod 89 is selectively adjustable to accommodate the user by a nested arrangement with the inner portion of the rod 89 inside the outer portion, and wherein the support pad 88 is rotatable relative to the rod 89 to move the user's leg 40 by twisting.

Connectors 90 are provided to assist in pivoting the support pads 88 to thereby twist the user's legs. The connector 90 is attached at one end to the bolster 88 and at the other end has a handle 91 that can be held by a user, the connector 90 passing from the bolster 88 through a series of circular holes in the foot 93 so that the handle 91 is positioned over the bolsters 7 and 8, and a control arm 92 attaching the connector 90 to the bolster 88, wherein the connector 90 is attached to the end of the control arm 92 that is further from the pivot axis of the bolster 88. This configuration increases the machine advantage of the system when a user pulls the connector 90 to pivot the bolster 88 and thus twist the user's legs.

When the user's back and pelvis are securely clamped in a substantially pain-free position relative to the support pads 7, 8, and 9, the user bends the knees and rests the bent knees on the support pads 88, which can then be pivoted relative to the bar 89 by pulling on the handles 91 of the connectors 94 that can in turn be coupled to the support posts 71 of the sliding gantry 2, thereby twisting the user's legs, which twisting action can produce a therapeutic effect on the user.

In this embodiment, because the user's pelvis is securely clamped by straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 relative to the support pads 7, 8, and 9, substantially all movement of the user's legs is translated into pivoting of their legs relative to the pelvis to maintain a fixed position, where the clamping arrangement of straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 to the pelvis substantially prevents pivoting of the pelvis relative to the sacroiliac joint and the lumbar spine during leg movements, i.e., as would normally occur if the pelvis were unconstrained, such movements can be effective to treat the user by moving the legs relative to the pelvis in a non-painful position.

It should be understood that the leg support 87 may be provided anywhere on the base 5 to twist either leg of the user, and that instead of the connector 90, the control arm 92 may be extended to form a generally right angle so that its end furthest from the support pad 88 is substantially perpendicular to the base 5 and within reach of the user's arm, and that the support pad 88 may be pivoted by alternative actuation means, such as by a motor means or by any other suitable means, and that suitable control means may be provided to control the pivoting of the support pad 88.

In another embodiment of the invention, a motion strip having one or more elastic arms 70, as shown in phantom in FIG. 10A, may be used to perform additional motions with the device 1. The resilient arm 70 may be made of rubber or other suitable material that provides resistance to a user moving on the device, wherein the resilient arm 70 may include a hole 72 at one end and a loop 76 at the other end and may be supported by a support post 71 as previously described with reference to fig. 9, the resilient arm 70 being coupled to the support hole 71 by the hole 72 on the resilient arm 70 resting on the post 71, the resilient arm 70 being attached to the user by a strap 73 connected to the resilient arm 70 through the loop 70, the strap 73 further including a clasp 74 for adjusting tension in the strap 73, the clasp 74 also facilitating opening of the strap 73 to release the user. In this example, the strap 73, unlike the resilient arm 70, is made of a relatively inelastic material, such as known for seatbelt materials.

Alternatively, the resilient arm 70 may be coupled to a hole in a support plate (e.g., the plate 32 shown in fig. 1-3, 10B), the plate 32 may be a resilient strip, preferably made of a resilient material, such as heat-treated spring steel (e.g., so-called heat-treated spring steel), such that the resilient arm 70 is replaced by a non-resilient strap 73, and a non-resilient loop 76 may be disposed between the strap 73 and the plate 32, as shown in fig. 10B, to allow the user to perform a movement relative to the resilient force provided by the contraction plate 32. In the alternative, the resilient arm 70 may be replaced by a modified strap(s) that provides the function of the strap 73 and the resilient arm 70, in which case the strap may comprise a resilient material that provides the user with the resilience to move on the device, i.e., that provided by the resilient arm 70.

As shown in fig. 10A, two connectors may be provided along the strap 73, to releasably position the strap 73 to the selectable spring arm 70, and the connectors may be in the form of loops 75 and 77 for releasable interengagement with loops 76 carried by the resilient arms 70, wherein one loop 75 is generally adjacent to the catch 74 on the strip 73 and the other loop 77 is generally opposite the catch 74, and therefore, when using the device, the rear of the user's pelvis may be clamped against the support pads 7, 8, and 9 (fig. 10B), when the user's posterior pelvis is clamped against the support pads 7, 8, and 9, the strap 73 is attached to the plate 32 by the ring 76, in this way, the hook 74 is again dropped on the front of the user (fig. 10B), allowing the user to easily open and close the hook 74.

Strap 73 is made of a material having suitable strength and durability, and may include a cushion 78 to avoid discomfort to the user when using strap 73. When the user's pelvis is in a substantially pain-free position clamped against the support pads 7, 8 and 9, the strap 73 is attached to the resilient arm 70 and the strap 73 is extended to encircle the user's chest, and then the clasp 74 is closed and the tension of the strap 73 is adjusted to suit the user. Then, when the user is in motion, e.g., bending backwards or forwards, the resilient arm 70, or the plate 32, provides resistance to the motion, which is therapeutic to the user with respect to the resistance of the resilient arm 70, or the plate 32.

Furthermore, since a portion of the user's pelvis is firmly clamped relative to the support pads 7, 8, and 9 by straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 during back movement, substantially all movement of the user's back is translated into pivoting of the user's spine relative to the pelvis to which it is maintained stationary, and the clamping arrangement of the straps 16, 17, 18, and 19 to the pelvis substantially prevents pivoting of the pelvis relative to the hip joint during the back movement, i.e., as would normally occur if the pelvis were unconstrained, the movement can be effective to treat the user by pivoting the lumbar spine relative to the pelvis substantially in a pain-free position.

Tension gauges (tension gauge) may be added to the resistance band and connected to a computer, processor, and/or monitor to provide feedback on the amount of tension, number of executions, etc. associated with the user and/or may be used for data collection, and additionally or alternatively, a resistance device may be provided in addition to the tension arm 70 for movement relative to the user, e.g., the weight of the movement may be applied to the user by means of a suitable pulley arrangement to provide resistance to movement relative to the user.

While the foregoing is directed to various embodiments of the present invention, other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, for example, the device in the attached drawings may be constructed for use by a user to allow decompression of a body part at various locations, including substantially horizontal, substantially right angle (vertical), or any angle between vertical and horizontal, for example, the device may be provided on or as part of a treatment table or bed, alternatively, the device may be constructed for use by a user at any suitable angle of inclination, wherein the angle is selectively adjustable to suit the needs of the user, and further, the device may be constructed for use by a seated user, for example, a seat may be placed under the sliding gantry 2, as shown in fig. 10B, the support pads 7, 8 may move in any direction and may be subject to gravity, or mechanical force, or to variable resistance provided by suitable springs, elastic bands, or weighted pulley systems.

In another example, any exposed device can be modified to include a processor, software, and readable device that can be programmed to provide exercise routines, instructions, treatment charts, monitor treatment and the user (e.g., heart beat, blood pressure, body temperature), or even provide an audible, or visual environment.

The device disclosed in the accompanying drawings may also be used by persons whose frontal or lateral pelvis is clamped against the support pads, instead of the dorsal pelvis as shown in the drawings.

Although the device of the attached drawings is used to treat persons suffering from back pain or discomfort (e.g. discomfort in the cervical spinal laryngeal spine/lumbar spine/iliac joint/knee/hip joint area of the back), it may be used elsewhere and for other purposes, in fact, in addition to restraining the back and pelvis, other parts of the body may be immobilized, including the laryngeal spine, chest, and shoulder areas, for example, after immobilization of the chest, the pelvis may be moved, and after immobilization of the shoulder areas, arm movements may be performed, and the device may be used not only for therapeutic purposes, or for persons suffering from back discomfort, but also as a prophylactic device to help avoid back disease, or back discomfort, and the invention may be used for strength and elasticity purposes, for example, the range of motion may be increased, for example, during the entire swing of golf, or even as a warm or slow down (cool-down) for another athletic routine, or athletic activity.

Again, these examples are merely illustrative and do not represent an exact list of all possible designs, implementations, modifications, and uses of the invention, and further, features described in connection with the embodiments of the invention may be used in other related embodiments even if not explicitly described in the foregoing.

While the invention has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, which are presented for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to represent the exact list of all possible designs, implementations, applications, or modifications of the invention.

Claims (9)

1. A spinal restraint, distraction, and movement device comprising:

a first support surface movable in substantially vertical and linear directions and configured to support a first portion of a person, wherein the first portion of the person includes at least one of a pelvic region and a lower torso portion of the person;

a first restraint for securing a first portion of the person relative to the first support surface;

a second support surface configured to support a second portion of the person, wherein the second portion of the person is spaced apart from and above the first portion of the person, and the second support surface comprises at least two sections that are separately and independently movable in a substantially linear direction relative to the first support surface;

a second restraint for securing the second portion of the person relative to the second support surface, wherein the first and second restraints allow the person to be positioned and repositioned against the support surfaces in any number of three-dimensional directions; and

an adjustment mechanism for moving the second support surface in a substantially linear direction relative to the first support surface to apply spinal traction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substantially linear direction is substantially vertical.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first support surface is movable in a substantially linear direction relative to the second support surface.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first support surface is movable in a substantially linear direction relative to a support structure to adjust the position of the first support surface relative to the height of the person.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a sliding gantry bearing the first and second support surfaces, the sliding gantry being disposed on the support structure and being movable along the support structure to adjust a position of the sliding gantry relative to a height of the person, wherein the first support surface is fixedly connected to the sliding gantry and is movable in a substantially linear direction by the connection of the slidable gantry.

6. A spinal restraint, distraction, and movement device comprising:

a first support surface configured to support a first portion of a person in a substantially vertical orientation;

a first restraint for securing a first portion of the person relative to the first support surface;

a second support surface configured to support the second part of the person in a substantially vertical orientation and movable in a substantially linear direction;

a second restraint for securing the second portion of the person relative to the second support surface, wherein the first and second restraints allow the person to be positioned and repositioned against the support surfaces in any number of three-dimensional directions;

an adjustment mechanism for moving the second support surface in a substantially linear direction relative to the first support surface to apply spinal traction;

a sliding gantry bearing the first and second support surfaces, the sliding gantry being disposed above a support structure and being movable along the support structure to adjust a position of the sliding gantry relative to a height of the person; and

a rail system comprising at least one rail secured to the support structure and at least one rail secured to one of the first and second support surfaces, and wherein the rails are matingly mounted together to guide movement of the first and second support surfaces relative to each other.

7. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first and second limits are independently adjustable with respect to the height of the person and with respect to the support structure.

8. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein each of the restraints comprises at least one connection to connect the restraint to the support structure, the at least one connection allowing tension of each restraint to be adjusted independently.

9. The device of claim 24, wherein the at least one connection comprises a ratchet mechanism for achieving an adjustment with an accuracy of at least about 7 to 8 mm, or less, without releasing any tension of the restriction.