Exercise stretch bench for back pain treatment

A handgrip and leg brace assembly is located over a horizontal bench portion of a stretch bench that receives and supports a user's upper torso. The handgrip is adjustable in the horizontal and vertical planes as stretching exercises are on-going and without the user leaving the bench proper. Additional bench adjustments provide an individualized height setting, and these combined adjustments allow the bench to be personalized for each given individual in order to increase the effectiveness of certain on-the-bench stretching activities.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A large percentage of people experience back pain in spite of the exercise craze sweeping the country. A large proportion of the working population experience some back pain during their working careers. In particular, some back pain requires surgery that might have been avoided had a proper stretching bench and stretching routine been available.

Most of the exercise equipment currently available is not suited for relief of back pain. It is possible that some exercise could promote, rather than cure, back-pain related problems.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,472,401 entitled “Ramped, horizontal, on-bench adjustable stretch bench for relieving a user's back pain” describes a ramped and horizontal stretching bench for relieving spinal and muscle conditions contributing to back pain. A handgrip and leg brace assembly is located under the horizontal bench portion that receives and supports a user's upper torso.

U.S. Pat. No. Des.390, 664 entitled “Bench” depicts a bench arrangement having a fixed handgrip extending above the bench with a fixed leg brace extending from opposite sides thereon.

It has been determined that the provision of an adjustable handgrip and leg brace arrangement upstanding from the top surface of the exercise bench allows for a variation of back exercise actions not heretofore possible with state-of-the-art stretch benches.

One purpose of the invention is to provided a ramped and horizontal stretching bench for relieving spinal and muscle conditions contributing to back pain, and more particularly to a stretching bench that has moveable and adjustable settings for increasing the effectiveness of such relief.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A stretch bench includes a movable and height-adjustable base for a body support board having two primary body support portions. One portion is a horizontal body rest board for the user's upper torso and the other portion is a slanted knee and upper thigh rest body board. A combined handgrip and leg brace is located at the forward portion of the body support board and is adjustable both in the horizontal and vertical planes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Before describing the stretch bench according to the invention, it is helpful to review a relevant stretch bench according to the prior art, as depicted inFIG. 1.

The stretch bench10, described earlier with reference to U.S. Pat. No. 5,472,401, comprises a pair of floor supports11,12, which carry a corresponding pair of height-adjustable rear and front square tubes13,14as indicated. A horizontal torso support board15connects with the front square tube14and a slanted knee support16connects with the rear square tube13. The horizontal torso support board includes an extended slot17for greater movement versatility and facial comfort. A combined handgrip and leg brace18extends from the side of the horizontal body support15and includes an arm extension bar19and handgrip21. A similar handgrip and leg brace (not shown) extends from the opposite side of the body support15. The provision of a handgrip and leg brace allows for a wider range of upper body movements as well as trunk rotation.

The stretch bench20, according to the invention, is shown inFIG. 2where the horizontal torso support board15, which includes the extended slot17, and the separate slanted knee support board16are supported on the moveable platform22by means of the rectangular tube25and rectangular support bar26. The height of the torso support board and knee support board is adjusted by means of the knob28, post27, which extends thru the tube25via the aperture29thru rectangular tube25and corresponding apertures30within the support bar26. Movement of the support bar26relative to the support plate24on the platform22is made via the lift mechanism31, which comprises either a hydraulic lift arrangement (not shown) or electrical drive mechanism (not shown) within the lift mechanisms31. The movement of the support bar26relative to the support plate24to raise or lower the torso support board15and knee support board16can also be made by means of the operating handle32. Movement of the stretch bench20in the indicated horizontal direction is made manually via the wheels23.

An important feature of the invention is the handgrip and leg brace arrangement40on the end of the torso support15opposite the end defined by the knee support board16. The arrangement40is attached to the torso support15by means of the plate34attached to the bar33on the torso support board and the first rectangular tube35attached to plate34, as indicated.

The handgrip and leg brace18consisting of the extension bar19and hand grip21is secured to one end of the horizontal rectangular bar43and the other end of the horizontal rectangular bar extends thru a second rectangular tube42. Movement in the horizontal plane, as indicated, is obtained by pulling the knob45to remove the post46, which extends thru the second rectangular tube42out from one of the apertures44on the horizontal rectangular bar43and sliding the horizontal rectangular bar in either direction. The horizontal rectangular bar is locked in the selected position by moving the knob45and post46back within the horizontal rectangular tube to allow insertion of the post46within a selected one of the apertures44.

The handgrip and leg brace18is moved in the vertical plane, as indicated, by pulling the knob38to remove the post39which extends thru the first rectangular tube35via aperture41, out from one of the apertures37on the vertical rectangular bar36and sliding the vertical rectangular bar in either direction. The vertical rectangular bar is locked in the selected position by moving the knob38and post39back within the vertical rectangular tube to allow insertion of the post39within a selected one of the apertures37.

The location of the handgrip and leg brace18above the torso support board15allows the user to make the necessary adjustments while on the torso support board for precise and accurate positioning thereof.

The stretch bench20is now shown inFIG. 3with the torso support indicated at15A a lower position relative to that shown earlier at15inFIG. 2with the rectangular tube25A at lower position relative to the rectangular support bar26. The leg brace arrangement40A is extended in the horizontal and vertical directions via movement of the vertical rectangular bar36A relative to the first rectangular tube35and the movement of the horizontal rectangular bar43A relative to the second rectangular tube42.