Device for deep massage and method of using

An easily hand held and manipulable massaging device for achieving the effects of deep friction massage without tiring the operator. The unit includes a manipulator finger which is powered in a back and forth transverse motion and which is disposed between a stabilizing assembly preferably in the form of a pair of resiliently mounted fingers which contact the patient's skin in spaced points aligned with the transverse motion imparted by the manipulator finger to the patient's skin.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
This application relates to a massaging device and particularly to a device 
intended for the deep friction massage of selective portions of the human 
body primarily in order to maintain the mobility within the soft tissue 
structures such as ligament, tendon and muscle and prevent adherent scars 
from forming or to reduce scar tissue once formed. In addition, the 
invention is directed to the method of utilizing such device for its 
intended purpose. 
The advantages of deep friction massage are known and documented--for 
instance, Chapters 2 through 4 of the Textbook of Orthopaedic Medicine by 
James Cyriax published by Bailliere Tindall and the Journal of Orthopaedic 
and Sports Physical Therapy (Summer 1982 in an article entitled "Cyriax's 
Friction Massage: A Review" by Gail J. Chamberlain). Although such 
techniques and their attendant advantages are relatively well known, they 
require a high degree of physical strength and stamina for the therapist, 
trainer or the like to properly administer; and, accordingly, a time 
limited number of patients can be treated using such techniques. Also, the 
techniques physically tire the therapist so much that he or she may be 
prone to injury or attendant difficulties such as arthritis and the like. 
Thus, the practice is utilized sparingly or unfortunately incorrectly such 
that the desired results are often not obtained. 
Many existent devices have been made or proposed to generally supply 
friction massage to patients, however, none are specifically directed to 
the needed deep massage techniques of the present invention nor would be 
fully adaptable to such. In addition although these devices and concepts 
present useful general techniques, there is still needed a device 
specifically geared to the aspects of deep friction massage which can be 
easily and conveniently hand held and manipulated to achieve the goals of 
such techniques in a simple and straightforward manner. The devices and 
techniques of a general nature referred to immediately above are set forth 
in the following U.S. patents: U.S. Pat. No. 2,714,381 to Corley et al 
issued Aug. 2, 1955; U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,534 to Muldrow, Jr. issued Feb. 
10, 1981; U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,189 to Mabuchi issued Jan. 21, 1986; U.S. 
Pat. No. 4,733,655 to Smal issued Mar. 29, 1988; U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,945 
to Curtaz et al issued Oct. 18, 1988; U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,798 to Yamasaki 
issued Nov. 22, 1988; U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,075 to Guo et al issued May 30, 
1989; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,955 to Evans et al issued June 27, 1989. 
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to supply a device which 
enables the proper deep massage techniques to be applied consistently and 
for the necessary time periods without physically exhausting or injuring 
the therapist and which device ensures that the therapist may correctly 
apply the techniques of deep friction massage to their fullest extent. 
These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by a 
device for the deep frictional massage of small concentrated areas of the 
human patient's soft tissue below skin areas thereof such as tendons and 
the like comprising, a body having opposed ends with holding means at one 
end thereof whereby the device can be held and operated by a human 
operator and massaging means mounted on the other end thereof, said 
massaging means including a manipulator finger adapted to contact and 
penetrate into the skin of said human patient at a central point of 
contact and move in a reciprocating back and forth linear stroke motion 
relative to said body and stabilizing means for holding the position of 
said massaging means relative to the skin of said patient, said 
stabilizing means including resiliently mounted holding means for 
contacting the patient's skin at at least two generally opposed points 
disposed radially outward of said center point of contact of said finger 
with said skin and means for controlling the stroke speed of said 
manipulator finger. 
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become 
apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection 
with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Turning now to the drawings and particularly FIGS. 2 and 2a thereof, the 
invention in its present preferred form is illustrated as a massage 
housing mounted to the forward end of a drive unit in the form of a 
battery operated electric drill. Naturally, a dedicated device could be 
utilized or one which utilizes commercial alternating current electricity 
(cord source). Accordingly, the device 10 of the present invention 
includes a hand held unit 12 including a central case 14 in which a 
conventional drive mechanism is supported and a downwardly extending 
handle portion 16 for aid in grasping the unit by the therapist and as a 
storage for batteries and the like used to power the drive unit 12. A 
trigger 18 functions to turn the unit off and on and regulate its speed. 
At the forward end of the unit and as best shown to the right in the FIG. 2 
is a modified chuck assembly 20 including a driveshaft 22 adapted to be 
rotationally powered by the drive unit 12. The driveshaft in turn 
terminates in a disc 24 provided with an eccentrically disposed driving 
cam 26. In addition, that portion of the driveshaft distal from the disc 
24 includes an enlarged cylindrical boss 28 provided with at least one 
arcuate recess 30 which defines a segment of at least 90 degrees for a 
purpose which will hereinafter be apparent. The above described modified 
chuck assembly may be attached directly to the rotating spindle of a 
conventional drive unit 12 through bolt 32 or other known means. In 
addition, the forward end of the drive unit includes a circumferential 
shelf 34 on which rear portions of a forward housing 36 are adapted to be 
supported. 
The forward housing is best shown by simultaneous reference to FIGS. 2 
through 5 and includes open front and rear ends 38, 40 respectively. The 
rear end 40 in turn includes a stepped circular shelf 42 adapted to rest 
on the shelf or ledge 34 to provide a snug fit between the joined members, 
namely, the housing 36 and the drive unit 12 forward end, but which 
enables the housing to be at least partially rotated with respect thereto 
by a firm turning motion of the housing vis-a-vis the drive unit by the 
therapist. The housing is further provided with a threaded opening 44 for 
receipt of a partially threaded bolt 46 which extends through the housing 
body and is provided with an unthreaded portion 48 which extends into the 
slot 30 and in frictional contact therewith such that the housing may not 
be longitudinally separated from the drive unit but may be forcefully 
twisted to overcome the frictional force by which it is mounted thereon to 
various rotationally positioned attitudes with respect thereto. 
As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the chuck assembly 20 extends inside the 
housing 36 which in turn is provided with a drive connection means 
including a rotary to longitudinal motion link which in turn is coupled to 
the drive unit via the cam 26. The link 50 includes a forward pivot member 
having a pair of arms 54 rearwardly extending and in turn attached to a 
slide 56. The slide 56 includes a forward portion through which a bore 58 
transversely extends and a rear slotted portion 60 into which the drive 
cam 26 extends. The bore 58 is provided with bearing surfaces as is the 
drive cam 26 and the link 50 mounted internally of the housing 36 with a 
pin 62 transversely passing through the housing body and the bore 58 such 
that the link 50 slides back and forth in a transverse direction upon the 
pin 62 while the drive cam 26 rotates in a circular path. 
In addition, the forward pivot member 52 supports a manipulator finger 64 
which extends longitudinally therefrom through the forward part of the 
housing and outwardly thereof. The fingers preferably capped by a cot 66 
formed of rubber and the like to provide a frictional co-action between 
the device 10 and the skin of the patient being manipulated. The outer 
terminal surface of the finger 64 whether formed by a cot or not is 
preferably replaceable for sanitary considerations as well as providing 
some measure of friction vis-a-vis the skin that, of course, can be varied 
by changing the cot or the like. 
The housing forward part is internally threaded and provided with a fulcrum 
or bearing ring 68 through which the shaft of the finger 64 extends. 
Additionally, the ring is provided at its outer radial surfaces with 
threads such that it may be longitudinally threaded to various positions 
back and forth along the threaded extent of the housing forward portion. 
In this manner, the manipulator finger amplitude may be regulated 
depending on the cross sectional area of the tissue being treated. Thus by 
looking at the various bearing ring 68 positions in FIGS. 4 and 5, it will 
be apparent that a position more rearwardly disposed within the housing 36 
threaded portion achieves the highest amplitude, that is, the greatest 
amount of transverse movement against the patient's skin, while the 
forwardmost position of the bearing ring 68, as shown in FIG. 5, produces 
the least amount of transverse movement of the free end of the manipulator 
finger. A forked implement 70 having a pair of transversely separated 
tines 72 is adapted to be extended into the housing 36 open front end for 
contact with a pair of openings 74 in the front face 76 of the ring 68 so 
that rotation thereof effects the transverse movement of the ring 
vis-a-vis the housing. In order to determine the ring position vis-a-vis 
the housing and, accordingly, the amplitude that will be provided to the 
free end of the manipulator finger, the tines 72 may be provided with 
depth lines 78 or other measurements such that a consistent relative 
amplitude may be achieved. 
The housing 36 forward end is further provided with stabilizing means 80. 
The stabilizing means 80 includes a pair of resiliently mounted pins 82 or 
shafts longitudinally disposed on opposite sides of the housing by 
mounting blocks 84. The blocks 84 are in turn adapted to fit within 
appropriate flats 86 provided on opposite sides of the housing. The pins 
82 extend longitudinally through a longitudinal bore 88 provided in the 
blocks 84 and are prevented from accidental removal therefrom by a lock 
washer assembly 90 at the rear ends thereof and a resilient cot 92 similar 
to finger cots 66 on the other end thereof. Intermediate the forward face 
94 of the blocks and the cots 92 is a coil spring 96 which serves to 
resiliently forwardly urge the pins 82 and, accordingly, its cot 92 into 
contact with the patient's skin. The position of this contact is in 
transversely opposed points in line with the finger cot 66 when the device 
is in operable position. Preferably the cots 92 of the resilient 
stabilizing 80 means engage the patient's skin slightly before the 
manipulator finger to provide a firm and stabilizing contact between the 
device 10 and the patient's skin such that the repeated manipulator finger 
transverse movement across and into the patient's skin will provide the 
required deep massage without, in effect, losing one's place, that is, the 
transverse movement of the terminal surface of finger 64 on the patient's 
body. 
The amount of force applied by the resilient stabilizing means is dependent 
upon the spring force of the spring 96, the contact area of the cot 92, 
and other determinants that can be arrived at by trial and error and 
experience. Furthermore by providing indicia marks 98 on the rear of one 
or both of the shafts 82, the extent to which the shafts are forced 
upwardly through the blocks 84 and thus the extent to which the 
manipulator finger extends into the patient's skin depending on the depth 
of fat or other soft tissue directly above the specific area being treated 
can be visually observed by the therapist. Similarly, indicia (not shown) 
could be placed on the housing body to measure such rearward movement of 
the stabilizing means pins. 
In some cases, it may be desirable to function without one or both of the 
stabilizing pins and in that regard, the pins are provided with a hole 100 
in a portion thereof that is normally disposed slightly forward of the 
forward face 94 of the block and which in turn may be resiliently 
rearwardly forced to the block 84 rear face and held in such position by a 
cotter pin 102 or other known holding devices. In this regard, it should 
also be pointed out that the blocks 84 are held to the flats 86 and thus 
the housing 36 with threaded bolts 104 or other known means. 
In utilizing the device 10 as above described, the operator therapist 
places the housing forward end such that the cots 92 transversely span the 
longitudinal extent of the muscle, tendon, etc. that is to be manipulated 
and thereafter the desired downward force provided by the operator and 
simultaneous activation of the manipulator finger such that its outer 
surface 66 moves firmly and positively relative to the patient in a 
repeated and non-exhaustive motion so long as the comfortable holding 
position of the device 10 by the therapist is continued. This enables the 
therapist to provide the needed depth and forceful massage that is 
required to achieve the results of the deep friction massage techniques as 
well as a direct feel or feed back from the essentially non-retractable 
finger since the device is hand held. Also, it should be pointed out to 
achieve the proper orientation of the housing vis-a-vis the patient since 
a comfortable holding position of the drive unit does not always 
transversely align itself to the tendon or muscle group being worked upon, 
the housing is rotatably movable vis-a-vis the drive unit through its 
frictional mounting thereon because of the shelf and slot 34 and 30 
respectively as previously brought out. 
While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure 
embodying this invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art 
that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made 
without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive 
concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein 
shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the 
appended claims.