Apparatus for the detection and correction of anomalies in the equilibrium of the human body

A movable plate (6) which rests through springs (5) on a base (1) which itself bears on the ground by means of height adjustable supports (2,3) is provided with a spherical bubble level (8), with marks AA', BB', CC', DD', which define the positioning of the feet on said plate and with a removable setting system (18) with respect to the transversal line AA'. Application to the correction of equilibrium anomalies.

The invention relates to an apparatus for detecting and correcting 
anomalies in the equilibrium of the human body, based on the 
interpretation of the distribution of the weight of the body on the 
bearing points of the feet. 
It is known that the center of gravity of the human body is situated at the 
level of the third lumbar vertebra which forms one of the most important 
points of the spinal column for maintaining equilibrium, at the same time 
as one of the most vulnerable for it supports all the weight above it 
whereas all the party of the body below it is suspended therefrom. This 
third lumbar vertebra is the seat of the most current lesions of the 
column, for in all the changes of posture due to the mobility and to the 
locomotion of the human body, the center of gravity tends to maintain a 
vertical line going from the top of the head to the center of the planter 
arch, that is to say that all the movements of the body pass through this 
vertebra. Thus, the slightest bone or muscular lesion results in an 
attempt to compensate in the sense of a normal vertical line between the 
feet and the head which will result in an imbalance and a poor 
distribution of the loads on the plantar arch. 
It is known that the weight of the body in the upright and motionless 
position must be normally distributed over three bearing points of the 
plantar arch. 
The plantar arch does not form an equilateral triangle but has three arches 
and three bearing points which form a comparable structure. The bearing 
points are included in the contact zone with the ground which receives the 
plantar impression and they correspond to the head of the first 
metatarsal, to the head of the fifth metatarsal and to the posterior 
tuberosities of the calcaneum. Each bearing point is common to two 
adjacent arches. The internal arch (calcaneum-head of the first 
metatarsal) has the scaphoid as ground, the external arch (calcaneum-head 
of the fifth metatarsal) has the large apophysis of the calcaneum as 
crown. The front arch (head of the first metatarsal, head of the fifth 
metatarsal) has as crown the head of the second metatarsal. The weight of 
the body is distributed half on the forefoot and half on the rear foot, in 
line with the extension of the front edge of the leg, which corresponds to 
the crowns of the internal and external arches, that is to say to the 
center of the instep. 
The distribution of the bearing pressures on the ground is very important 
for attaining equilibrium. In fact, it is the bearing pressures perceived 
by the sole of the feet which inform the nervous system as a whole, 
including internal ear and cerebellum. By reflex movements all the muscles 
for maintaining verticality, for opposing gravity contract and equilibrium 
is attained. 
As soon as a defect of bearing on the ground appears, so a defect of 
sensorial plantar information, that causes a nervous stimulation and 
muscular response defects which ends in imbalance or an unstable 
equilibrium. With the center of gravity displaced, compensation forces are 
exerted by the body causing deformations, pains, even giddiness and 
impaired coordination. 
To overcome these disturbances, it then seems necessary, on the one hand, 
for the person to be conscious of and estimate the anomaly of equilibrium 
of his body, and on the other hand to be able to correct this anomaly by 
progressively rectifying this position until he arrives at as good a 
distribution of his weight as possible. 
Apparatus exist which allow the user to visualise the distribution of his 
weight on each of his legs and which include essentially two mobile 
bearing surfaces, independent and having a connection device of the same 
kind as the linkages existing in weight scales, which translate on a scale 
the difference of weight applied to each of these surfaces. To these 
apparatus subsidiary devices are added, such as cross ruled mirrors by 
means of which the person may have the image of his body and himself 
rectify the disymmetry of his position. 
A construction such as described in FR-A-2 443 235 is also known in which 
two stages of superimposed plates rest on the ground with interpositioning 
of dampers between each stage, the upper stage being formed of two 
independent plates on which the feet come to bear, each plate being 
associated with an inclination indicator. 
Other systems allow poor weight distribution to be detected by examining 
impressions of feet marked to a greater or lesser extent on a support. 
These devices have numerous drawbacks for they only give coarse indications 
of the imbalance of the body and the desired compensation can then only 
consist in rectifying the general verticality of the body which is far 
from being sufficient. 
Moreover, known systems having several plates are complicated to construct, 
difficult to adjust and very delicate to operate by the user. 
The invention brings a solution to this problem in that it provides an 
apparatus which allows not only poor distribution of the weight of a 
person on his two feet to be detected, but also an imbalance of 
distribution of the weight on the plantar arch, which apparatus is further 
extremely accurate, very simple to manufacture and use, which makes it 
particularly well adapted for arousing in numerous persons efficient 
correction reactions. 
The apparatus of the invention includes a single mobile plate which rests, 
through at least three deformable members, on a base bearing on the ground 
and which includes an indicating member of the spirit level kind, integral 
with the movements of this latter, said mobile plate, further having 
elements marking the positioning of one or of both feet formed of axial 
lines along the axis of the feet, as well as a removable system for fixing 
the foot with respect to a transverse line dividing the weight of the 
body, in the middle of said plate. According to a particular feature of 
the invention, the removable fixing system is formed of a rigid half frame 
cooperating with notches provided on the plate at the ends of the 
transverse median line or of a resilient strip retained by said notches or 
else a comb cooperating with holes provided on the axial lines and the 
transverse lines.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 1 includes essentially a base 1 bearing on the 
ground through four supports adjustable in height by means of a wheel 3. 
The base is provided at its four corners, in line with the feet, with four 
recesses 4 serving as housing for springs 5. These springs, made 
advantageously from steel, are of equal height, of equal calibration and 
sufficiently resistant to crushing to prevent the plate from abutting 
against base 1 when it supports its load. An upper plate 6 of a size 
similar to that of the base rests by its four corners on springs 5. It is 
also provided with recesses 7 in which said springs are positioned. At the 
upper part of the plate is set a spherical spirit level 8 possibly covered 
with a magnifying lens. Plate 6 is made from a rigid and undeformable 
material such as a plywood, a plastic material or a fairly thick metal 
sheet. 
The apparatus includes on its upper plate a transverse line AA' and an 
axial line BB' in accordance with the axis of the feet at the end of which 
is situated a spirit level 8, the two lines being the medians of the 
square formed by plate 6. Other lines CC' and DD' parallel to the lines 
BB' are disposed symmetrically on each side of this latter, with even 
spacing, the outer lines DD' being substantially at equal distances from 
the edge of the plate and from the axial line BB'. The user may thus place 
the internal edges of each foot along lines CC' or DD' so that the bearing 
force of his right foot and of his left foot are distributed symmetrically 
with respect to the axial line BB' as can be seen more precisely in FIG. 
2. 
In order to perfect the position of the feet on the apparatus, along the 
transverse line AA', true line of distribution of the weight of the body 
(half towards the front, half towards the rear), vertical notches 17, 
situated at each end of this line, will allow the passage of a system for 
fixing the feet formed preferably from a rigid material having the form of 
half of a frame 18 whose free edges slide in the notches or grooves 17. 
The free edges are sufficiently high to allow the feet to be fixed, even 
with high heeled shoes. 
In a variant of construction not shown, frame 18 may be replaced by a 
resilient material, of a form similar to that of a strip, this strip would 
pass around the apparatus above and below, and would be retained in 
notches 17 so as to be perfectly superimposed on the transverse line AA'. 
The user would slide his feet under the resilient strip until the front 
edge of the leg is reached. 
For correctly positioning the feet by means of the rigid frame 18, the feet 
are placed along lines CC' or DD', as mentioned above, and they are 
engaged under the frame until the front edge of the leg comes into 
abutment against the horizontal part of the frame. The center of the 
instep corresponding to the crowns of the internal and external arches of 
the bearing points of the body, is then centered on the points at which 
the transverse line AA' meets the axial lines CC' and DD' underlined by 
crosses + shown in FIG. 2. It is recommended by means of a pencil to mark 
the impression of each foot on the upper plate 6 so as to avoid fixing at 
each exercise. It is obvious that the fixing systems will be removed after 
the feet are correctly positioned on the apparatus. 
Finally, and according to a variant illustrated in FIG. 3, for perfect 
positioning of the feet in the longitudinal direction and in the 
transverse direction, lines CC' and DD', parallel and equidistant from the 
large median line BB', may be pierced with small holes 19, in which will 
be placed the six teeth of a comb 20, the comb projecting from the surface 
of the plate and serving as a guide or setting for the internal edge of 
each foot. In so far as transverse fixing is concerned, the same system of 
holes in the transverse line allowing the use of the comb is possible. The 
holes may in all cases pass through the whole of the upper plate 6 through 
its thickness. If the apparatus is used while wearing shoes, the comb will 
be cleared by pulling it upwards until it comes into contact with the 
lower part of the front edge of the leg. In all cases, the fixing systems 
will be removed after the feet have been positioned and before use of the 
apparatus. 
The apparatus is used for diagnosing and correcting upright imbalance, 
without moving, but also stopped movement equilibrium, such for example as 
equilibrium in a squatting position. Though the foot must remain strictly 
bearing on the upper plate through its three bearing points, and not moved 
despite the changes of shape of the arches which tend to be crushed 
normally, the leg on the other hand changes orientation and any transverse 
fixing system left in position would be a hindrance to the squatting 
position. The invention is based on a perfect positioning of the feet on 
the apparatus. In fact, it is known that the vertical equilibrium of man 
on two feet or on one foot, corresponds to the fair distribution of his 
weight over the three bearing points of the plantar arch. With this 
invention, with the feet correctly positioned, and the spirit level 
previously adjusted by means of the adjustable supports, it is certain 
that when the bubble of the spirit level 8 remains centered, when in the 
upright or squatting position on the apparatus, the pressures of the 
plantar arch on the ground materialized here by the upper plate of the 
apparatus are correctly distributed. 
FIG. 4 illustrates a variant of construction in which the plate is square, 
but the spirit level is located in a corner and the lines CC' and DD' are 
oriented as shown on each side of the axial line BB'. The outer form of 
plate 6 may also be circular as shown with a broken line. 
Other variants of construction are illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 8. 
In FIG. 5, base A bears on the ground through fixed feet 9. To compensate 
for the inherent flatness of the ground, the spirit level 8 is then 
mounted on an adjustment ball joint 10 which allows the bubble to be 
centered and consequently allows the uneveness of the ground to be 
counterbalanced before using the apparatus. 
This ball joint mounting would also allow an upper plate to be used which 
is slanted with respect to the ground. 
In the construction shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, spirit level 8 is fixed to a 
column 11 or to a rod 12 mounted on tripod and adjustable in height, both 
being fixed to plate 6. Each also has an adjustment ball joint 10. This 
arrangement brings the spirit level closer to the eye of the user. A 
counterweight 13 is moreover fixed to the plate for compensating for the 
weight of the column or the rod. 
In the representation shown in FIG. 8, plate 6 is provided with a central 
recess 14 which serves as housing for a personal weighing machine 15 with 
its weight indicator 16. The weighing machine is centered so that the user 
may place his feet thereon in alignment of the axial line CC', DD' and 
AA'. 
The apparatus thus described in its multiple variants is used in the 
following way, after the bubble of the spirit level 6 has been centered 
using the supports. 
After positioning the feet along line CC' or DD' then with respect to the 
frame or comb fixing system, the position of the bubble is observed. 
If the weight is distributed normally on the bearing points of the feet, 
the center of gravity of the body is in its right position and the bubble 
of spirit level 8 is perfectly centered. Any offsets of this bubble from 
the center corresponds to an imbalance of the body and to a poor 
distribution of the weight at the level of the foot. The user sees it 
visually and may himself, by muscular action, provide the correction of 
his anomaly of equilibrium by accentuating the pressure of one foot or of 
both towards the front or towards the rear so as to progressively bring 
the bubble back to its central point. The position of the bubble before 
correction informs the user about the orientation or the compensation 
which he must carry out. The apparatus thus allows the user to ensure the 
correction immediately after this diagnosis of the imbalance, for he has 
been conscious of the plantar perception which is an essential factor in 
maintaining equilibrium, which caused him an osteoarticular and muscular 
reaction. The repetition of these movements for centering the bubble lead 
the user progressively to eliminate the insufficiencies of some muscles by 
causing them to work so as to arrive at equilibrium of the body. 
Thus, with this invention the transfers of weight at the level of the feet 
may be studied on floors of different slants and diagnosises may be made 
as to the bearing defects at the level of each bearing point of the 
plantar arch. The possibility which the invention offers is important in 
the practice of different sports where the transfers of bearing force are 
necessary and require fine coordination: for example skis, surfboards, 
surfing, golfing . . . etc. 
The exercises, whether they are on a flat ground, with the bubble of the 
spirit level centered on the plate parallel to the ground, or with the 
bubble of the spirit level centered on a slanted ground, by raising one or 
both feet from the apparatus, always put the center of gravity of the body 
in its place. The exercises may be crouching exercises where all the body 
comes into play in the search for equilibrium. But they may also be 
exercises which leave the upper part of the body fixed from the center of 
gravity and mobilize the lower part of the body or conversely. After use 
the user feels a correct confortable bearing force which is called balance 
on the ground. He holds himself better vertically, walks better and keeps 
his stabilizing musculature correctly in all his movements from 
information acquired during use of the apparatus. Daily upkeep and the 
execution of different exercises of short duration on the apparatus is 
sufficient for correcting the right posture, for correcting current 
deformations, for giving correct tonicity back to all the equilibrium 
muscles, so for giving the body again equilibrium and flexibility 
coordination. 
Thus, this invention allows the imbalances to be studied under numerous 
conditions and bearing force imperfections to be detected at the same time 
as the unsatisfactory muscular responses and allows them to be corrected. 
With this invention, all the muscular chains of the posture may be 
studied. The nervous system being the link between the bearing force on 
the ground and the muscular response of equilibrium, it will be readily 
understood that this apparatus will find numerous applications in 
neurology. 
The invention has been described with reference to certain embodiments of 
the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 8. Other embodiments not shown also form 
part of the invention. Similarly certain constituent parts of the 
apparatus may be modified without departing from the scope of the 
invention. 
Thus, the spirit level used could be a pendulum whose movements will be 
detected and transmitted electrically, for example through resistors or 
electric contactors associated with light indicators.