Therapeutic device for a human body

Body traction table for treatment of, among other things, back problems that includes a stand presenting a front stand portion (1) and a rear stand portion (2) and supporting a body-supporting table (13) and a footrest (8) which together revolve round a mainly horizontal axis in order to turn the body-supporting table (13) from standard position in which the footrest (8) is lowered into treatment position in which the footrest (8) is above the horizontal axis, the body-supporting table (13) being supported by a frame (5) which is pivotally connected with the stand. At least one of the stand portions (1, 2) is adjustable for height so that the front stand portion (1) can be made shorter or longer than the rear stand portion (2).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a traction table for treatment of, among 
other things, back problems, and which includes a stand supporting a 
body-supporting table and a footrest which together revolve around a 
mainly horizontal axis in order to turn the body-supporting table from 
standard position in which the footrest is lowered to treatment position 
in which the footrest is above the horizontal axis. The device, however, 
is usable for treatment positions in which the footrest is above or below 
the horizontal axis. 
The object of the present invention is to provide a traction table which 
presents more advantages in relation to the device known from SE-C-455 
468. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The object is achieved with a traction table in which the body-supporting 
table is supported by a frame which is pivotally connected with the stand 
of the table and which includes a front stand portion and a rear stand 
portion. One of the stand portions is adjustable for height whereby the 
front stand portion can be made shorter or longer than the rear stand 
portion. 
The traction table according to the invention is also characterized in that 
the locking device known from SE-C-455 468 for gradual adjustment of the 
body-supporting table into a variety of angles of inclination combined 
with the stand portions which are adjustable for height can be adjusted, 
causing the body-supporting table to slope in different angles of 
inclination in relation to the ground (floor) in addition to the angles of 
inclination given by the steps in the locking device. 
Further details and features of the traction table according to the 
invention will become evident from the following description taken in 
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 1 shows a device according to the invention which includes a stand 
consisting of a front stand portion 1 and a rear stand portion 2 which are 
tubular and connected to each other by means of a mounting plate 3 at each 
leg of the stand portions 1, 2. The mounting plates 3 are mounted at some 
distance from the free end sections of the front stand portion 1 whereas 
the respective free end sections of the rear stand portion 2 are pivotally 
mounted in the mounting plates 3. In the middle of the legs of the two 
portions 1, 2, restriction wires or chains 4 are attached which connect 
the stand portions 1, 2 to each other and prevent them from separating 
more than allowed by the restriction members. In that way, in side view 
the stand mainly is formed as an A. Each stand portion 1, 2 shows a 
connecting transverse foot section 11 which is telescoping within the 
stand and adjustable by means of pins or screws which are placed into 
apertures within each leg of the stand. 
Pivotally mounted onto the mounting plate 3 is a mainly rectangular frame 5 
which on one short side includes a bracket 6 for a bar 7 supporting a 
footrest 8. On this footrest 8 a fixed rear foot support 9 as well as a 
front adjustable fixing member 10 are arranged by means of which members 
the feet of a person to be treated can be fastened to the foot plate 8 The 
bar 7 supporting the footrest 8 should be provided with a number of 
adjustment-apertures by means of which the bar can be adjusted into 
different positions in relation to the bracket 6 by means of a pin which 
can be passed through the apertures in the bar so that the footrest 8 can 
be adjusted into different positions for adjustment to the body length of 
the person to be treated. 
The frame 5 is pivoted at the mounting plates 3 and supports in turn a 
body-supporting table 13 which supports the main part of the body of the 
person under treatment. In order to limit the revolving of the frame 5 as 
well as the body-supporting table 13 around each point of suspension in 
the mounting plates 3, a locking device is employed that includes a 
semicircular toothed locking rim 14 which is mounted to frame 5 at the 
mounting plate 3. The locking device includes also a locking pin 12 which 
can work into notches in the locking rim 14 by moving in radial direction 
in relation to the locking rim 14. The notches are preferably arranged in 
steps of 15.degree.. The locking pin 12 is stiffly connected with a 
control 15 by means of which the locking pin 12 can be displaced in radial 
direction out of the notches in the locking rim 14. The locking pin 12 is 
spring-loaded normally to be compressed into a notch in the locking rim 
14. 
When using the device the stand portions 1, 2 are lowered to the position 
shown in FIG. 1 and with the body-supporting table 13 being mainly in 
vertical position and the footrest 8 being at the ground (floor). The 
person who is going to use the device loosens the foot fixing member 10 
and climbs up on to the footrest 8 and then fastens the foot fixing member 
10 so that his/her ankles are locked between the foot fixing member 10 and 
the foot support 9. Initially, the footrest 8 is adjusted by means of the 
bar 7 to a level where the upper body part of the person standing on the 
footrest will extend high enough on the body-supporting table 13 so that 
the body-supporting table, when the person is reclining, will revolve 
around the mainly horizontal axis around which the body-supporting table 
13, by means of the frame 5, is pivotally mounted in the mounting plates 3 
of the stand. When the person is reclining against the body-supporting 
table and loosens the locking device by pressing the control 15 the 
body-supporting table with the frame revolves into about the position 
shown in FIG. 1, in which position the locking pin 12 works into the first 
notch in the locking rim 14. 
The body-supporting table according to the invention is covered with a 
plastic cloth or PTFE-plastic, as it is called, which is for sale under 
the trademark Teflon and which shows a very low friction towards the body 
of the person under treatment. The body of the person is drawn downwards 
and stretched by that, which results in the intended traction. By another 
pressing of the control 15 the locking pin 12 is moved from the first 
notch in the locking rim 14 and the body-supporting table 13 with the 
frame 5 is revolved further until the locking pin works into the next 
notch in the locking rim. In this way the inclination of the 
body-supporting table can be adjusted step by step into different 
positions until the person is lying mainly vertically with the head 
downwards while the traction is increasing successively. 
FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of the device according to the 
invention in which the frame 5 is provided with a stand 16 protruding in 
longitudinal direction of the frame 5 at the head end of the 
body-supporting table 13. The stand 16 includes a bar 16a mounting two 
handles 17 at opposite ends thereof for arm stretching and which extend at 
right angles from a plane through the upperside of the body-supporting 
table 13. An additional support stand 18 extends perpendicularly 
downwardly from the under side of the bar 16a. The handles 17 can be 
adjusted into different distances in between and into different distances 
between the handles and the body-supporting table 13. The stand 18 is 
mounted not until the body-supporting table 13 is in a mainly horizontal 
position and is adjustable vertically to allow a firm adjustment of the 
body-supporting table 13 into different inclinations which allows 
different kinds of treatment such as massage, the stand 8 takes up weight 
beside the stand portions 1, 2. 
In order to hold the waist part of the person who is treated in place, the 
stand is provided with a lumbar belt 19 which is fixed round the person's 
waist and which is attached to the stand by means of two chains 20 which 
are fixed to the stand, e.g., with screws 21 which are screwed into a 
point of attachment 22 on separate T-shaped brackets 23 which are movable 
introduced at the foot-end of the frame 5. The brackets 23 with the points 
of attachment 22 are adjustable both in the longitudinal direction of the 
frame 5 and perpendicular to the plane through the body supporting table 
13 in order to allow a correct adjustment of the lumbar belt 19 
corresponding to the body length of the person to be treated. The lumbar 
belt 19 and the brackets 23 belonging to it are shown separately in FIG. 
2. 
The stand 16 at the head end of the body-supporting table 13 can also be 
used to support holders and tractive devices for the stretching of head 
and neck in which treatment the body-supporting table 13 is mainly 
horizontally arranged. Those devices are known from previous embodiments. 
By means of the telescoping foot sections 11 on each stand portion 1, 2, 
the stand can be adjusted to vary the inclination of each stand portion 1, 
2 to the ground. It has shown favourable to let the foot section 11 of the 
front stand part 1 be more telescoped than the foot section 11 of the rear 
stand portion 2. Thus, the footrest 8 on the bar 7 from the frame 5 can be 
taken very close to the ground (floor) without need for the footrest 8 to 
telescope in between the legs of the front stand portion 1. By adjusting 
the portion of, e.g., the front foot section 11, the gradual adjustment of 
the body-supporting table 13 can get different initial positions for 
adjustment of the locking device in relation to the ground (floor). Thus, 
the locking device for gradual adjustment of the body-supporting table 
into different angles of inclination combined with the vertically 
adjustable stand portions allows the body-supporting table to be adjusted 
into different angles of inclination in relation to the ground (floor) in 
addition to the angles of inclination which are determined by the steps of 
the locking device. The detachable foot sections 11 also allow the stand 
to be disassembled and kept in a limited space. 
Like the device according to FIG. 1, the device shown in FIG. 2 is covered 
with a plastic cloth with very low friction towards the body of the person 
who is treated. The low friction enables the treatment with clock pendulum 
motion, as it is called, to be carried out with a considerably lesser 
inclination of the body supporting table as is the case with earlier known 
devices. From an initial position the body-supporting table 13 inclining 
30.degree. in relation to the horizontal plane and the footrest 8 being 
located above the turning point, the body-supporting table 13 can be 
pivoted for + or -15.degree., i.e., between 15.degree. and 45.degree., and 
can give considerate stretchings above all to that part of the back which 
is nearest to the pelvis. The resulting strain on the spine at the pelvis 
is considerably lower than the strain which arises when the body 
supporting table is inclined further more or is put in inverted position 
with the footrest 8 upwards. 
It also is possible to provide the frame 5 with leg support 24 of which one 
is shown dash dotted in FIG. 2 and on which the person's legs can be 
placed under treatment. Thus, the device together with the stand 18 gets 
usable as a normal treatment table.