Apparatus for therapeutic treatments in using pressure

Abstract: The invention concerns a device (50) for therapeutic pressure treatments. Device (50) is comprised of a base member (34) for support against a fixed or moveable support (32), together with a primary pressure body (36) and another pressure body (52) which is adjustable laterally and in height. The device (50) can in this manner be made to suit different spines and obtain the desired treatment results so that improperly rotated vertebrae causing a blockage can be mobilized and massage of the muscles is the back can be carried out. In another embodiment two primary pressure bodies (36), together with an extra support member (37), may support an axle (38) with one or two secondary pressure bodies (40) mounted thereon.

Description: The invention concerns an apparatus for therapeutic pressure treatments of especially the human back, and also for reflexology. Back pain can, for example, be due to one or more vertebra which have rotated around their central axis and have become fixed in a new position, which simultaneously cause muscle tension in that area. This is often called locking or blocking and can cause local pain together with radiating pain in the distribution area of a pinched nerve. This radiating pain is called sciatica or lumbago depending on at which level in the back the pinching occurs. US-A-3 831 592 discloses a trigger point instrument for chiropractic use, the system comprising an elongated handle portion with a pair of spaced legs extending from said handle portion in substantially the same direction having a resilient tip. Means are provided for permitting ready adjustment of the spacing between the aforesaid legs, whereupon the spacing between the pressure tips can be adjusted to conform to the thickness or width of the spine being probed and treated. It is an object of US-A-3 831 592 to attain a trigger point instrument permitting a ready adjustment of the spacing between the said legs, whereupon the spacing between the pressure tips can be adjusted to conform to the thickness or width of the spine being probed and treated. However, although this device enables therapeutic pressure treatments of the human back, it is not arranged in such a way that it can be supplemented with two rotatable pressure rollers, for providing of a apparatus which effectively can be used to exert pressure against the transverse process of the vertabrae and overlaying muscles. The purpose of this invention is to produce a device for therapeutic pressure treatments which can be supplemented with two rotatable secondary pressure bodies to return a rotated vertebra to its proper position, so that the previously described pain is eliminated. The means by which this invention makes this possible are stated in the characterising portion of claim 1. The invention comes in various forms of which an example is further explained in the descriptions and the drawings of which Fig. 1 shows a side view of the first design of the device according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows a side view of the device according to Fig. 1 when it is supplemented with two pressure rollers; Fig. 3 shows a side view of a second design of the device according to the invention; Fig 4 shows a top view of the second design of the invention and Fig. 5 shows a side view of the second design when it is supplemented with a third pressure body. Fig. 1 shows one example of the invention. Device 30 for therapeutic pressure treatments consists of a base member 34 together with two primary pressure bodies 36 (preferably made of rubber or plastic) which, for example, can be formed integral with the base member 34 or can be fastened to base member 34. Device 30 can, in the condition shown in fig. 1, be used for pressure treatments of a person's back if one person grips the base member 34 with his/her hands on each side of the primary pressure bodies 36 and then presses these rigid pressure bodies 36 against another person's spinal column, so that the center of the spine lies midway between the two pressure bodies 36. The first person can then run the device 30 up and down along the spinal column of the other person while applying pressure. Under these conditions it is suitable to use massage salve to make it slide better. Furthermore, device 30 includes an elevating body 35 which can be mounted on one of the pressure bodies 36. This elevating body 35 is removable and results in a higher pressure on one side of the spinal column, where device 30 has the elevating body 35, when used with device 30. In fig. 2 device 30 is shown, with reference to fig. 1, in another form. The primary pressure bodies 36 each contain a through-hole (not shown) through which an axle 38 can be applied. Besides this, device 30 can be supplied with an additional support member 37 containing a hole, which can be mounted on device 30 to give additional support for the axle 38. One or two secondary pressure bodies 40 can be mounted on this axel 38, preferably made of rubber or plastic, in the manner shown in fig. 2. Device 30, in this condition, can be used in such a manner so that the secondary pressure bodies 40 press against the transverse process of the vertebrae and the overlaying muscles. Furthermore, another person than the person who receives the treatment can carry out the treatment in the manner described in connection with fig. 1. Also the pressure bodies of Fig. 1 comprise the through-holes for the axle to be mounted thereon as in Fig. 2. On the bottom of base member 34 is placed an anti-slip body (not shown), for example made of rubber, and base member 34 can also be mounted on a flat body with rubber on the bottom (not shown), to obtain sufficient contact with the support 32, so that device 30 does not slip when it is used to treat one's self when one lies with their back on the device. Assume, for example, that a person has back trouble which is due to one or more vertebrae which have rotated about their longitudinal axis and have become fastened in a new position, with simultaneous muscle tension at the same level. The apparatus as shown in fig. 2 is now used by placing device 30 on preferably a flat support 32. The person then lays on device 30 so that the center of the spine lies midway between the two pressure bodies 40. The pressure bodies 40 apply pressure on the transverse processes of the vertebrae and the overlaying muscles. The entire spine can be subject to a therapeutic pressure treatment when the person moves his/her body on pressure body 40 in a prone position. Furthermore, base member 34 with the rotatable pressure bodies 40 can be used separately for the treatment of another person. The person who will perform the treatment grips with his/her hands the outer ends of base member 34 and performs the treatment on the other person. In this manner massage of even the soft tissues can be performed. Furthermore, rotatable pointed rollers (not shown) can be mounted on an axle 38 for reflexology. The bottom of the foot is then placed on a roller and rolled back and forth. In fig. 3 is shown a second example of the invention. Similar members in fig. 3 and 4 corresponding to fig. 1 and 2 respectively, have been given the same reference numbers. The main difference between device 50 and device 30 is that device 50 ( fig. 3 and 4) contains a primary pressure body 36 which is fastened to the base member 34 together with an additional pressure body 52 which can be slid laterally so that the relative distance between the primary pressure bodies (36, 52) can be changed and also the height can be changed. Device 50 can be adapted to the treatment of various individual's backs, since the relative distance between these primary pressure bodise can be altered. Two other pressure bodies 40 can be mounted on the axle 38, preferably in the form of rubber or plastic rollers, then device 50 can be used in the manner described in connection with fig. 2. Pressure body 52 can be fixed laterally with the help of a screw 56 which is applied from the bottom of the base member 34. Regulating the height of pressure body 52 is done by spacer plates 55 of various thickness which are slid beneath pressure body 52 and fixed in place with a fastener (or screw) 57 which is applied from the bottom of the base member 34. An axle 38 can even be applied through the through-hole in the primary pressure bodies (36, 52) and additional stability can be obtained with the help of an extra support member 37, naturally under the condition that the primary pressure bodies (36, 52) are located at the same height above the base member 34. An additional pressure body 58 can even be placed between the primary pressure bodies (36, 52) with the aid of axle 38, and a screw (which is not shown) is the pressure body 58 (Fig. 5). The third pressure body 58 can even be attached to the bottom of the base member 34 using a screw from inside of the pressure body 58; this position is implied by the dashed line in fig. 5. When this third pressure body 58 is applied between pressure bodies 36, 52, then device 50 is especially suitable for performing pressure treatments on the neck. Pressure body 58 is also good for performing pressure treatments of the back when a greater pressure is desired on one side of the spine's transverse process or even to apply pressure from one side of the spine on the spinal process. Device 50 in this form is also especially useful for treating one's self in a lying or standing position. For the treatment of another person's back, pressure body 58 is mounted on the bottom of base member 34 and fixed in position with the help of a screw (not shown).Device 50 also has three ways to set the heights of the pressure bodies (fig. 3 and 5): 1. The pressure bodies (36, 52) at the same level; 2. One pressure body (52) higher than the other pressure body (36), and 3. By mounting a third pressure body (58),(in which case the pressure bodies 36 and 52 provide only support for the third pressure body 58). Further the device 50 includes two support members 54 which are flexibly joined to the base member 34 so that they can be placed in two orientations. One orientation is when they are placed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the base element 34 (not shown),and the other orientation is when they are placed at right angles in relation to the longitudinal axis of the base member 34 (fig. 4) for contact with the support surface 32. In this latter position, device 50 obtains additional stability when it is placed on a rubber bottom (not shown), for use in the manner described above. The devices shown in figures 1 - 5 can be mounted between two door posts wherein the devices can be used for treatments of the back. In this way one can treat his/her own back. A support device (not shown) is fastened between the door posts for mounting the device 30, 50 between the door posts. The support device is comprised of two parts which can be displaced relative to each other so that the length of the support device can be adjusted for the distance between different door posts, and one end of the support device can be squeezed by the door. The support device also includes a mounting member (not shown) in, for example, the form of a U-shaped piece of sheetmetal into which one end of the base member 34 can be mounted with a fastening device (not shown) with which the other end of the base member 34 can be fastened so that the device 30, 50 is firmly fixed between the door posts. A supplement support member extending from the floor (not shown) to the middle of the support device which is adjustable in height to correspond to the height in which the support device is mounted. The designs shown in fig. 1 - 5 are only examples of how the invention can be realized in practice, and do not limit the invention, whose extent of protection is given in the patent claims.

Claims: Device (30; 50) for therapeutic pressure treatments with a base member (34) for support against a fixed or moveable support (32), two mutally spaced primary pressure bodies (36; 36, 52), characterised in that each of the primary pressure bodies is provided with a through-hole; two rotatable secondary pressure bodies (40) and an axle (38) mountable in the through-holes of the primary pressure bodies for supporting the two rotatable secondary pressure bodies (40), which are mountable at a relative distance upon the axle (38) and rotatable in such a manner that massage of the muscles in the human back together with returning vertebrae, which have improperly rotated around their longitudal axis, back to their correct position for a person, is made possible when the center of spine (spinal process) is placed between the secondary pressure bodies (40). Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the device includes an additional support member (37) mountable on the base member (34), which contains a through-hole and by wish the axle (38) can be mounted in the trough hole of the additional support member for additionally supporting of the axle. Device according to one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that it includes at least two support members (54) mountable on the base member (34) and which can be placed in one position where they are fixed parallel to longitudinal axis of the base member (34) and in a second position where they are fixed at right angeles realtive the longitudinal axis of the base member (34) contacting the support surface (32). Device according to one of the foregoing claims, characterised in that the secondary pressure bodies (40) consists of two rotatable rollers (40) on the axel (38). Device according to one of the foregoing claims for use in self treatments of the back, characterised in that it is arranged to be fixed by means of a support device between two door posts for mounting the device (30; 50) between the door posts, the support device is comprising two parts which can be displaced relative to each other so that the length of the support device can be adjusted to the distance between different door posts. Device according to claim 5, characterised in that the support device includes a supplement support member having one end fastened to the middle of the support device and the other end resting against a floor, wherein the supplement support member is adjustable in height to correspond to the height in which the support device is mounted.

Inventors: TORNBERG GOETE, TORNBERG, GOETE, Tornberg, Göte
Applicants: TORNBERG GOETE, TORNBERG, GOETE
Application year: 1992
Main classification: A61H15
IPC codes: A61H39, A61H15