Surgery – Truss – Perineal
Patent
1989-10-23
1992-03-03
Bahr, Robert
Surgery
Truss
Perineal
128 33, 128 53, A61H 700
Patent
active
050923161
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to apparatus and procedures designed to correct mechanical disorders of the spine.
The backbone is a complex structure and misuse of the body can result in spinal disorders producing various types of back or neck pain. The precise mechanical disorder is often difficult to diagnose, and even if the source of a malfunction can be determined, the correction of the disorder is far from easy as interactions between vertebrae are incredibly complex, and thus correction of a fault in one area can lead to transference of the problem, possibly in a modified form to another area. Attempted correction of the transferred problem can then lead to the reappearance of the original problem. A further type of disorder results from loss of mobility of the joints of the dorsal spine. Consequently remedial manipulation applied to a vertebra will result in movement of adjacent ones and it is difficult to increase the intravertebral mobility other than over a substantial period of treatments, using conventional manipulative techniques. The invention aims to provide both apparatus and manipulative procedures using that apparatus which enable a physiotherapist to achieve substantial improvements to the conditions referred to above in a relatively short time in the majority of cases.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, from a first aspect, this invention provides a physiotherapy device comprising a body housing a pair of reciprocatory actuators terminating in feet and projecting in the same direction but displaced at a distance equivalent to the spacing of the lateral ends of transverse processes to either side of a human vertebra, and means for reciprocating the actuators in mutually opposed directions.
The reciprocating actuators cause rotational displacement of a vertebra with respect to the adjacent one. In order to avoid significant movement of adjacent vertebrae, in one embodiment, the body will include fixed feet positioned to rest on transverse processes of adjacent vertebrae. In the preferred arrangement, however, four reciprocatory actuators are housed within the body and terminate in feet which will rest on the two pairs of transverse processes on an adjacent pair of vertebrae, each diagonal pair of actuators acting synchronously but in mutually opposed directions to the other pair of actuators. These enable an adjacent pair of vertabrae to be rotated in mutually opposite directions. Rocking these two vertebrae in counter-rotation means that less movement has to be applied to each vertebra which will therefore limit the likelihood of neural concussion of the spinal nerves during treatment.
Ideally, the actuators will be controlled by at least one reciprocatory operating member. In one arrangement the device can be constructed so that one operating member controls operation of a linkage to act against a bias member which biases one foot into an extended condition, so as to cause the other foot to be extended. Alternatively, the device may be such that each actuator is or incorporates an operating member, the set of operating members being mutually operated by a control circuit.
In one preferred arrangement the reciprocatory operating members will comprise pneumatic or hydraulic rams operated by a fluid logic control circuit, or solenoids operated by an electrical control circuit. Where a control circuit is present it is desirable that it should include adjustment means to enable the speed and force of operation of the actuators to be varied.
From a further aspect, the invention provides a method of relieving mechanical disorders of the spine using a device of this invention as hereinbefore defined, wherein the feet of the device are located over the lateral ends of the transverse processes of affected vertebrae and the device is operated to cause reciprocation of the actuators to deliver blows to the vertebrae to stimulate rotational displacement about the spinal axis of at least one vertebra with respect to the adjacent vertebrae and moving the device along the spi
REFERENCES:
patent: 2193882 (1940-03-01), Peterson
patent: 2664882 (1954-01-01), Parker
patent: 2672860 (1954-03-01), Badger et al.
patent: 2773498 (1956-12-01), Himmelman
patent: 3656190 (1972-04-01), Regan et al.
patent: 4576149 (1986-03-01), Otuka et al.
Stobart Matthew J. C.
Taylor Alan R. G.
LandOfFree
Physiotherapy device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Physiotherapy device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Physiotherapy device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-265507