Physical therapy apparatus

• US 4,773,398 A
• Filed: 11/14/1985
• Issued: 09/27/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Andrew J. Tatom
• Original Assignee: Andrew J. Tatom
• Inventors: Tatom, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Welsh, J.
• Application Number:
  US06/797,976
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 128/25 R, 128/25 B, 128/77, 128/80 R, 128/26, 272/93, 272/117, 272/132, 272/143, 272/129, 272/67, 272/68, 272/125, 73/379
• US Class Current: 601/34
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/0274 for the upper limbs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/4017 to the upper limbs

Abstract

A physical therapy apparatus for enabling proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation of a multi-axis body structure and having a shaft which rotates in controlled movement about an axis and a body engaging component for engaging an extremity of a patient'"'"'s limb and which is coupled with said shaft for controlled movement of the component with the shaft through an arc of a circle while accommodating rotation of the component about an axis perpendicular to said shaft and translation of the component along an axis parallel to said shaft, the apparatus accomplishing movement of the patient'"'"'s limb through a predetermined angular range.

Claims

1. The combination of a physical therapy apparatus having means for rotating a shaft in controlled movement about an axis of the apparatus with means for enabling proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation of a multiaxis body structure and comprising:

first means for coupling with said shaft and defining an axis of translation and rotation parallel to and spaced from the axis of rotation of said shaft, said first means moving with said shaft for describing with said axis of translation and rotation a portion of the surface of a cylinder about said axis of rotation of said shaft, and

structurally rigid body engaging means for engaging an extremity of a patient'"'"'s limb and mounted on said first means

(a) for rotation of said body engaging means about an axis perpendicular to said axis of translation and rotation,

(b) for translation of said body engaging means along said axis of translation and rotation, and

(c) for rotation of said body engaging means about said axis of translation and rotation,

said combination moving the patient'"'"'s limb through a predetermined angular range while the extremity of the limb rotates about said perpendicular axis and translates along said axis of translation and rotation to describe a spiral and to enable proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation of the associated joint by exercising the limb.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said means for coupling said body engaging means with said shaft comprises a first arm means fixed to said shaft for rotation therewith and extending perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of said shaft and a second arm means mounted on said first arm means for rotation therewith about said axis of shaft rotation and for defining an axis of translation for said body engaging means extending parallel to said axis of shaft rotation, said first and second arm means being connected with said shaft for adjustment of the radius from said axis of shaft rotation at which said axis of translation moves in describing said arc of a circle.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said body engaging means is mounted on said second arm means for rotation about an axis perpendicular to both said axis of translation and said axis of shaft rotation.

4. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said body engaging means is mounted on said second arm means for rotation about an axis perpendicular to said axis of translation and for translation along said axis of translation.

5. The combination according to claim 4 wherein said body engaging means comprises means for imposing a predetermined resistance to rotation of said body engaging means about said axis perpendicular to said axis of translation and rotation.

6. The combination of a physical therapy apparatus having means for rotating a shaft in controlled movement about an axis of the apparatus with means for enabling proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation of a multiaxis body structure such as a shoulder and comprising:

first means for coupling with said shaft and defining an axis of translation and rotation parallel to and spaced from the axis of rotation of said shaft, said first means moving with said shaft for describing with said axis of translation and rotation a portion of the surface of a cylinder about said axis of rotation of said shaft, and

structurally rigid body engaging means for engaging a patient'"'"'s hand and mounted on said first means

(a) for rotation of said body engaging means about an axis perpendicular to said axis of translation and rotation,

(b) for translation of said body engaging means along said axis of translation and rotation, and

(c) for rotation of said body engaging means about said axis of translation and rotation,

said rotation and translation of said body engaging means occurring because of restraints imposed by the function of the patient'"'"'s arm, and said combination moving the patient'"'"'s arm through a predetermined angular range while the patient'"'"'s hand rotates about said perpendicular axis and translates along said axis of translation and rotation to describe a spiral and to enable proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation of the shoulder by exercising the arm.

7. A method of providing proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation for a multi-axis joint associated with an elongate limb of a patient and comprising the steps of

coupling the extremity of a patient'"'"'s limb to a structurally rigid body engaging means, then

driving the body engaging means to move through space along a path on a portion of the surface of a cylinder described about the axis of rotation of a driving shaft, while

rotating the extremity about the longitudinal axis of the limb, and

translating the extremity along an axis parallel to and spaced from the axis of rotation of the driving shaft, and

rotating the body engaging means about the axis along which the extremity is translated,

the rotating and translating occurring because of restraints imposed by the function of the patient'"'"'s limb,

so that the patient'"'"'s limb is moved through a predetermined angular range while the extremity of the limb rotates and translates to describe a spiral and to enable proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation of the associated joint by exercising the limb.