Method for determining muscle dysfunction
First Claim
1. A method for determining back muscle dysfunction of a patient, comprising the steps of:
- (a) placing pairs of left and right electrodes in the areas adjacent pairs of upper, middle and lower back muscles, such as the cervical paraspinal muscles, the upper trapezius muscles, the middle trapezius muscles, the teres major muscles, the thoracic paraspinal muscles, the latissimus sorsi muscles, the obliquus externus muscles, and the lumbar paraspinal muscles, of the patient for measuring electrical muscle activities of the muscle areas thereof;
(b) choosing different patient positions that require different muscle activity that is normally bilaterally symmetric;
(c) choosing pairs of different patient positions that normally require different bilaterally reversed symmetric muscle activity;
(d) causing the patient to assume each of the patient positions for a fixed length of time;
(e) sampling the amplitudes of electrical activity of the patient multiple times with the electrodes during the time when the patient is in each of the plurality of patient positions, the electrical muscle activity simultaneously indicating the functionality and consequent compensating relationships of the muscles in the upper, middle and lower back of the patient;
(f) calculating ratio data by determining the logarithm ratio of selected and weighted measures of the electrical muscle activity to selected and weighted other measures of the electrical muscle activity for the patient;
(g) comparing the logarithmic ratios calculated for the patient to a database of average logarithmic ratios for a plurality of individuals having no symptomatic back dysfunction; and
(h) determining from the magnitude of differences in the logarithmic ratio comparison whether back muscle dysfunction exists in the patient for each muscle area of the patient at which an electrode was placed.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for collecting back muscle dysfunction which comprises collecting electrical muscle activity measurements by applying a plurality of electrodes in a pattern across a patient'"'"'s back or test subject'"'"'s back, and measuring the electrical activity at each of these electrodes and storing these measurements at the same time. The database of these sets of measurements from the number of individuals is generated so that a normative sample for comparison is formed. A patient'"'"'s back muscle activity is quantified by collecting electrical muscle activity measurements for the patient and comparing the patient'"'"'s electrical muscle activity measurements ratios to the sample average ratios of the normative group.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for determining back muscle dysfunction of a patient, comprising the steps of:
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(a) placing pairs of left and right electrodes in the areas adjacent pairs of upper, middle and lower back muscles, such as the cervical paraspinal muscles, the upper trapezius muscles, the middle trapezius muscles, the teres major muscles, the thoracic paraspinal muscles, the latissimus sorsi muscles, the obliquus externus muscles, and the lumbar paraspinal muscles, of the patient for measuring electrical muscle activities of the muscle areas thereof; (b) choosing different patient positions that require different muscle activity that is normally bilaterally symmetric; (c) choosing pairs of different patient positions that normally require different bilaterally reversed symmetric muscle activity; (d) causing the patient to assume each of the patient positions for a fixed length of time; (e) sampling the amplitudes of electrical activity of the patient multiple times with the electrodes during the time when the patient is in each of the plurality of patient positions, the electrical muscle activity simultaneously indicating the functionality and consequent compensating relationships of the muscles in the upper, middle and lower back of the patient; (f) calculating ratio data by determining the logarithm ratio of selected and weighted measures of the electrical muscle activity to selected and weighted other measures of the electrical muscle activity for the patient; (g) comparing the logarithmic ratios calculated for the patient to a database of average logarithmic ratios for a plurality of individuals having no symptomatic back dysfunction; and (h) determining from the magnitude of differences in the logarithmic ratio comparison whether back muscle dysfunction exists in the patient for each muscle area of the patient at which an electrode was placed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for determining back muscle dysfunction of a patient, comprising the steps of:
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(a) placing pairs of left and right electrodes in the areas adjacent pairs of upper, middle and lower back muscles of the patient for measuring electrical muscle activities of the muscle areas thereof; (b) choosing different patient positions that require different muscle activities that are normally bilaterally symmetric; (c) choosing pairs of different patient positions that normally require different bilaterally reversed symmetric muscle activities; (d) causing the patient to assume each of the patient positions for a fixed length of time; (e) sampling the amplitudes of electrical activity of the patient multiple times with the electrodes during the time when the patient is in each of the plurality of patient positions, the electrical muscle activity simultaneously indicating the functionality and consequent compensating relationships of the muscles in the upper, middle and lower back of the patient; (f) calculating ratio data by determining a function ratio of selected and weighted measures of the electrical muscle activity to selected and weighted other measures of the electrical muscle activity for the patient, the function emphasizing low electrical muscle activity with respect to high electrical muscle activity; (g) comparing the function ratios calculated for the patient to a database of average function ratios for a plurality of individuals having no symptomatic back dysfunction; and (h) determining from the magnitude of differences in the function ratio comparison whether back muscle dysfunction exists in the patient for each muscle area of the patient at which an electrode was placed. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for determining back muscle dysfunction of a patient, comprising the steps of:
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(a) placing pairs of left and right electrodes in the areas adjacent pairs of upper, middle and lower back muscles of the patient for measuring electrical muscle activities of the muscle areas thereof; (b) choosing different patient positions that require different muscle activities to maintain such positions that are bilaterally symmetric in individuals without back muscle dysfunction; (c) choosing pairs of different patient positions that require different bilaterally reversed symmetric muscle activities to maintain such positions in individuals without back muscle dysfunction; (d) causing the patient to assume each of the patient positions for a fixed length of time; (e) sampling and storing the amplitudes of electrical activity of the patient multiple times with the electrodes during the time when the patient is in each of the plurality of patient positions, the electrical muscle activity simultaneously indicating the functionality and consequent compensating relationships of the muscles in the upper, middle and lower back of the patient; (f) calculating ratio data by determining a function ratio of selected and weighted measures of the electrical muscle activities to selected and weighted other measures of the electrical muscle activity for the patient, the function emphasizing low electrical muscle activity with respect to high electrical muscle activity; (g) comparing the function ratios calculated for the patient to a database of average function ratios for a plurality of individuals having no symptomatic back dysfunction; (h) determining from the magnitude of differences in the function ratio comparison whether abnormal back muscle activity exists in the patient for each muscle area of the patient at which an electrode was placed; (i) if in step (h) abnormal back muscle activity is determined, then multiply the function ratio by a kinesiological weighting factor which corresponds to the kinesiological relationship between the muscle areas in the function ratio; (j) determine if the determined abnormal back muscle activity is consistent with different patient positions; and (k) display consistently determined abnormal back muscle activity. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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Specification