Headache tension reliever

• US 5,569,166 A
• Filed: 06/30/1994
• Issued: 10/29/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ross G. Stone
• Original Assignee: Ross G. Stone
• Inventors: Stone, Ross G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHAETZLE, KENNEDY
• Application Number:
  US08/269,611
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 607/2, 607/3, 607/1, 607/115, 607/139, 607/140, 607/149, 601/1, 601/15, 601/18-21, 601/39, 601/46, 601/50-53, 601/84, 601/89, 601/97, 601/98, 601/103
• US Class Current: 601/21
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/0296 Neck
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2001/0233 Pulsating, alternating, fluctuating
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0192 Specific means for adjusting dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/10 with further special therapeutic means, e.g. electrotherapy, magneto therapy or radiation therapy, chromo therapy, infrared or ultraviolet therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1215 Rotary drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1418 Cam
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1481 Special movement conversion means
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1607 Holding means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/165 Wearable interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2203/0456 Supine
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/02 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/025 Forehead
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/02 with electric or magnetic drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 39/04 Devices for pressing such points, e.g. Shiatsu or AcupressureMassage or pressure on general areas A61H9/00 - A61H23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 7/004 power-driven, e.g. electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/26 Electromedical brushes; Electromedical massage devices massage devices in general A61H; Combs
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/328 for improving the appearance of the skin, e.g. facial toning or wrinkle treatment

Abstract

A pain relieving device includes a plurality of sources of pain relieving modalities selected from the group consisting of massage, vibration, acupressure and electric stimulation; and means for applying at least two of the modalities simultaneously to a selected point at the upper body region of a person.

Claims

1. A pain relieving device comprising;

fulcrum means for supporting and contacting a person'"'"'s head region at an area generally below the occipital condyles when the person is in the supine position;

means for applying electric current to said fulcrum means to electrically stimulate the area generally below the occipital condyles;

means for reciprocating said fulcrum means to massage the area generally below the occipital condyles;

means for reciprocating the person'"'"'s head region on said fulcrum means to massage the area generally below the occipital condyles; and

means for vibrating said fulcrum means to vibrate the area generally below the occipital condyles.

2. The pain relieving device of claim 1, further comprising a movable carriage, wherein said fulcrum means is mounted on said moveable carriage and said means for reciprocating said fulcrum means includes means for reciprocating said carriage along a path generally parallel to the person'"'"'s spine.

3. The pain relieving device of claim 1, wherein said means for reciprocating said person'"'"'s head region on said fulcrum means includes means for reciprocating the person'"'"'s head along an arcuate path generally perpendicular to the person'"'"'s spine.

4. The pain relieving device of claim 1, wherein said electric current applying means includes a TENS device.

5. The pain relieving device of claim 1, wherein said electric current applying means includes a MENS device.

6. The pain relieving device of claim 1, wherein said electric current applying means includes an electro-acupuncture device.

7. The pain relieving device of claim 1, further including means for applying electric current to electrically stimulate the frontal region and the shoulder region of the person.

8. The pain relieving device of claim 7, wherein said fulcrum means includes a first occipital electrode and a second occipital electrode.

9. The pain relieving device of claim 8, wherein said electric current applying means to electrically stimulate the frontal region includes a first frontal electrode and a second frontal electrode adapted to generally be in contact with the frontal region of the person'"'"'s head.

10. The pain relieving device of claim 9, wherein said electric current applying means to electrically stimulate the shoulder region includes a first shoulder electrode and a second shoulder electrode adapted to be in contact with the area generally above the person'"'"'s shoulder blades.

11. The pain relieving device of claim 9, further including means for applying electric current between said first occipital electrode and said second frontal electrode.

12. The pain relieving device of claim 10, further including means for applying electric current between said first occipital electrode and said second shoulder electrode.

13. The pain relieving device of claim 10, further including means for applying electric current between said first occipital electrode and said second frontal and said second shoulder electrodes.

14. The pain relieving device of claim 10, further including means for applying electric current between said first and second occipital electrodes and said first and second shoulder electrodes.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said fulcrum means include means for preventing the person'"'"'s hair from interfering with the electric current.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said fulcrum means is in the form of a semicircular coil.

17. A pain relieving device comprising:

a movable carriage;

a first electrode and a second electrode in the form of coils mounted on said carriage, said electrodes adapted to support a person'"'"'s head when the person is lying in the supine position, and adapted to be in contact with the general area of the person'"'"'s head below the occipital condyles;

a strap for encircling the forehead of the person;

means for reciprocating the strap such that the person'"'"'s head reciprocates along an arcuate path in a direction generally perpendicular to the person'"'"'s spine;

means for reciprocating the carriage in a direction generally parallel to the patient'"'"'s spine; and

means for applying an electric current to said electrodes to provide electric stimulation.

18. The pain relieving device of claim 17, wherein said strap includes a first frontal electrode and a second frontal electrode adapted to generally be in contact with the frontal region of a patient'"'"'s forehead.

19. The pain relieving device of claim 18, further including a first shoulder electrode and a second shoulder electrode adapted to be in contact with the region generally above the person'"'"'s shoulder blades.

20. The pain relieving device of claim 17, further including means for applying the electric current between the general areas of the patient'"'"'s upper body selected from the group consisting of the area below the occipital condyles, the frontal region and the area above the shoulder blades to provide electric stimulation.

21. The pain relieving device of claim 20, further including means for applying the electric current between said first occipital electrode and said second frontal electrode.

22. The pain relieving device of claim 20, further including means for applying the electric current between said first occipital electrode and said second shoulder electrode.

23. The pain relieving device of claim 20, further including means for applying the electric current between said first occipital electrode and said second frontal and said second shoulder electrodes.

24. The pain relieving device of claim 20 further including means for applying electric current between said first and second occipital electrodes and said first and second shoulder electrodes.

25. The pain relieving device of claim 17, wherein said means for reciprocating said strap includes a motor operatively engaged to said strap and a crank means driven by said motor.

26. The pain relieving device of claim 25, wherein said strap is operatively engaged to said crank means and said crank means rotates between a first position that pulls said strap in a generally downward direction, and a second position that releases said strap from being pulled in the generally downward direction.

27. The pain relieving device of claim 26, further comprising a spring-biased support element to support the person'"'"'s head and wherein the person'"'"'s head forces the spring-biased support element into compression when said crank means rotates in the first position.

28. The pain relieving device of claim 27, wherein said spring-biased support element forces the person'"'"'s head in a generally upward direction when said crank means rotates into the second position.

29. The pain relieving device of claim 17, wherein said means for reciprocating said carriage includes a motor, a rotatable shaft driven by said motor, and an eccentric cam means mounted on said rotatable shaft.

30. The pain relieving device of claim 29, further comprising piston means wherein said eccentric cam means is operatively engaged to said piston means coupled to said carriage.

31. The pain relieving device of claim 30, wherein said piston means includes a rod means operatively engaged to said eccentric cam means at one end and coupled to said carriage at the opposite end.

32. The pain relieving device of claim 17, wherein said pain relieving device is adapted to be used in combination with a means for applying pulsating light and sound to the person'"'"'s head.

33. A pain relieving device comprising;

apparatus for selectively applying three or more pain relieving modalities to an upper body region of a patient, said modalities including acupressure and at least two other modalities selected from the group of vibration, massage, and electric stimulation, said apparatus including a first reciprocator and a carriage unit, said carriage unit for providing simultaneous application of two or more of said modalities and including a fulcrum adapted and arranged to be in contact with said patient'"'"'s head region generally below said patient'"'"'s occipital condyles, and said first reciprocator adapted and arranged to be in contact with said patient'"'"'s head region for reciprocating said patient'"'"'s head along an arcuate path generally perpendicular to the patient'"'"'s spine when said fulcrum and said first reciprocator are in contact with said patient'"'"'s head region.

34. The pain relieving device of claim 33, wherein three or more pain relieving modalities are simultaneously applied.

35. The pain relieving device of claim 33, further including a second reciprocator, wherein said second reciprocator reciprocates said fulcrum along a path generally parallel to the patient'"'"'s spine when said fulcrum is in contact with said patient'"'"'s head region.

36. The pain relieving device of claim 33, wherein the fulcrum is adapted to electrically stimulate said patient'"'"'s head region.

37. A pain relieving device comprising;

a fulcrum adapted to support and contact a patient'"'"'s head region at an area generally below the occipital condyles when said patient is in the supine position;

means for applying electric current to said fulcrum to electrically stimulate said area generally below the occipital condyles;

a first reciprocator operatively engaged to said fulcrum, said first reciprocator adapted and arranged to reciprocate said fulcrum in a direction generally parallel to the spine of said patient to massage said area generally below the occipital condyles; and

a vibrator operatively engaged to said fulcrum, said vibrator adapted and arranged to vibrate said fulcrum to vibrate said area generally below the occipital condyles.

38. The pain relieving device of claim 37, including a second reciprocator operatively engaged to said patient'"'"'s head region, said second reciprocator adapted and arranged to reciprocate said patient'"'"'s head region on said fulcrum along a generally arcuate path in a direction generally perpendicular to the spine of said patient to massage said area generally below the occipital condyles.

39. A method for relieving pain comprising the steps of;

supporting and contacting a patient'"'"'s head region on a fulcrum at an area generally below the occipital condyles when said patient is in the supine position;

applying electric current to said fulcrum to electrically stimulate said area generally below the occipital condyles;

reciprocating said fulcrum in a direction generally parallel to the spine of said patient to massage the area generally below the occipital condyles;

reciprocating said patient'"'"'s head region on said fulcrum along a generally arcuate path in a direction generally perpendicular to the spine of said patient to massage the area generally below the occipital condyles; and

vibrating said fulcrum to vibrate said area generally below the occipital condyles.