EP1292366A2

EP1292366A2 - Device used for therapy and for exercising the joints of the human body

Info

Publication number: EP1292366A2
Application number: EP01949223A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Peter Schulz
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-06-02
Filing date: 2001-06-01
Publication date: 2003-03-19
Anticipated expiration: 2021-06-01
Also published as: DE10027041A1; ATE345852T1; WO2001091692A2; US20020107116A1; EP1292366B1; DE50111494D1; AU7045701A; WO2001091692A3; DE10192159D2

Abstract

The present invention introduces a device for therapy and for exercising joints, muscles and the sensitivity for strengthening joints, in particular for strengthening the rotator cuff of the shoulder joint. The exercising device is secured on a parallel surface (8) by means of two parallel rails (12, 12'). The special advantage of the exercising device (1) has to be seen in that the swivel arm (2) as defined by the invention can be brought into any individual spatial position, so that optimal adaptation to the conditions required for the respective ailing part of the body is assured, and that additionally a tractive and compressive load can continuously and/or alternately act upon the joints.

Description

DEVICE FOR THERAPY AND TRAINING THE JOINTS

OF THE HUMAN BODY

The present invention relates to a device for training the joints, muscles and receptors of the human body, in particular the shoulder joint, which is affected by a restricted movement after post-traumatic or after immobilization or by degenerative processes and / or is unstably affected by muscular weakness or muscular atrophies. The restriction of movement can be capsular or due to muscle contraction.

Such devices are known in the prior art from the American publications US 5,080,350 and US 4,640,268. It is perceived as a disadvantage of these devices that the entire structure is built on a frame and not all affected Muscle areas can be used to the necessary extent during the training phase. Furthermore, the structure is relatively complicated, so that the manufacturing costs appear too high. Furthermore, the individual adjustability to the special needs of shoulder joints does not seem to be guaranteed.

Another training device for the limbs of the human body, in particular the arm limbs, is known from the American publication US Pat. No. 5,254,066, the disadvantage of which can be seen primarily in the complicated technical structure and is therefore relatively cost-intensive to purchase. The known treatment methods in physiotherapy are the auto-centering and strengthening of the so-called rotator cuffs and the increase in proprioception through compression. Furthermore, the restriction of movement is both capsular and muscular, which is attempted to be remedied by traction methods, muscle stretching and other strengthening. This can partially relieve the pain.

With the known training devices, it has so far only been possible to train in one movement level or to give isolated apparatus tractions to the joint. Variable resistances in several directions are made possible more precisely, but only with great space and cost expenditure by computer-controlled devices. Alternatively, today the movement can be given manually in combination with traction or compression, which is what In practice, this means personnel expenditure and intensive support and, moreover, only permits subjective documentation.

An aim of the present invention is to be achieved in that the greatest possible training variety of movement in space in combination with traction and compression with variable resistances is made possible without being excessively cost-intensive and space-consuming. Apart from pathological conditions in the hospital or in the rehabilitation station, the device should be used in the preventive sport area to strengthen sports, such as Rowing, tennis and golf.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to train the joints of the human body affected by a restricted movement, weakness, instability or reduction in depth sensitivity using a simple technical device without using external help.

This object is achieved with the characterizing features of the main claim.

The invention consists essentially of a device for therapy and training of the joints of the human body, in particular the shoulder joint, in several directions, with at least one pivotable arm, which can be in any position in space within the range of action of the pivotable arm can be brought and is attached to at least one pivotable connection and an adjustable tension and pressure device is arranged on the pivotable arm, which has at least one tension and pressure element.

The device according to the invention makes it possible to work out a movement under traction, intermittent traction and / or compression without manual contact. The movement level can be set and fixed in each room level as required. Depending on the requirements, the resistance can be opposed to the movement (strengthening and decontraction) or a movement can be required by minimal movement intensities alone. As a result of the documentable fixed points of the individual variable parameters and settings of the device, it is possible to document the course of therapy precisely. By adjusting the tensile force of the springs and weights, an objective performance curve can be determined, which is entered on a schematic data sheet of the training device.

According to the invention it is advantageous to fix the pivotable arm on a vertical surface, e.g. to attach to a wall.

It is also advantageous to arrange the screws in the area of the pivotable connection. It is also advantageous for the pivotable arm to be rotatably supported in the region of the pivotable connection, so that the pivotable arm can rotate between 0 and 360 ° about its longitudinal axis.

It is also advantageous to carry out the pivotable connection by means of a hinge. This allows the swiveling arm to be adjusted in any position between 0 and 180 °, i.e. be pivoted both vertically and about its axis.

In order to be able to adjust the height adjustment of the pivotable arm depending on the body size of the human body to be treated, it is advantageous to attach the pivotable arm to a horizontal console that can be adjusted in the vertical direction.

It is advantageous to arrange the horizontal bracket on two rails running parallel to one another and to provide these at certain intervals with holes in which the horizontal bracket is fastened.

It is particularly advantageous to design the pivotable arm in the form of a disk and to provide this disk with at least one recess on the outer edge, in which the human body can be accommodated. It is also advantageous to arrange a lever rod on the disc-shaped pivotable arm which is rotatably mounted parallel to the plane of the disc.

It is also advantageous to arrange a pulling and pushing device in the pivot point of the lever rod, which can exert both pull and pressure on the longitudinal axis of the upper arm. This pulling and pushing device advantageously has a holding device which receives the elbow of the human arm. The pressure and / or tension acts parallel to the swivel arm and is output on the lever arm in the center.

It is also advantageous to arrange a handle at one end of the lever rod, which is adjustable along the axis of the lever rod.

It is also advantageous to arrange a variable weight on the side of the lever rod opposite the handle in order to compensate for any tensile forces that may occur.

According to the invention, the pulling and pushing device has pulling and pushing elements in the pivot point of the lever rod, which are advantageously realized by a spring or by a cable pull. It is advantageous to design the pull and push device so that the forces are variable. A hydraulic cylinder or a motor, which can alternately exert tension or pressure on the forearm, is also advantageous. Further features essential to the invention can be found in the subclaims.

In the following the invention will be described in more detail with reference to drawings. It shows

Fig. La is a schematic representation of the device (1) according to the invention;

Fig. Lb a rotated by 90 ° compared to Fig. La

Front view of the device (1) according to the invention;

Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of the invention

Device (1) which is fastened to the wall (8) with two fastening rails (12, 12 ^Λ );

Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of the invention

Pulling and pushing device (5) with the holding device (6) and the pulling and pushing elements (28, 26);

Fig. 4 is a schematic representation of the train and

Pressure device (5), from which the adjustability of the pressure forces emerges. FIG. 1 a shows a schematic representation of the device 1 according to the invention. The device can expediently be fastened to a vertical wall with two rails 12, 12 which run in parallel using suitable means 3, which are not described in detail here. Between the rails 12, 12 ^x , a bracket 11 (not shown in this illustration) is arranged, to which the pivotable arm 2 according to the invention is fastened with a pivotable connection 4. In the general case, the pivotable connection 4 is a hinge. Other connection options such as permanently adjustable grids are also within the scope of the general inventive concept. The pivotable connection (hinge) is followed by a further pivotable connection 10 (pivot bearing), which allows the pivotable arm 2 to be rotated through 360 ° about its longitudinal axis. Due to the mobility of the two connections 10 and 11, it is possible to set the movement plane for the arm to be trained in any position in the room, which is indicated by the dashed lines 7. In the right-hand area of this illustration, a lever rod 19 is rotatably mounted on the pivotable arm 4. The lever rod 19 has a handle 23 on one side and a weight 24 on the side opposite the handle 23, both of which can be moved in the longitudinal direction. In the pivot point 20, a pulling and pushing device 5 is arranged, on which a holding device 6 is fastened, which serves to pick up and support the elbow of the human arm. The train- and printing device 5 will be described in more detail below.

FIG. 1b shows a front view of the device 1 according to the invention rotated by 90 ° with respect to FIG. 1a. The two fastening rails 12, 12 are fastened parallel to one another perpendicularly on the wall 8 with suitable fastening means 3. The swivel arm and thus the lever rod 19 are in any inclined position, which was previously carried out according to the necessary setting for a certain muscle. The lever arm 19 can be brought into a certain position at certain points with a counterforce 25, which is, for example, a spring force. This position is variable both in the spring force and in the position in space. During the exercise to be carried out, the elbow lies in the holding device 6, the hand enclosing the handle 23. As a result of the spring force 25 and the counterweight 24 to the spring force, the resulting force can be set to 0 at the point of rest. This results in an optimal application of force and adaptation for the body parts to be trained. The spring force can be applied to all holes and parts of the device so that the directions of movement to be stimulated are optimally promoted.

2 shows an exemplary embodiment of the device 1 according to the invention. The parallel mounting rails 12, 12 ^λ are on a vertical wall 8 attached. The rails 12, 12 have bores at certain intervals, which are used to hold locking elements 14, 14 ^x on the horizontal bracket 11. A hinge 4 is fastened to the horizontal bracket 11 by suitable means. The suitable means can be screw connections, clamps or welds. The set height of the console 11 depends on the body size or the seat height of the patient. A further rotatable connection 10 is expediently arranged in the region of the hinge 4, which enables a further degree of freedom of the swivel arm 2. To the rotatable connection 10, which is in the form of a rotary bearing, a connecting web adjoins 21 ^Λ 2 is connected to a circular disk and represents the actual pivoting arm. 2 The pivot bearing 10 can also be provided with an adjustable resistance force which acts counter to the rotational movement. The disc 2 ^λ has recesses 17, 18 at certain points, which serve to provide space for the human body and to reduce the weight of the pivotable arm. Through the recess 17, the body can be brought anywhere near the pivot point 20 of the lever rod 19, so that an optimal position of the shoulder joint to the pivot point 20 is ensured. On a bolt circle on the disc 2 there are bores 15 which mainly serve to provide plug pins 16, 16 ^x as stop elements for the lever rod 19. The stop elements 16, 16 ^x can fix the angle of rotation α of the longitudinal axis of the lever rod 19 at reasonable intervals. On the disc 2 ^λ is at a suitable point in the vicinity of the recess 17, the lever rod 19 is mounted in the pivot point 20. The pulling and pushing device 5 according to the invention is arranged at the pivot point 20 and is described in more detail below. A holding device 6 is also attached to the pulling and pushing device 5. At one end of the lever rod 19, a handle 23 is attached, which has a ball joint, so that the handle 23 sitting vertically on the lever rod 19 is movable in any direction, which is indicated by the dashed lines 23 ^Λ . The lever rod 19 is provided with bores 31 which serve to adjust both the handle 23 and the counterweight 24 along the lever rod 19. Furthermore, a spring can be hooked into the bores 31 as a counterforce, which compensates for the gravity of the weight 24 and enables different resistance forces from different directions.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of the pulling and pushing device 5. A pushing element 26 is arranged in a cylinder 33 and acts against the force of the pulling element 28 with the weight 32. The pressure element 26 acts on a plane 29 which is firmly connected to the holding device 6 of the elbow. At the same level 29, the tension element 28 is fastened in the form of a cable pull. Thus, by varying the weight 32, the resulting force for the movement of the holding device 6 can be set reproducibly. A cylinder 34 is arranged on the surface 29, which in turn is connected to a rod 35, at the end of which a bracket 22 or a ' cup-shaped receptacle for receiving the elbow is attached. The holding device 6 is rotatably supported about its longitudinal axis within certain limits. The level of rotation of the lever rod 19 is thus variable at a distance (A) from the disk 2.

4, the holding device 6 is shown schematically in sections. The cylinder 33 has recesses 36 in its lateral surface, which are arranged along a slot 37 at certain intervals. These recesses 36 serve to adjust the spring force of the pressure element 26, so that the force to be exerted by the arm of the human body can be adjusted individually, or the pressure is locked in order to achieve an isolated pull.

Because of its high variability, the training device according to the invention is particularly well suited for use in problems with the shoulder joint. It can be used both in the field of rehabilitation and in the sporting area. Furthermore, the training device according to the invention achieves greater therapy and training effectiveness at lower costs. Due to the simplicity of the mechanical structure, uncomplicated assembly is quickly possible. Another major advantage is that all settings of the training device are reproducible and recordable, so that a certain degree of objectivity is guaranteed.

Claims

Device (1) for therapy and training of the joints of the human body, in particular the shoulder joint, in several directions, with at least one pivotable arm (2) which can be brought into any position in space within the range of action of the pivotable arm (2) and is attached to at least one pivotable connection (4) and an adjustable pulling and pushing device (5) is arranged on the pivotable arm (2) and has at least one pulling and pushing element (28, 26).

Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pivotable arm (2) is rotatably mounted in the region of the pivotable connection (4), the range of rotation being between 0 and 360 ° by means of a pivot bearing (10). Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pivotable arm (2) is vertically and horizontally displaceable.

Device according to claim 1, so that the pivotable arm (2) is disc-shaped, on which stop elements (16, 16 ') are arranged at any point.

Apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that bores (15) are arranged on the disc of the pivotable arm (2) into which stop elements (16, 16 ^λ ) are inserted.

Device according to claim 11 and 14, so that the disc (2 ') has at least one recess (17) in the edge region of the disc

(2).

Device according to claim 1, characterized in that a lever rod (19) is arranged on the pivotable arm (2) and is rotatably mounted. Device according to claim 1 and 7, characterized in that the lever rod (19) is rotatably mounted parallel to the plane of the disc (2) and one has pivotable handle (23).

Device according to one of the preceding claims, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that the pulling and pushing device (5) is arranged in the pivot point (20), which acts on the lever rod (19).

Device according to one of the preceding claims, that a weight (24) can be arranged on the side of the lever rod (19) opposite the handle (23).

Device according to one of the preceding claims, that the force of the lever arm of the weight (24) by a counterforce

(25) can be fully or partially compensated.

Apparatus according to claim 1, g e k e n n z e i c h n e t d u r c h

- A pressure element (26) (compression spring), which is attached with its one end (27) to a holding device (6) in a cylinder; and

- A tension element (28), which has a counterforce to the pressure element

(26) forms.

Apparatus according to claim 25, characterized in that the pull and push element (28, 26) is arranged in a hydraulic cylinder which is effective in both directions.

Apparatus according to claim 25, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that the tensile and compressive forces are adjustable.

Device according to one of the preceding claims, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that the holding device (6) for the elbow of the human arm is arranged rotatably about its longitudinal axis.

Apparatus according to claim 25, d a d u r c h g e k e n n z e i c h n e t that the tension and compression element (28, 26) is a motor.