JP7131789B2 - WEARABLE POSTURE CONTROL TRAINING MACHINE AND POSTURE CONTROL TRAINING METHOD - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wearable posture control training machine and a posture control training method.

In Japan, which has become a super-aging society, there is a desire to continue living as oneself until the end in a familiar community even if nursing care is required. In response to such requests, various measures are being considered to build a comprehensive care system in the community with the goal of providing housing, medical care, nursing care, disease prevention, and life support in an integrated manner. .

Although it is important to build a comprehensive care system, it is also important to prevent people from needing long-term care in the first place. If the need for long-term care becomes longer, the economic burden will make it difficult for Japan's long-term care insurance system to continue. By the way, according to the National Livelihood Survey (2010) by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, bone fractures due to falls were the fourth most direct cause of bedridden persons aged 65 and over requiring nursing care. In terms of percentage, it occupies 9.3% of the total. Therefore, preventing falls is an effective measure to prevent becoming bedridden.

Next, the prior art will be described. As a device for diagnosing balance disorders that cause falls, a device such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. Also, as a device for inspecting the function of a balanced coordination system, a device such as that disclosed in Patent Document 2 is known.

JP 2008-73267 A Japanese Patent Publication No. 11-502429

The device of Patent Document 1 is used by attaching it to the waist of a subject in a standing and standing position. The device is equipped with accelerometers, which measure front-back and left-right acceleration. It is said that a predetermined parameter obtained from acceleration in two directions can be used as a measurement value or an evaluation value of stagger.

The device of Patent Literature 1 is nothing more than a device for simply evaluating stagger. Therefore, posture control exercises cannot be performed.

The device of Patent Document 2 is used by being attached to the head. The device comprises a spirit level, a fitting for the device to the head, and a connector connecting the spirit level and the fitting. Head wobble causes the spirit level to wobble through the fixture and connector to visualize the wobble. With this device, even if the body is not staggering, if the head shakes, the shaking is sensitively reflected on the spirit level. Therefore, it may not be possible to accurately measure the shaking of the body.

The present invention provides a wearable posture control training machine and a posture control training method that enable more effective posture control training by feeding back information about the position of the wearer's knees to the wearer. With the goal.

A wearable posture control training machine comprising a light emitting part that indicates the position of the wearer's knees and a support part that supports the light emitting part on the wearer's body ( Hereinafter, it may simply be referred to as a training machine.) solves the above problems. In addition, the light indicating the position of the wearer's knees is emitted from the irradiation unit attached to the wearer's body, and the wearer adjusts the position of the knees while visually confirming the position of the light spot. A practice method solves the above problems.

The wearer receives feedback regarding the position of his or her knees from the light emitted from the irradiation unit, and can practice to keep the positions of the knees constant. The wearer can improve his posture control ability by repeating practice.

In the training machine described above, it is preferable that the irradiating section irradiates light indicating the position of the knee at a position visible to the wearer. Accordingly, the wearer can directly visually recognize and confirm the light emitted by the irradiation unit. This eliminates the need to display the position of the knee on a display device such as a display. The configuration of the device is also simplified, and information processing using an arithmetic device or the like regarding the position of the knee can be omitted.

In the above training aircraft, the light is preferably highly directional light. Since highly directional light is difficult to diffuse and travels straight, it is possible to improve visibility when checking the position of the knee and provide more accurate knee position feedback to the wearer.

It is preferable that the above training machine further includes a reflecting section that reflects the light emitted from the irradiating section. By using the reflecting section, it becomes possible to optimize the position of the illuminating section. For example, by adopting a configuration that refracts light using a reflecting section, it is possible to reduce the size of the device and to arrange the irradiation section at a desired position such as a position that does not interfere with the movement during practice.

In the training machine described above, it is preferable that the reflector is arranged at the knee of the wearer. According to this configuration, it is possible to irradiate the light indicating the position of the knee in an arbitrary direction by irradiating the reflecting portion arranged on the knee with the light.

In the training machine described above, it is preferable that the support portion is a strip-shaped member made of an elastic material. By doing so, it becomes possible to wrap and fix the training device around any part of the wearer's body. For example, the support may be secured to the wearer's leg.

It is preferable that the training machine further includes a target for irradiating light indicating the position of the knee. A target provides a target to illuminate. Setting goals can prevent practice from becoming monotonous. By repeating the practice of illuminating a target, it becomes possible to improve one's posture control ability efficiently.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a wearable posture control training machine that enables more effective posture control training by feeding back information about the position of the wearer's knees to the wearer. Become.

1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of an attitude control trainer; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the posture control training machine of FIG. 1 is worn; FIG. It is a figure which shows the state using the attitude control training machine. 4 is a graph in which the effect of practice according to Test Examples 1 to 3 is evaluated by rectangular area. 10 is a graph showing the effect of practice according to Test Examples 1 to 3 evaluated by total trajectory length. FIG. 10 is a graph showing the effects of exercises according to Test Examples 1 to 3 evaluated by knee joint sway. FIG.

An embodiment of the attitude control trainer will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiments shown below are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these.

As a result of extensive research by the present inventor, the ability of postural control includes sensory input from the visual system, vestibular labyrinth system, and/or somatosensory system, and the ability to stabilize the body based on sensory input. It has been found that coordinated action of the joints of the lower extremities is necessary, and that the coordinated actions of vision and the joints of the lower extremities are especially important. The position of the knee joint changes under the influence of the upper parts such as the trunk and hip joints and the lower parts such as the foot and ankle joints. In other words, the knee joint is an important part that reflects the movements of the body parts above it and the movements of the body parts below it.

The posture control training machine of this embodiment irradiates an arbitrary object with light indicating the position of the knee, and visually feeds back the position information of the light to the wearer, thereby visually and lower limb joints. It is designed to efficiently perform exercises to strengthen the cooperative work with.

As shown in FIG. 1, the posture control training machine 1 according to the present embodiment has a light irradiation unit 11 that indicates the position of the knees 51 of the wearer 5, and a light irradiation unit 11 that is placed on the body of the wearer 5. and a support portion 12 for supporting. As shown in FIG. 2, this posture control training machine 1 is used by being worn on the body. The light indicating the position of the wearer's knees may be directly irradiated from the irradiation unit to an arbitrary target, or may be directly irradiated from the irradiation unit to an arbitrary target using reflection of light emitted from the irradiation unit. It may be one that irradiates an object.

The light irradiator may irradiate light indicating the position of the knee 51 of the wearer 5 . As the light irradiation section, it is preferable to use a light source capable of emitting light that is difficult to diffuse and has high directivity. Light with high directivity includes laser light and spot light. A spotlight can be generated using a light source such as an LED or an incandescent lamp, a lens, and/or a reflector. If light with high directivity is used, it is difficult for the light to diffuse, so when an object such as a wall is irradiated with the light indicating the position of the knee, it is possible to improve the visibility of the light spot. . In the posture control training machine 1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. Alternatively, a light source made smaller by using a laser diode or the like may be used as the irradiation unit.

The supporting part may be any part as long as it can support the light irradiation part on any part of the wearer's body. For example, the supporting part includes a band-shaped member, a plate-shaped member, or an attachment such as a clip, which is detachably attached to the wearer's body. The portion of the body to which the support is attached includes, for example, any portion of the wearer's legs, waist, torso, or shoulders. In the posture control training machine 1 according to the present embodiment, the support portion 12 is a strip-shaped member made of an elastic material. As the elastic material, for example, a material containing synthetic rubber or vulcanized rubber, or a stretchable fabric such as a knitted fabric may be used.

In the posture control training machine 1 of the present embodiment, since the support part 12 is made of an elastic material, the position of the support part 12 is difficult to shift when the body is moved, and the light indicating the position of the knee is not displayed. The position is also difficult to shift. For example, when the support section 12 is fixed above or below the knee joint, it is possible to prevent the support section from interfering with the movement of the knee joint, thereby making it difficult for the support section 12 to shift. In addition, since the supporting portion expands and contracts according to the movement of the body when the body is moved, discomfort such as pain and pressure is less likely to occur.

As shown in FIG. 2, the posture control training machine 1 of the present embodiment can be fixed by winding a band-shaped support portion 12 between the knee joint and the shin of the wearer. A first hook-and-loop fastener 121 is provided on one of the front surface and the back surface of the support portion 12, as shown in FIG. A second hook-and-loop fastener that can be engaged with the first hook-and-loop fastener is provided at the end of the other of the front and back surfaces of the support portion 12 . For this reason, as shown in FIG. 2, by engaging the first hook-and-loop fastener 121 and the second hook-and-loop fastener in a state in which the support portion 12 is wound under the knee joint, the support portion 12 is attached to the wearer 5. It can be attached to the leg. In addition, in FIG. 1 , hatching is given to each hook-and-loop fastener portion.

As described above, the support portion 12 is provided with the first hook-and-loop fastener 121 so as to cover one end portion to the other end portion of the support portion. Therefore, members such as the power supply 14, the spacer 13, the irradiation unit 11, etc., which will be described later, can be freely fixed to the support unit 12 by the corresponding hook-and-loop fasteners. By using a hook-and-loop fastener corresponding to the first hook-and-loop fastener 121, it is also possible to directly fix other members, such as a more compact irradiation section and reflection section, to the support section 12. FIG.

In the attitude control training machine 1 of this embodiment, a tubular light source is used as the light irradiation unit 11 . Using a cylindrical light source makes it easier for the irradiation unit 12 to interfere with the knees of the wearer 5 when the wearer practices posture control. Therefore, in the posture control training machine 1 of the present embodiment, by fixing the irradiation unit 11 to the support unit 11 via the spacer 13, the irradiation unit 12 is prevented from interfering with the wearer's knees. there is

The spacer 13 is a plate-like member made of an elastic material, and is intended to fix the light emitting part 11 at a position away from the wearer's body so that the light emitting part 11 does not interfere with the wearer's body such as the knee. distributed in A third hook-and-loop fastener engageable with the first hook-and-loop fastener 121 provided on the support portion 12 is provided on the back surface of the spacer 13 . On the surface of the spacer 13, as shown in FIG. 1, a fourth hook-and-loop fastener 131 is provided that can be engaged with the fifth hook-and-loop fastener 111 provided at one end of the irradiation section 11. As shown in FIG. The irradiation section 11 is fixed to the support section 12 by engaging each hook-and-loop fastener described above.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the attitude control training machine 1 of this embodiment includes a power source 14 . A sixth hook-and-loop fastener is arranged on the back surface of the power supply 14 . The power supply 14 is fixed to the support 12 by engaging the sixth hook-and-loop fastener with the first hook-and-loop fastener 121 of the support 12 . The power supply 14 is wired to the irradiation unit 11 and supplies power to the irradiation unit 11 . A switch (not shown) is arranged in the power source, and it is possible to switch the presence or absence of light irradiation from the irradiation unit.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the attitude control training machine 1 of the present embodiment, since the irradiation unit 11 is arranged upward, light is emitted upward. Therefore, in order to change the irradiation direction of light, the reflecting section 15 that reflects the light is used. The reflecting portion 15 is arranged at the knee portion 51 of the wearer 5 and is capable of refracting the light emitted from the irradiating portion 15 in a direction intersecting the optical axis. For this reason, it is possible to irradiate an arbitrary object such as a wall placed in front of the wearer with light.

As described above, since the posture control training machine 1 of the present embodiment includes the reflecting unit 15, the irradiation unit may be a cylindrical one that can be procured at low cost but is relatively bulky, or has high brightness and visibility. It is possible to use even a relatively bulky one that is superior in terms of strength. In this way, by using the reflecting section 15, it is possible to freely set the position where the irradiating section is arranged, so that it is possible to improve the degree of freedom in design.

As described above, in the posture control training machine 1 of the present embodiment, the reflector 15 is used to irradiate light indicating the position of the knee at a position visible to the wearer. The wearer can visually confirm the position of his or her knees by visually confirming the light emitted to an arbitrary object such as a wall. By repeating exercises to keep the position of the light constant, the wearer can strengthen the coordination between vision and the joints of the lower extremities and improve the ability to control posture.

The posture control training machine 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, has a target 17 that can be fixed to an arbitrary object such as a wall. When practicing posture control as described above, if there is no goal, the practice will inevitably become monotonous. By providing the target 17, the player becomes conscious that the light will continue to be emitted into the target 17, so that a target can be set for practice and concentration can be maintained. This makes it possible to improve the efficiency of practice.

In the posture control training machine 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the reflecting portion 15 is rotatably supported by shafts provided at the ends of a pair of support rods 161. The cage is placed on the kneecap of the wearer 5 . The pair of support rods 161 are fixed at their base end portions to the flange portion 16 protruding in a direction intersecting the optical axis of the irradiation portion 15 . As the reflector 15, for example, a reflector or a prism can be used. Since the prism has the property of totally reflecting light, it is preferable because the reflectance of light can be made higher than when a reflecting mirror is used. By increasing the reflectance, it is possible to further improve the visibility of the light emitted from the irradiation section.

In the attitude control training machine 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the axis serving as the center of rotation of the reflecting section 15 is provided so as to intersect the optical axis of the irradiating section 11 . Therefore, by rotating the reflector 15, it is possible to finely adjust the direction in which the light indicating the position of the knee is emitted along the direction of the optical axis. For example, even if the target 17 is not fixed so that the height of the target 17 exactly matches the height of the knee portion 51, the reflecting portion 15 can be rotated in the axial direction of the irradiation portion 11 according to the position of the target 17. It is possible to make fine adjustments so that the light is emitted to the vicinity of the target 17 by adjusting the position.

Further, by rotatably inserting the collar portion 16 into the irradiation portion 11, the direction in which the reflection portion 15 reflects light can be rotated in a direction intersecting the optical axis of the irradiation portion 11. Become. This makes it possible to fine-tune the direction in which the light is emitted before practicing.

In the posture control training machine 1 according to the above embodiment, the reflecting section 15 is fixed to the irradiating section 11 via the support rod 161 and the collar section 16 . Therefore, when the irradiation unit 11 is displaced, the reflection unit 15 is also displaced integrally, and unless the reflection unit 15 is rotated, the incident angle and the reflection angle of light with respect to the reflection unit 15 are always kept constant. Therefore, it is preferable that the position of the light spot irradiated onto the object such as the target or the wall does not fluctuate due to the displacement of the irradiation unit 11 due to rocking or the like.

The device configuration of the attitude control training machine 1 of this embodiment is simple. When the wearer practices posture control, the wearer exercises by adjusting the position of the knee portion 51 while directly visually confirming the light emitted from the irradiation portion 11 . This eliminates the need for devices and programs for detecting and analyzing the positions of light spots. Since the device configuration is simple, it is less likely to break down and can be provided at a low cost. The attitude control training machine 1 can be easily carried. Also, if there is an object such as a wall to irradiate with light, it is possible to practice anywhere.

The posture control training machine of the above embodiment is configured such that the support portion 12 is fixed under the knee joint. The supporting part may be fixed on the knee joint, and the irradiating part may be arranged so as to protrude downward. Further, the posture control training machine according to the above embodiment employs a cylindrical irradiation unit. This may be changed to a smaller irradiation unit such as a button shape. In that case, the supporting section may be fixed to the wearer's knee joint, and the irradiation section may be fixed to the supporting section. In this way, the light emitted from the light source can be used as it is to indicate the position of the wearer's knees without changing the direction of the light.

In the posture control training machine of the above embodiment, the supporting portion is fixed under the wearer's knee joint. The support part may be configured such that the light irradiation part is attached to a portion apart from the knees, such as the wearer's waist, body, or shoulder, via the support. In that case, it is preferable to place the reflector on the knee of the wearer. Then, it is preferable to irradiate light from the irradiating section to the reflecting section arranged on the knee.

Hereinafter, the wearable posture control training machine and the posture control training method using the same will be described in more detail.

In order to confirm the effects of the wearable posture control training machine and the posture control training method using it, the following tests were conducted. The test was conducted on three healthy young students who do not usually have a habit of exercising and who have no problems with their motor function and balance function. These students were drawn by lottery and randomly divided into three groups of Test Example 1, Test Example 2, and Test Example 3. In addition, in Test Examples 1 and 2, considering that young healthy subjects were the subjects, in order to increase the difficulty of the test, as shown in FIG. (there band balance pad).

[Test Example 1]
In Test Example 1, students were asked to wear the wearable posture control training machine shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the reflector was positioned in front of the kneecap when worn. Then, while wearing the wearable training machine, as shown in FIG. ) was taken. In this state, as shown in FIG. 3, the reflecting section was adjusted so that the vicinity of the target 17 having a diameter of 10 cm fixed to the wall 7 was irradiated with the laser beam from the irradiating section. The target 17 was fixed 2 m ahead from the tip of the mat 6. - 特許庁The height of the target 17 was fixed to the wall 7 so as to be equal to the sum of the length from the knee joint space to the sole of the student's foot and the thickness of the mat 6 .

The students were instructed to control their postures so that the laser beam remained within the circle of the target 17, and practice was started. In practice, perform the action of keeping the laser in the circle in the above practice posture for 1 minute. This 1 minute exercise is called 1 set. Stop the stopwatch when your floating, unweighted foot touches the floor, and then resume your practice after you've adjusted. This was done 3 sets per practice. Practice was performed three times a week for two weeks.

[Test Example 2]
In Test Example 2, training was conducted under the same conditions as in Test Example 1, except that the attitude control training machine was not attached. In order to make the compressive force applied to the crus from the support part the same as in Test Example 1, the students were asked to wear only the band-shaped support part. In the practice, the students were instructed to maintain the posture while gazing at the target in the above practice posture.

[Test Example 3]
In Test Example 3, the students did not practice at all.

[Evaluation of effect of practice]
The posture control ability of each student assigned to Test Example 1, Test Example 2, and Test Example 3 was evaluated by the following method. Evaluation was performed before practice (intervention), one week after the start of practice, and two weeks after the start of practice.

As indices for evaluating the ability to control posture, the degree of sway of the center of foot pressure and the degree of sway of the knee joint were used. In the former, it is calculated by multiplying the length of the trajectory drawn by the center of foot pressure (called the total trajectory length), the maximum moving distance of the center of foot pressure in the front-rear direction, and the maximum moving distance of the center of foot pressure in the left-right direction. The area (referred to as the rectangular area) was obtained.

The total trajectory length and rectangular area were obtained using values measured with a stabilometer (Gravicorder GP-7 manufactured by Anima). When measuring the center of foot pressure, a stabilometer was installed under the mat 6 .

Knee joint sway was obtained using values measured with a triaxial accelerometer (AS-5TG manufactured by Kyowa Dengyo Co., Ltd.). For the measurement, a triaxial accelerometer was attached to the fibular head of the foot, and the sampling frequency was set to 100 Hz. The swing amplitude of the knee joint was obtained by measuring acceleration in the longitudinal direction, the vertical direction, and the lateral direction with a triaxial accelerometer, and calculating the synthesized maximum amplitude using the Pythagorean theorem. At this time, Root Mean Square (RMS) was used. RMS is the square root of the signal waveform, and RMS of acceleration indicates the average amplitude of the acceleration signal. For this reason, RMS was used as an index of knee joint sway. It is determined that the larger the RMS value, the greater the fluctuation. RMS is obtained by Equation 1 below. where α(t) is the acceleration signal and T is the RMS calculation range time.

The foot pressure center and acceleration were measured as follows. Each student of Test Examples 1 to 3 is asked to get on the mat 6 barefoot. Then, the position of the foot is adjusted so that the tip of the thumb is aligned with the line drawn on the mat 6 . As for the line of sight, have the students gaze at the mark pasted on the wall 2m ahead at the height of each student's eyes. Each student of Test Examples 1 to 3 is asked to take a posture (hereinafter referred to as a measurement posture) in which both hands are crossed in front of the chest while standing on one leg on the mat 6 . Each student assumes the measurement posture and monitors the stabilometer to confirm that each student's balance has stabilized, and measures the center of foot pressure and acceleration for 30 seconds.

As described above, the measurement for evaluating the effect of practice was performed three times before practice (intervention), one week after the start of practice, and two weeks after the start of practice. gone. The number of measurements for each time was three. Then, the numerical values obtained from the three measurements were averaged. The results of Test Examples 1 to 3 with respect to the rectangular area, total locus length, and knee joint sway are shown in the graphs of FIGS. In the graphs of Figures 4 and 5, each value of rectangular area, total trajectory length, or knee joint sway during exercise (before intervention) is set to 100%, and the percentage of increase or decrease in values after exercise is shown (%Before Intervention; %BI).

As is clear from FIG. 4, in Test Example 1, in which the posture control training device shown in FIG. It showed a reduction, showing a reduction of about 55% after 2 weeks. As shown in FIG. 5, the total trajectory length decreased by about 40% one week after the start of practice compared to before practice. As shown in FIG. 6, knee joint sway was reduced by about 15% after one week of exercise compared to before exercise, and by about 25% after two weeks.

On the other hand, in Test Example 2, which did not use the posture control exercise device and did not give visual feedback about the position of one's knees, as shown in Fig. 4, the number of subjects who were 2 weeks after the start of exercise was higher than that before exercise. Afterwards, the rectangular area showed a reduction of about 10%. As shown in FIG. 5, the total trajectory length decreased by about 10% one week after the start of practice compared to before practice. As shown in FIG. 6, knee joint sway increased by about 30% two weeks after the start of exercise compared to before exercise.

In Test Example 3 in which posture control practice was not practiced, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, there was little change in both the rectangular area and the total trajectory length even after two weeks had passed. Knee joint rocking increased by 50% after 2 weeks, as shown in FIG.

As is clear from the comparison of Test Examples 1 to 3, when practicing with the posture control training device of FIG. , and knee joint sway. This is because in the practice method of Test Example 1, the movement of the knee joint, which is located between the hip joint and the ankle joint, which plays a major role in adjusting posture in a standing position, is visualized, and the wearer can quickly and easily move the movement centered on the foot pressure. This is believed to be due to the fact that it has become possible to control efficiently.

As described above, according to the posture control training machine and the training method that allow training with visual feedback of the knee position, the posture control training of Test Example 2 without visual feedback of the knee position can be performed. In comparison, it became clear that the attitude control ability could be improved more efficiently and in a shorter period of time.

1 posture control training machine 5 wearer 51 knee 11 irradiation part 12 support part 15 reflection part 17 target

Claims (9)

A wearable posture control training machine, comprising a light irradiation unit that indicates the position of the wearer's knees, and a support unit that supports the light irradiation unit on the wearer's body,
The light is emitted from the wearer's knees,
The wearer can practice posture control by adjusting the position of the knee while standing still and visually confirming that the position of the light spot indicating the position of the wearer's knee is kept constant. A wearable posture control training machine. 2. The wearable posture control training machine according to claim 1, wherein the irradiating part irradiates light indicating the position of the knee at a position visible to the wearer. 3. The wearable attitude control training machine according to claim 1, wherein the light is highly directional light. 4. The wearable posture control training machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a reflecting section for reflecting light emitted from the irradiating section. 5. The wearable posture control training machine according to claim 4, wherein the reflecting part is arranged at the knee of the wearer. 6. The wearable posture control training machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the support portion is a band-like member made of an elastic material. 7. The wearable posture control training machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the supporting part is a belt-like member made of an elastic material and is fixable to the leg of the wearer. 8. The wearable posture control training machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a target for emitting light indicating the position of the knee. The support is fixed above or below the knee joint,
9. The wearable attitude control training machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the irradiation part has a shape projecting downward or upward.

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