Claims
- 1. A gravity lumbar traction device comprising a vest structure to support a user adjacent the thorax, the thorax having an anterior side and a width, strap means to support the vest structure to in turn support a user thereof through the vest from a support above the user, the vest structure comprising a two vest sections of a rigid material shaped to generally follow contours to the sides of the user's thorax to distribute weight over an area of the vest structure, the vest sections being separated and open across substantially the entire width of the anterior side of the thorax for allowing the thorax to expand anteriorly without having the anterior side of the thorax contact the vest, said strap means including a pair of front support straps which are fastened to support respective fronts of the vest sections and positioned to the front of a user and which extend upwardly, means to couple the front straps together at the front of a user so the front straps converge from the vest sections upwardly for utilizing a portion of the support force to urge the vest sections together, and a pair of rear support straps which are fastened to support rear edges of the respective vest section, and positioned to the rear of a user, and which extend upwardly, means to couple the rear straps together at the rear of a user so the rear straps converge from the vest sections upwardly for utilizing a portion of supporting force to urge the vest sections together.
- 2. A gravity lumbar traction device according to claim wherein no fastening means for the vest sections extend across at least the anterior side of the thorax other than the front support straps.
- 3. The gravity lumbar traction device of claim 1 wherein there are no fasteners for the vest sections across the posterior side of the thorax other than the rear support straps.
- 4. The gravity lumbar traction device according to claim 1 including a support bar positioned overhead of a user of the traction device means to support the strap means from the support bar so that there are tension forces in the strap means, and the means to couple the front straps together and the means to couple the rear straps together causes the tension forces have a lateral component urging the vest sections inwardly toward the sides of a user.
- 5. The gravity lumbar traction device of claim 1 and means for varying the supported angle of a user of the vest when supported from an overhead bar to alter the forces of gravity on such user.
- 6. The apparatus as specified in claim 5 wherein said means for varying comprises a cross bar to engage the user and to offset from position the user of the normal free suspension position of such user.
- 7. The gravity lumbar traction device of claim 1 wherein said means for adjusting the position of a user of the vest when supported on a cross bar comprises means for laterally positioning the user relative to the free supported position of such user.
- 8. The gravity lumbar traction device of claim 1 and means for altering the position of a user comprising a crossbar that engages the user of the vest at a position below the vest to alter the free supported position of such user.
- 9. The gravity lumbar traction device of claim 1 wherein said means to couple the front straps together comprises a quick release means for aiding in removing the vest sections.
- 10. The gravity lumbar traction device of claim 1 including arm gutter means for supporting the forearms of a user of the vest, said arm gutters having inner edges that support the front and rear straps directly thereon.
- 11. A gravity lumbar traction device comprising a vest structure to support a user adjacent the thorax, the thorax having an anterior side and a width, gutter means mounted rigidly on each of the vest sections for supporting the arms of a user; strap means connected to the gutter means at location spaced laterally from the vest structure to support the vest structure and to in turn support a user thereof through the vest from a support above the user, the vest structure comprising two separate vest sections of a rigid material shaped to generally follow contours to the sides of the user's thorax to distribute weight over an area of the vest structure, the vest sections being spaced and open across substantially the entire width of the anterior side of the thorax for allowing the thorax to expand anteriorly without having the anterior side of the thorax contact the vest, said strap means including a pair of front support straps which are fastened to support respective fronts of the gutter means and vest sections and positioned to the front of a user and which extend upwardly, first means to couple the front straps together at the front of a user so the first straps converge from the gutter means upwardly for utilizing a portion of the support force to urge the vest sections together, and a pair of rear support straps which are fastened to support rear portions of the gutter means and positioned to the rear of a user, and which extend upwardly, second means to couple the rear straps together at the rear of a user so the rear straps converge from the gutter means upwardly for utilizing a portion of supporting force to urge the vest sections together.
- 12. A gravity lumbar traction device according to claim 11, wherein the converging front and rear straps comprise the sole means for urging the vest sections laterally toward a user.
- 13. The gravity lumbar traction device of claim 12 wherein the first and second means to couple the front and rear straps together are adjustable along the straps to change an angle of convergence of each of the straps from the respective gutter means.
- 14. The gravity lumbar traction device of claim 11 wherein said first means to couple the front straps together comprises a quick release means for aiding in removing the vest sections.
- 15. A method of providing gravity lumbar reduction comprising the steps of:
- supporting a user in a vest, the vest including members capable of permitting a user to support part of the user's weight through the user's arms and shoulders and encompassing at least a portion of the user's thorax on an overhead support so the user is suspended in a substantially upright position with respect to a supporting surface at a height such that a user's feet clear the supporting surface with the user's legs straight in at least one position of the user's feet, the height of the support being such that the user's feet can be moved to a position to partially or fully support the weight of the user.
- 16. The method of claim 15 and including the step of at least periodically supporting the weight of the user through the user's arms and shoulders to relieve gravity loads between the user's thorax and the vest.
- 17. The method of claim 15 including the step of intermittently supporting the user's weight on the floor to remove traction forces and to relieve gravity loads between the user's thorax and the vest as needed.
- 18. The method of claim 15 including the step of supporting the user such that the angle of suspension of the user is changed from a vertical position, to change the angle of traction forces acting on the user.
- 19. The method of claim 15 including the step of manipulating portions of the body of a user while supported in the vest.
- 20. The method of claim 19 including the step of providing a vest having vest sections with edges that are spaced apart and manipulating the body of a user between the spaced apart edges of the vest.
- 21. The method of claim 19 including the step of providing a vest having vest sections with edges that are spaced apart at the rear of the user and palpitating and manipulating rear lumbar portions of the body of a user between the vest sections.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The application is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application Ser. No. 07/91,845 filed Sept. 1, 1987 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,659 which in turn was a continuation-in-part of my application Ser. No. 922,665 filed Oct. 24, 1986, for an Upright Gravity Lumbar Traction Device, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (19)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
220557 |
Oct 1967 |
SEX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Article in Publication "Braces Today", Oct. 1957. |
Continuation in Parts (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
91845 |
Sep 1987 |
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Parent |
922665 |
Oct 1986 |
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