Physical Therapy Device

In the field of physical therapy there are tremendous needs for many specialized devices to assist patients to move and/or exercise one or more parts of the body, for example, some children have central nervous system dysfunction which impairs proper leg movements. In the treatment of such a disorder it is frequently important to move and exercise the impaired leg while the remainder of the body maintains an appropriate static posture. Flexing, extending and lifting the leg can quickly become boring to a child so there has been a need to provide the required exercise activity in a manner that is both mentally and motorically stimulating to the child.

it is an object of this invention to provide a novel physical therapy device. It is another object of this invention to provide a novel dancing exercise device to assist the therapist in maintaining the child's postural alignment and control. It is still another object to provide a chair to be used by a child while performing developmental dance exercises. Still other objects will appear from the more detailed disclosure which follows.

This invention relates to a child's physical therapy chair and stand comprising a solid planar floor base, a horizontally extending straddle seat member having a forward end and a rearward end, and a vertical rigid member supported at its lower end on the floor base with its upper end attached to and supporting such seat member. A generally vertical post is affixed to and projects upwardly from the forward end of such seat member, and a handle bar having a central horizontal portion and, at each end thereof, an upwardly extending and outwardly diverging handle portion. Releasable means are connected to the post for adjustably fixing the handle bar central portion to the post.

In specific embodiments of this invention there is an upwardly directed ledge attached to the forward end of the seat member with hand grips provided on the end portions of the handle bar.

The novel features believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side perspective elevational view of the physical therapy device of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 1 being used by a sitting patient with the footrest removed.

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the device of FIG. 3 being used by a standing patient.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged front elevational view of the adjustment means for the footrest.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show the physical therapy device in the form of a stand and chair of this invention. A floor base 10 supports the entire chair and preferably is a solid flat planar surface that will function as a sounding board for tap dancing. A covering of Formica or the like on a plywood base, for example, enhances the sharp sounds of tap dancing. Vertical support 11 is affixed at its lower end 13 to floor base 10 by any suitable means, such as screws, adhesives, etc. Fastened to upper end 12 of vertical support 11 is a horizontally extending straddle seat member 14 having a forward end 15 and a rearward end 16. Preferably seat member 14 is padded for comfort and is generally in the shape of a long narrow rectangle without sharp corners or the like. Vertical support 11 includes an elliptical columnar structure which provides stable support for seat member 14 over a substantial portion of its length from forward end 15 to rearward end 16 thereof. It is to be understood that many other types or shapes of vertical support 11 would function appropriately to maintain seat member 14 in a stable rigidified horizontal position.

On the forward end 15 of seat member 14 there is attached a vertical post 17 to which is connected a handle bar 19 by an adjustable clamp 18. This combination of post 17, clamp 18, and handle bar 19 is generally similar to the handle bar and its mounting means for a common bicycle. Handle bar 19 has a horizontal central portion 20 which is attached to post 17 by clamp 18. At the ends of central portion 20 there are end portions 21 positioned angularly with respect to central portion 20 and generally diverge outwardly from central portion 20. Over the ends of end portions 21 there are placed hand grips 22. Although handle bar 19 may be adjustably rotated about its attachment to clamp 18 to position end portions 21 and hand grips 22 in any desired position, they are preferably placed in the upward position with the axes of the end portions 21 or grips 22 being 90.degree. or more as measured counterclockwise from the horizontal seat 14, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, for therapeutical purposes as explained below.

The forward end 15 of seat member 14 is preferably fitted with an upwardly projecting ledge member 23 which may be secured in that position by triangular brackets 24 attached at each side of seat member 14. Ledge member 23 is also preferably padded, similarly to seat member 14, and serves to protect the patient from harm by bumping into post 17 or clamp 18, or the like when the patient is standing or exercising in front of the device on the front portion 28 of floor base 10.

An alternative feature shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is footrest 29 which can be placed over the front portion 28 of floor base 10 as desired. Footrest 29 can be permanently attached over portion 28 of floor base 10 or made to be removeable. Footrest 29 comprises side pieces 30, crosspiece 31 and footboard 32. Side pieces 30 are provided with a plurality of holes 33 adjacent crosspiece 31 to mate with slide bolts 34 attached to the forward portion of the footboard 32. This provides an adjustability to the inclination of footboard 32. For patients with short legs it is advisable to employ footrest 29 but for patients with long legs the use of footrest 29 is not necessary (as is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.) FIG. 5 shows the slide bolt affixed to footboard 32 and mated with one of holes 33 in side piece 30. Slide bolt 34 can be withdrawn from contact with holes 33 to allow the forward portion of footboard to be moved upward or downward as shown by arrow 35 to adjust the inclination of footboard 32 from floor base 10.

The device of this invention is used principally as an adjunct to the physical therapy program for children who need to exercise their legs while learning to maintain proper sitting balance. One position for the exercise is shown in FIG. 3 where the patient 25 is seated straddling seat 14 with hands 26 holding the hand grips 22. Feet 27 rest on floor base 10 or on footboard 32 (FIG. 1) and are moved about on base 10 or footboard 32 in a tap dance routine to provide exercise for the legs, feet, and back of patient 25. Another position is shown in FIG. 4 where the patient 25 is standing and holding one hand 26 onto hand grip 22. Still another position is for the patient to stand on floor base 10 (with footrest 29 removed) facing handle bar 19 with both hands 26 holding hand grips 22 similarly, but facing in the opposite direction, to that of FIG. 3. In all of these positions specifically modified tap dancing exercises can be employed for therapy purposes.

The chair and stand in accord with this invention is of particular use in treating patients having certain problems with balance and movement secondary to central nervous system dysfunction.

Straddle seat 14 facilitates bilateral hip abduction and external rotation with knee flexion and therefore, increases the patient's base of support. This facilitates trunk control and improved extension down through the lumbar spine. During a lifting activity with one lower extremity, the weight is shifted laterally over the opposite side, thus facilitating elongation of the trunk on the weight bearing side, if the hands are positioned on the upwardly extending handle bar grips. The unweighted leg can be encouraged to react to the weight shift with an equilibrium type reaction facilitated by specific tap steps, like the heel dig or the shuffle. Once this is accomplished, the patient can be encouraged to reshift his weight to the other hip and actively (passively, if the therapits's support is necessary) reelongate the original laterally flexed side. Controlled lateral flexion is a critical movement component experienced too infrequently by children having central nervouus system dysfunction. Therefore, righting and equilibrium responses are commonly found to be problem areas with such children, and appropriate physical therapy techniques are found to be necessary for remediation.

handle bar 19 should be oriented in such a manner to facilitate bilateral upper extremity humeral flexion and external rotation with abduction, while the elbows should be extended. This upper extremity positioning helps to facilitate scapular adduction, and depression, an erect trunk, and the secondary results of bilateral abduction and external rotation of the lower extremities.

The patient can elevate and extend his trunk by reaching up and placing his hands on the hand grips 22. He can then mobilize his lumber spine and stabilize the hip-pelvic articulation by active hip flexion. Further elevation into standing occurs when the patient moves his hands to the central portion 20 and pushes down strongly while extending both knees. Once standing, the patient can bring each leg forward under his trunk by weight shifting with upper extremity support through the heels of the hands. Lateral weight shifting can then be imitated while foot placement awareness is facilitated via the tap dancing exercises. The most useful handle bar position is between 90.degree. forward shoulder flexion and 90.degree. shoulder abduction (as in FIG. 3 when sitting). Elbows should be permitted to extend fully.

The height of seat member 14 should allow for 80.degree.-90.degree. hip flexion, and 90.degree. knee and ankle flexion. The width of seat member 14 should permit 20.degree.-30.degree. hip abduction bilaterally when the patient is sitting in straddling position on seat member 14.

While the invention has been described with respect to a certain specific embodiment, it will be appreciated that many modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is intended, therefore, by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.