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Rehabilitation and exercise apparatusRehabilitation and exercise apparatus description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20090111657, Rehabilitation and exercise apparatus. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
This application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/258,697, filed Oct. 27, 2008, which is dependent on and claims priority from earlier filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/982,846, filed Oct. 26, 2007; earlier filed U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/014,822, filed Dec. 18, 2007; and earlier filed U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/086,608, filed Aug. 6, 2008. The present invention relates generally to a device for use in connection with rehabilitation therapy and general exercise. More specifically, the present invention relates to a collapsible exercise platform that includes an interchangeable user interface mounted within its base platform that facilitates proper exercise posture and positioning while simultaneously working a broad range of muscle groups. It is well known in the art that therapeutic exercise is important and is widely accepted as a means for treating and relieving a variety of human disabilities. Additionally, exercise plays a crucial role in the rehabilitation of patients suffering from various injuries. A physical therapist\'s role in such a rehabilitative context is to provide rehabilitative professional care that individually tailors exercise programs to meet a patient\'s needs. These tailored rehabilitative exercise programs differ depending on the type and amount of damage to the injured area, stage of tissue healing, age of the person, and prior level of function of the individual prior to injury. Some of the most common early rehabilitation methods consist of isometric exercise, continuous passive motion (CPM) machines and/or active assisted range of motion (ROM) performed by a therapist on a patient. While isometric exercise is a good way to initiate strength into newly repaired tissue, the benefits are limited in that such fixed motion therapies as are provided through CPM are too concentrated requiring that ROM exercises also be implemented in order for the patient to normal or pre-surgical levels of movement. The problem with therapist implemented ROM, however, is that such therapy is labor intensive, costly and infrequent. This then requires a return to a set of limited exercises being given to patients for a home program that consists usually, but not solely, of isometric muscle setting exercises. These exercises generally do not involve sufficient ranges of joint movement and therefore have limited benefit in the rehabilitative setting. Additionally, exercises that are usually instituted later in the rehabilitation process utilize a resistive band and may provide less stability to the joint making them generally less comfortable, therefore, usually yielding less patient compliance. Finally, patients may be given a variety of exercises that involve open and closed chain activity. These can place an unwanted compressive or shear force on the joints should they be performed incorrectly. In other contexts beyond rehabilitative therapy, regular exercise is also known to keep the body in good shape, but not all such exercise is equally effective. In fact, many of the exercise devices that are marketed or provided in health and athletic clubs, are actually less effective than people realize. That is not to say that the majority of the exercise equipment that is provided in health clubs is not beneficial provided that the user gets proper instruction under the guidance of a trainer. The primary issue is that most of the equipment employed in health clubs trains using predominantly linear, single plane movement and as a result is limited to isolating one muscle group while allowing other muscle groups to rest. Examples of this type of exercise can be put into two categories. The first is the leg press, a closed chain activity and the second exercise is the leg extension, which is an open chain exercise. Generally, neither of these exercises is considered ideal for knee or hip rehabilitation. While, this type of training may be appropriate for an athlete or one who has a balanced workout regimen, this type of isolated, open chain, planar movement is not how the body typically moves in reality. Ultimately, in either of the rehabilitative or exercise contexts it must be understood that the body rarely moves in just one plane. Often the body must employ multiple muscle groups and balance them in a cooperative fashion to reach the desired end result. Further, most body movement involves rotation and diagonal patterns of movement. For example, taking a step requires combined movements of plantar flexion, internal hip rotation, foot pronation/supination, knee extension and hip extension. The difficulty of the overall problem can be seen in the fact that if the human body only moved in single planes it would be easy to construct a mechanical hand, foot or leg that mirrors human movement. However, it is very difficult to replicate such realistic human movement because it is not defined through such one or two-dimensional movements. The complex nature of human movement has created a specialized field of Proprioceptive Neurofacilitation (PNF) within physical medicine. PNF believes that the best form of rehabilitation for musculoskeletal injuries is implemented using diagonal patterns through multiple planes of movement. However, this treatment technique requires a purely hands-on, manual approach and is extremely demanding of therapist skill and training. The therapist presently practicing PNF must personally take the patient through the motions and provide appropriate resistance for the patient\'s need and present physical limitations. Accordingly, there is a need in the therapeutic and/or conditioning exercise equipment art for an apparatus that provides structured, multiaxial, multi-pattern movement that aids in rehabilitation or enhances conditioning. Further, there is a need for an apparatus that provides structured, multiaxial, multi-pattern movement that would allow the patient to control for different muscle patterns and that that can be employed equally by the average healthy person or someone recovering from hip, knee or ankle injury. Further still, there is a need for a device that enables a user to obtain multidimensional exercise that also provides multiple embodiments and would allow the user to progress toward full rehabilitation through the isolation of muscle groups by mirroring the difficulty and complexity of movement. In this regard, the present invention generally provides a therapeutic and/or exercise apparatus that provides structured, multiaxial, multi-pattern movement that aids in rehabilitation or enhances conditioning. By using the apparatus of the present invention an average healthy person or a patient recovering from hip, knee or ankle injury can equally participate in exercise and rehabilitation activities targeted to different muscle groups and exercise patterns. As a result, the apparatus of the present invention enables a user to obtain multidimensional exercise that allows the user to progress toward full rehabilitation through the isolation of muscle groups by mirroring the difficulty and complexity of realistic human movement. The apparatus of the present invention generally includes a base portion and a posture bar that is attached to and extends upwardly from the base portion. The posture bar is affixed to a top surface of the base portion and can be removable or collapsible for ease of storage. The posture bar serves to assist the user in maintaining correct posture and/or body alignment during exercise activities. The base portion interfaces on a bottom surface with a floor or other stable surface, while the top surface includes a recess therein for receiving one of a variety of controlled motion device such as a rotary disk that moves freely or is restrained by resistance means or other proprioceptive tools. This feature of the present invention provides a much more balanced exercise process while also naturally working the entire set of muscle groups related to the exercise rather than simply isolating a single motion or muscle. The rotary disc may further be enhanced with a locking mechanism that can be released to allow a full 360-degrees of rotational movement or engaged to stop the rotary disc from moving at all. Further, the rotary disc may include an indexing mechanism that allows for a specifically defined rotation. For example, a turn and click feature allows the disc to be turned over a limited rotation in both internal and external movement. Finally, the present invention provides for attachment points on the base portion that allow various resistive or constant motion assemblies to be attached. In this regard, resistive bands, pulleys, handles, cables and various combinations thereof can be attached that are employed in various different exercises while the user is positioned on the base portion. Bands are employed for constant resistive exercises while a single resistance band may be used in combination with one or more pulley to create variable resistance exercises. Further the pulleys and cables may be arranged in a looped manner that allows a constant motion type exercise. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a therapeutic and/or conditioning exercise equipment art for an apparatus that provides structured, multiaxial, multi-pattern movement that aids in rehabilitation or enhances conditioning. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that provides structured, multiaxial, multi-pattern movement that requires the user to employ a full and free range of motion while performing the required exercises. It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an exercise apparatus invention that results in core strengthening through the use of proprioceptive tools that require that broad ranges of muscles be involved in each exercise rather than simply working targeted muscle groups. These together with other objects of the invention, along with various features of novelty that characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention. Continue reading about Rehabilitation and exercise apparatus... Full patent description for Rehabilitation and exercise apparatus Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Rehabilitation and exercise apparatus patent application. Patent Applications in related categories: 20090298649 - Exercise device visual representation - An exercise device includes a member that moves through a selected one of a plurality of differently available paths. A display provides a visual representation of the movement of the first member. ... ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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