GB2373728A

GB2373728A - Garment to restrict spinal movement

Info

Publication number: GB2373728A
Application number: GB0102978A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Donald Davis Rowe
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-02-06
Filing date: 2001-02-06
Publication date: 2002-10-02
Also published as: GB0102978D0

Abstract

A tight fitting garment 100 intended to restrict spinal rotation or bending. Preferably the garment covers at least the upper torso and upper arms, but may also cover the head and shoulders (300, fig 3) or be provided as a pair of shorts (400, fig 4). The garment may be made of elasticated material with areas of restricted stretchiness to hinder selected movements. A warning device may detect commencement of a selected movement and notify the wearer. At least one region of the garment 104, 105, 106 may include a metal having beneficial physiological properties, which may be gold, silver, copper, caesium or aluminium. The garment may support the spine and reduce the risk of spinal damage, or alleviate discomfort.

Description

SPINAL BRACE The present invention relates to devices for the alleviation of spinal problems.

Spinal and lower back injuries are a major concern and lead to the loss of millions of man-hours of work every year as well as pain and suffering to the person concerned. It is little known that such injuries often are initiated while an individual is asleep. During deep sleep, when a person is in a very relaxed state; the torso can twist or bend excessively. For example, a person's shoulders may be flat on a bed while the person's hips remain at a right angle to it, or vice versa, often for a considerable time.

Also, movement from one state to the other may occur spasmodically. At such times, muscles, ligaments and other soft tissue can become stretched excessively. Also, pinching can cause damage to cartilage and/or nerves.

Pain becomes apparent, usually the next morning, during relatively simple movements which impart little stress to the person's body. Corsets, and even plaster casts, have been used to try to alleviate the problem but these methods have met with little success because they did not inhibit spinal rotation and/or bending movements.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved device and method to prevent or alleviate spinal problems.

According to the present invention, there is provided a device for reducing the risk of, or alleviating, spinal damage, comprising a garment adapted to fit tightly over a region of a person's body in which spinal damage is to be prevented or alleviated and restrict rotational and/or bending movements of the spine in the said region of the person's body.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which : Figure 1 is a front view of a first garment embodying the invention, Figure 2 is a front view of a second garment embodying the invention, Figure 3 is a front view of a third garment embodying the invention, and Figure 4 is a front view of a fourth garment embodying the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, a device for restricting the rotation of the complete spinal column of a wearer consists of a garment 100 which made to extend from the neck to the upper femoral region of a wearer 101 and also to cover the upper arms of the wearer 101. The garment is open at the back, in the manner of a surgical gown, so as to enable it to be donned readily by the wearer 101. The edges of the garment 100 when in place are brought together so that the garment 100 is a tight fit, and then held together by pads of the releasably adherent material marketed under the Registered Trade Mark"Velcro" (not shown in Figure 1).

The garment 100 may be made of an elasticated material such as those used for ladies'corsets or known body supports, or be of a woven or net construction and made from a natural or artificial fibre having limited stretch properties. The garment 100 can include non-stretch regions linking

one portion to another so as to prevent, rather than restrict, certain movements of the wearer 101. As shown, the garment 100 is held in place by its cut around the hips 102 and upper femoral region 103 of the wearer 101, but it can include straps which can be attached to the lower limbs of the wearer 101 so as to hold the garment 100 in place positively. Also, the garment 100 can be made to open at the front rather than the back.

Certain metals, such as gold, aluminium, silver, caesium and copper are believed to have beneficial properties in relation to rheumatoid and some other muscular conditions and the garment may include regions of one or more of such metals, as shown at 104, 105, 106. These metal regions may be in the form of foils or woven into the material of the garment in the form of wires. The garment 100 may also include strain gauges which are connected to an alarm system, either to remind the wearer of the garment that he, or she, is about to make an undesirable movement, or to warn a carer that such a movement is about to be made. Further restrictions to the movements of the wearer 101 while in bed can be provided by attaching "Velcro" (Registered Trade Mark) to the shoulder and button regions of the garment 100, and co-operating pads to a fitted bed-sheet.

Figure 2 shown a garment 200 which is designed to restrict upper body movements only. Its construction is the same as that of the Figure 1 embodiment of the invention.

Figure 3 shows a garment 300 which is designed to restrict neck movements only. Although the garment 300 may be made of the same materials as for the two previous embodiments of the invention, in this case the garment

300 can be made continuous in the manner of a balaclava helmet or wet-suit head-piece.

4 Figure, {shows another embodiment of the inventions which is designed to

restrict movement of the lower back region. Again, the garment 400 is made of the same materials as for the other embodiments of the invention and like the garment 300, there is no need to provide an opening at the front or rear of the garment 400 to facilitate its donning.

If so desired, arrangements may be made for linking one or more of the separate garments shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A device for reducing the risk of, or alleviating, spinal damage, comprising a garment adapted to fit tightly over a region of a person's body in which spinal damage is to be prevented or alleviated and restrict rotational and/or bending movements of the spine in the said region of the person's body.
2. A device according to Claim 1 wherein the garment is adapted to embrace the torso and upper arms of a wearer.
3. A device according to Claim 1 wherein the garment is adapted to embrace the upper torso and upper arms of a wearer.
4. A device according to Claim 1 wherein the garment is adapted to embrace the head and shoulders of a wearer.
5. A device according to Claim 1 wherein the garment is adapted to embrace the lower back of a wearer.
6. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the garment is made of an elasticated material.
7. A device according to any preceding claim wherein the garment includes directed regions of different restrictiveness so as to facilitate the hindrance of selected movements.
8. A device according to any preceding claim including means for detecting the commencement of selected movements and giving warning thereof.
9. A device according to any preceding claim including at least one region including a metal having beneficial physiological properties.
10. A device according to Claim 9 wherein the metal is gold, silver, copper, caesium or aluminium.
11. A device for reducing the risk of, or alleviating spinal damage substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.