Physical therapy apparatus and method

摘要

A physical therapy apparatus and method are provided for increasing the range of motion of joints, such as knee and elbow joints, that have lost their normal range of mobility. The apparatus includes support means for positioning and supporting the upper limb of an arm or leg, cradle means for positioning and supporting the lower limb of the same arm or leg which are pivotally connected to the support means so that the resulting axis of rotation coincides with the axis of rotation at the joint between the lower and upper limb positioned thereon, positioning means for selectively setting the position of the cradle means relative to the support means at a desired initial treatment position which does not exceed the allowable pain tolerance of the patient whose joint is being treated, reciprocating means which reciprocate the cradle means from the initial treatmemt position to a variable terminal treatment position to provide continuous uniform passive manipulation of the lower limb so that stretching of the soft tissues in the joint takes place and the range of motion of the joint is gradually increased, variable stroke means to permit the variable terminal treatment position of the cradle means to be controllably varied, and variable power means to operably drive the reciprocating means to provide a predetermined amount of force applied against the cradle means to achieve the desired physical therapy effect at the joint but that can also be resisted and successfully overridden by the patient wherever too much pain or discomfort is experienced.