Physical therapy system

Abstract

To reposition parts of the body, pool therapy fixtures are used in a pool to develop neuromuscular recognition of the normal human musculoskeletal, respiratory and neurological patterns with feed forward activation. Individual muscles are isolated using the buoyancy of the pool, and in some cases applying streams of water within the pool against specific muscles. Selected forces may be applied using water jets in multiple directions in a programmed sequence with at least one pool therapy fixture to provide neuromuscular training.

1 . Apparatus for physical therapy comprising:
 a body of water;   means for controlling the motion of the body of water;   a pool therapy fixture by which direction and force of the flow of the water against a patient in a pool principally impacts different portions of the patient's body in one or more directions.   
   
   
       2 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 1  in which the patient sits and fluid force acts upon leg abduction and adduction movements. 
   
   
       3 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 1  in which the patient sits and fluid force promotes femoral acetabular internal and/or external rotation. 
   
   
       4 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 1  used for exercises in which fluid force acts on either side of the patient's body alone or in combination with fluid force acting on the front or back side of the patient. 
   
   
       5 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 1  in which the patient walks up stairs backwards against fluid force resistance on either side of the patient's body. 
   
   
       6 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 1  in which the patient uses a rope with resistance station to reverse Left AIC pattern to a Right AIC pattern. 
   
   
       7 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 1  in which the flow of the water impacts a patient first principally from one side of the sagittal plane and then from the other side of the sagittal plane as the patient moves to different locations in the pool. 
   
   
       8 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 1  in which fluid force impact muscles at one location in the pool from one direction and impact muscles from another direction when the patient is at another location in the pool. 
   
   
       9 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 8  in which the patient moves between two different sections of a pool with varying flow patterns and applied fluidic forces in a continuous figure-eight path. 
   
   
       10 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 8  in which the patient remains in one section of a pool with varying flow patterns and varying applied fluid forces and can move in either direction in a circular or straight path. 
   
   
       11 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 1  in which a wall has a void in it to allow for the patient's lower body movement into the void where the patient is acted upon by one or more fluidic forces. 
   
   
       12 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the patient can face the void in a seated position or have either side of the sagittal or frontal plane facing the void while standing in which:
 fluid resistance acts on femoral abduction and/or femoral-acetabular internal or external rotation for either of the patient's legs.   
   
   
       13 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 12  in which the patient stands in a partially cylindrical shaped pool section and is acted upon by fluid resistance in a rotational or direct pattern. 
   
   
       14 . An apparatus in accordance with claim  1215  in which the fluid force is caused by the flow of water through one or more nozzles, wherein:
 the direction of water from said one or more nozzle is adjustable;   the amount of water flowing through said one or more nozzles is adjustable, and/or   the corresponding fluid force provided by said one or more nozzles is adjustable.   
   
   
       15 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 12  in which one or more pumps are used to control the amount of fluid force available in the pool. 
   
   
       16 . Apparatus for neuromuscular training in which means are provided for distorting a patient's view of his/her limbs being moved, whereby the patient's reliance on visual positioning of his/her limbs is reduced.