Back stretching machine

Abstract

An apparatus for stretching the lower back. A person lie supine on a horizontal padded surface at the end of which are two vertical rigid foot bars. The person wears a waist band around his waist and connects the waist band to left and right elastic members, each of which is connected to a respective foot bar. By pushing his feet against the foot bars, the person pushes the remainder of his body away from the foot bars, thereby stretching the elastic members and imposing a therapeutic force on his lower back.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A back stretching apparatus, comprising:
 a base on which a person can lie, the base including an upper padded surface on which a person can lie supine when the base is in a therapy orientation in which the base is oriented horizontally relative to the ground, upper padded surface facing up;   left and right rigid foot bars arranged at a first end of the base and oriented vertically and extending above the upper padded surface when the base is in the therapy orientation, the left and right foot bars being located along the first end and spaced laterally from each other such that a person lying supine on the upper padded surface of the base can place his left and right feet respectively against the left and right rigid foot bars;   elongated left and right elastic members each having respective foot ends attached respectively to the left and right foot bars, the left and right elastic members each defining a respective waist end opposite the respective foot end, each left and right elastic member being materially biased to a short configuration in which the elastic member defines a first length and being stretchable to an elongated configuration in which the elastic member defines a second length longer than the first length; and   a waist belt connectable to the left and right elastic members at left and right locations on the waist belt, the waist belt being configured for snug placement around the waist of a person, wherein a person wearing the waist belt around his waist and lying supine on the upper padded surface of the base when the base is in the therapy orientation with the left and right elastic members interconnecting the waist belt and the left and right foot bars can place his left and right feet against the left and right foot bars, respectively and push his feet against the left and right foot bars to urge the elastic members toward the second configuration, thereby placing a force on the person's lower back.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising a respective foot eyelet engaged with the foot end of each elastic member and a respective waist eyelet engaged with the waist end of each elastic member. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , comprising left and right belt eyelets arranged on the waist belt at substantially diametrically opposed portions of the waist belt. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the waist eyelets of the elastic members are engageable with respective belt eyelets of the waist belt. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the waist eyelets of the elastic members are engaged with respective belt eyelets of the waist belt using respective left and right belt connectors. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the belt connectors are S-shaped. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , comprising left and right foot eyelets respectively arranged on the left and right foot bars. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the foot eyelets of the elastic members are engageable with respective foot eyelets of the foot bars. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the foot eyelets of the elastic members are engaged with respective foot eyelets of the foot bars using respective left and right foot connectors. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , comprising four legs supporting the base above the ground in the therapy orientation. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the legs are foldable between a vertical configuration, in which the legs are perpendicular to the upper padded surface of the base, and a horizontal configuration, in which the legs are folded flat against a bottom of the base. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the base includes first and second portions, the first and second portions being co-planar in the therapy orientation, the first portion being foldable flat against the second portion for compact stowage. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein each foot bar includes plural openings spaced vertically from each other along the foot bar, each of the openings being engageable with a foot eyelet of the foot bar, such that a person can selectively engage a foot eyelet of each foot bar at a desired opening of the foot bar to thereby establish the elevation of the foot end of the respective elastic member. 
     
     
         14 . Method, comprising:
 instructing a person to lie flat on an upper surface of a horizontally-oriented base, left and right foot bars at one end of the base rising above the upper surface;   instructing the person to don a waist belt positioned around the person's waist;   instructing the person to connect respective first ends of left and right elastic members to respective left and right foot bars above the upper surface of the base;   instructing the person to connect left and right segments of the waist belt to respective second ends of the left and right elastic members; and   instructing the person to push his feet against the foot bars to thereby push his head away from the foot bars to provide a force on the person's back.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising instructing the person to select a vertical location on the foot bars at which to attach the first end of each respective elastic member. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising instructing the person to vary a force applied to the foot bars from leg to leg to thereby move an axis of stretch against the person's back. 
     
     
         17 . Apparatus comprising:
 flat base on which a person can lie when the base is oriented horizontally;   at least one vertical element located at one end of the base against which a person can push his foot when lying on the base;   waist garment configured for placement around a person's waist; and   at least one stretchable elastic element interconnecting the waist garment with the vertical element and being stretched from a materially biased configuration by a person lying on the base and tensioning the stretchable elastic element by pushing against the vertical element to thereby apply force to the person's back via the waist garment.