Muscle therapy system

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a system for treating diminished muscle function that includes an electrical member that delivers electrical energy to a portion of a mammalian body having a dysfunctional muscle; a joint motion assembly that couples to the body and provides joint motion to a joint to which the dysfunctional muscle ordinarily provides motion; and a control unit that controls a timing of electrical energy delivery by the member and an amount of electrical energy delivered by the member; the timing of electrical energy delivery is controlled to occur while the joint is positioned near an inflection point between the opposing joint movements in the cycle, and while motion is being provided to the joint by the joint motion assembly. The amount of electrical energy delivered is effective to result in a depolarization of at least one of the dysfunctional muscle and a nerve that innervates the dysfunctional muscle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, for treating diminished muscle function, comprising:
 a stimulatory member that provides stimulation to a dysfunctional muscle of a mammalian body;   a joint motion assembly that couples to the body and mechanically drives joint motion, in a cycle comprising opposing joint movements, to a joint of the body, at a junction of two bones forming an angle for which the junction is the vertex, to which the dysfunctional muscle ordinarily provides motion; and   a control unit, in communication with the member and the assembly, that controls (i) a timing of the stimulation and (ii) an amount of the stimulation;   wherein the angle is at a minimum at maximal flexion of the joint and is at a maximum at maximal extension of the joint;   wherein the timing of the stimulation is controlled to occur only while both of the following occur simultaneously: (i) the angle is positioned within about 30 degrees of at least one of the minimum and maximum, and (ii) motion is being provided to the joint by the joint motion assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the stimulation comprises electrical energy. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the amount of electrical energy delivered is effective to result in a depolarization of at least one of the dysfunctional muscle and a nerve that innervates the dysfunctional muscle. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the depolarization results in a contraction of the dysfunctional muscle. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the contraction results in a force on the joint that is antagonistic to the joint movement being provided by the joint motion assembly at the time of contraction. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the contraction results in a force on the joint that is protagonistic to the joint movement being provided by the joint motion assembly at the time of contraction. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the stimulation comprises vibration. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising a vibratory member, in communication with the control unit, that delivers vibratory energy to the portion of the body effective to result in activation of a mechanoreceptor in proximity to the joint. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the member delivers the electrical energy when the angle is within about 20 degrees of the at least one of the minimum and maximum. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the member delivers the electrical energy when the angle is within about 5 degrees of the at least one of the minimum and maximum. 
     
     
         11 . A method, for treating diminished muscle function, comprising:
 contacting a stimulatory member against a dysfunctional muscle of a mammalian body;   mechanically driving a joint motion, in a cycle comprising opposing joint movements, to a joint of the body, at a junction of two bones forming an angle for which the junction is the vertex, to which the dysfunctional muscle ordinarily provides motion, wherein the angle is at a minimum at maximal flexion of the joint and is at a maximum at maximal extension of the joint; and   with the stimulatory member, delivering an amount of stimulation to the muscle while both of the following occur simultaneously: (i) the angle is positioned within about 30 degrees of at least one of the minimum and maximum, and (ii) the joint motion is being provided to the joint.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the stimulation comprises electrical energy. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the amount of electrical energy delivered is effective to result in a depolarization of at least one of the dysfunctional muscle and a nerve that innervates the dysfunctional muscle 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the depolarization results in a contraction of the dysfunctional muscle. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the contraction results in a force on the joint that is antagonistic to the joint movement being provided by the joint motion assembly at the time of contraction. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the contraction results in a force on the joint that is protagonistic to the joint movement being provided by the joint motion assembly at the time of contraction. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the stimulation comprises vibration. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the delivery of electrical energy occurs when the angle is within about 20 degrees of the at least one of the minimum and maximum. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the delivery of electrical energy occurs when the angle is within about 10 degrees of the at least one of the minimum and maximum. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the delivery of electrical energy occurs when the angle is within about 5 degrees of the at least one of the minimum and maximum.