U.S. patent application number 10/646914 was filed with the patent office on 2005-02-24 for muscle toner to prevent and treat tension headaches, neck and shoulder pain and snoring.
Invention is credited to Atrizadeh, Firooz.
Application Number | 20050043154 10/646914 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34194607 |
Filed Date | 2005-02-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050043154 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Atrizadeh, Firooz |
February 24, 2005 |
Muscle toner to prevent and treat tension headaches, neck and
shoulder pain and snoring
Abstract
Muscle toner is a progressive resistance fitness device to
simultaneously activate muscle groups in arms, shoulders, upper
chest, upper back, and neck areas. It strengthens muscle fibers,
removes muscle tension, and restores motion to joints. Exercising
with muscle toner is effective in the prevention and treatment of
snoring, tension headaches, neck, and shoulder pains.
Inventors: |
Atrizadeh, Firooz; (Granite
Bay, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Firooz Atrizadeh
6150 Lockridge Dr.
Granite Bay
CA
95746
US
|
Family ID: |
34194607 |
Appl. No.: |
10/646914 |
Filed: |
August 22, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/124 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 21/4003 20151001;
A63B 21/4025 20151001; A63B 2208/0204 20130101; A63B 21/0557
20130101; A63B 21/0442 20130101; A63B 21/0552 20130101; A63B
21/00069 20130101; A63B 23/025 20130101; A63B 21/00043 20130101;
A63B 21/00185 20130101; A63B 21/0004 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
482/124 |
International
Class: |
A63B 021/02 |
Claims
1-5. (cancelled)
6. An adjustable progressive resistance exercise apparatus for
upper body and neck muscles, comprising in combination: a headband;
a strengthening device connects to said headband.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said headband comprising: a
headband strap having a first end and a second end attachable to
each other through male and female adhering material; a snap hook
attached to said headband to hold stretching tubes.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said stretching device
comprising in combination: an adjustable elastic tube having a
first end and a second end, each end fastened slidably through an
adjusting buckle, passes freely through a handle and is tied to
said adjusting buckle forming a loop at each side; a handle on each
side to hold said elastic tube; an adjusting buckle rigidly
attached to each end of said elastic tube, said adjusting buckle
slides along the length of said elastic tube to adjust its length
and resistance.
9. Methods of exercise to recruit upper body and neck muscles
simultaneously.
10. Methods of exercise to restore range of motion to cervical
spine in various directions.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to fitness equipment in general, and
more particularly relates to stretching device for arm, shoulder,
upper chest, upper back, and neck muscle groups.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0002] Tension headache is attributed to muscle contraction
exceeding the normal/physiological tonus, causing muscle tension
and spasm. Tension-type headache was formerly described as muscle
contraction headache. More than 90% of headaches are tension
headaches, which become more frequent and severe with emotional and
physical stress. Tension in the neck and shoulder area is the most
common cause of headache.
[0003] Neck and shoulder pains occur as a result of neck injury,
arthritis, and muscle tension. Pain on the top of the shoulder or
in the neck is often due to the tension in the trapezius muscles,
which run from the back of the head across the back of the
shoulders.
[0004] Patients with clenching habit suffer from the muscle pain in
the neck and shoulder area, extending to the back of the ears and
scalp. Clenching is a stress related habit and is often caused by,
or consequent to, pain in the neck and shoulder muscles. Recent
research has confirmed close relationship between the previously
described maxillary tender zone and migraine, tension-type
headache, facial pain, cervical pain and muscle spasm.
[0005] Snoring is related to the obstruction of the upper airways
and it is attributed to increased tone of striated muscle tensor
veli palatine. Stimulation/contraction of genioglossus and
geniohyoid muscles, which are the primary muscles involved in
dilating upper airways, doubles the air volume by protruding the
tongue and stops the snoring. This observation may suggest that
main cause of snoring is decreased tonus in genioglossus and
geniohyiod muscles rather than increased tension in tensor veli
palatini.
[0006] Snoring habit, not related to anatomical deformities causing
the obstruction, appears in the later age of the individuals with
no history of snoring problem at their younger age. 25% of adults
are habitual snorers. Although, hypertension or other systemic
problems are found to be the causing factors but these conditions
are not universal. Contraction of the primary muscles in dilating
upper airway stops the snoring. These observations indicate that
lowered muscle tonus is the causing factor of snoring in older
individuals.
[0007] Muscle atrophy and degeneration, a prevalent age related
phenomena, results in muscle weakness and decreased muscle tonus.
Tonus herein refers to physiological muscle contraction in resting,
which maintains normal posture. Regular exercise is important to
prevent muscle decline that leads to loss of muscle function.
Stretching exercises stimulate the muscles, increasing their
resilience and strength, and restoring physiological muscle
tone.
[0008] Numerous medications and mechanical tools have been
introduced for the treatment of tension headache, neck and shoulder
pain, and snoring habit. However, concerns about the side effects
of the medications and the inconvenience of wearing a cumbersome
apparatus at day or the night time limits their use. Moreover, most
existing treatment modalities are symptomatic, only masking the
signs and symptoms of the morbid condition at best, and therefore
they cannot be categorized as curative treatments. Muscle toner
treats the tension headaches, neck and shoulder pains, and snoring,
which are associated with muscle tension, muscle weakness, and
altered musculature tone.
[0009] Muscle toner is a small, very light, and portable equipment
and it is simple to use. Exercising with Muscle toner does not
require any particular place or space. It could be exercised at any
time/any place, even at the office place when the tension may start
to build up. Using the Muscle toner at early stage of tension
headache breaks the chain reaction, which would otherwise result in
excruciating headache and neck and shoulder pain. The practice
takes between two to five minutes each time, to be repeated at
intervals each day as needed. Multipurpose action of Muscle toner
and its practicality and low cost, make it a desirable therapeutic
tool in the treatment of tension headaches, neck and shoulder pain,
and the snoring habit.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0010] In accordance with the invention, a muscle toner is provided
for the prevention and treatment of tension headache, neck and
shoulder pains, and snoring. The simultaneous action of
Muscle-toner on different muscle groups, affected by one or all of
these ailing conditions, makes it a unique therapeutic tool.
[0011] The muscle toner of the invention includes a headband
connected to a stretching device from its rear side, which
corresponds to the back of the head. When the headband is looped
around the head, the stretching device would be hanging down behind
the neck. Different exercises are performed by stretching and up
and down movements of the arms, while holding the handles of the
stretching device from the back. The connecting point of the
stretching device to the headband acts as a fulcrum and transfers
the tension from generated stretch action to the neck, thus,
activating all muscle groups in the arms, shoulders, upper chest,
upper back, and in the neck areas simultaneously.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of the muscle toner,
comprising; headband and stretching device
[0013] FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of the strap, a component of
the headband, FIG. 1
[0014] FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of the male and female
adhering materials, the components of the strap, FIG. 4, a
component of the headband, FIG. 1
[0015] FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing showing the female adhering
material placed at the tip of the inner Side of the strap, FIG. 2,
a component of the headband, FIG. 1
[0016] FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing showing the male adhering
material placed at the end of the outer side of the strap, FIG. 2,
a component of the headband, FIG. 1
[0017] FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing of connecting strip, a
component of the headband, FIGS. 8, FIG. 1
[0018] FIG. 7 is a schematic drawing of connecting ring, a
component of the headband, FIG. 8, FIG. 1
[0019] FIG. 8 is a schematic drawing showing the outer side of the
strap, FIG. 2, with male adhering material, FIG. 5, connecting
strip, FIG. 6, and connecting ring, FIG. 7, the components of the
headband, FIG. 1
[0020] FIG. 9 is a schematic drawing of the stretching device, a
component of the muscle toner, FIG. 1.
[0021] FIG. 10 is a schematic drawing of the elastic tube, a
component of the stretching device, FIG. 9
[0022] FIG. 11 is a schematic drawing of the handle, a component of
the stretching device, FIG. 9
[0023] FIG. 12 is a schematic drawing of the padding over the
handle, a component of the stretching device, FIG. 9
[0024] FIG. 13 is a schematic drawing of the length adjusting
buckle, a component of the stretching device, FIG. 9
[0025] FIG. 14 is a schematic drawing of the elastic tube, FIG. 10,
passing through the length adjusting buckle, FIG. 13, and through
the lumen of the handle, FIGS. 11, 12, the components of the
stretching device, FIG. 9
[0026] FIG. 15 is a schematic drawing showing the rear view of the
stretched arms along the shoulders
[0027] FIG. 16 is a schematic drawing showing the side view of the
stretched arms along the shoulders
[0028] FIG. 17 is a schematic drawing showing the arms position,
pulling the head backward and stretching the neck
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION AND BEST MODE
[0029] The muscle toner of the present invention includes headband
connected to stretching device
[0030] FIG. 1. The structure of the headband is shown in more
detail in FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.
[0031] FIGS. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 show the details of the
structure of the stretching device.
[0032] The headband comprises a strap FIG. 2. The adhering
materials, FIG. 3, the female part is placed at the tip of the
inner side, FIG. 4, and the male part is placed at the end of the
outer side of the strap, FIG. 5. The adhering materials provide the
grip action for tightening and holding the headband. A connecting
strip, FIG. 6, from a suitable material is swan at its sides to the
center part of the outer side of the strap, FIG. 2, leaving the
middle section of the connecting strip detached FIG. 8. A
connecting ring, FIG. 7, loops under the connecting strip, FIG. 8,
to hold the elastic tube of the stretching device, FIG. 1.
[0033] The stretching device, FIG. 9, is composed of an elastic
tube, FIG. 10, two hollow and cylindrical handles, FIG. 11, covered
by padding material, FIG. 12, two length adjusting buckle, FIG. 13.
The elastic tube, FIG. 10, is fixed or tied on the adjusting
buckle, runs through the lumen of the handle, passes over and under
the length adjusting buckle, FIG. 14, inserted through the
connecting ring of the headband, FIG. 1, and continues to the other
handle and is tied to the length adjusting buckle at the end, FIG.
9.
[0034] The user can adjust the length of the elastic tube, FIG. 10,
by forward and backward movement of the length adjusting buckle,
FIG. 13, along the elastic tube. The length adjustment helps to
size it up to the users arm span and to reduce or increase the
resistance of the elastic tube for stretching.
[0035] Basically, when the arms are stretched along the shoulders
from the back of the body, FIG. 15, FIG. 16, biceps and triceps
muscles in the arms, pectoralis muscle over the chest, the
trapezius and rhomboid muscles in upper back which extend toward
the back of the shoulders and back of the neck, along with the
muscles in the front of the neck are stretched together. Deltoids
are stretched when the arms are moved down or back and forth
[0036] Stretching of all muscle groups in the neck and shoulder
have secondary pulling effect on deeper structures in the neck area
and head, and facial muscles, thereby reducing their tension.
Similarly, stretching the arms horizontally along the shoulders,
FIGS. 15, and 16, has pulling effect on the rib muscles, which
would expand the lungs, increasing their volume. Therefore, such
exercise stimulates breathing, which is noticeably compromised
under the stress conditions. Combined effects of the increased
oxygen intake, easing the tensions in the muscles, which would
promote dilation of the blood vessels in the area, is the key
factor to alleviate both the neck/shoulder pain and tension
headache, induced by stress.
[0037] Needless to emphasize that stretch exercise effectively
strengthens the muscles and prevents the onset, or slows down the
progress, of muscle degeneration/atrophy, which is prevalent among
the elderly. Muscle weakness is underlying factor for snoring habit
in older age.
[0038] By stretching the arms toward the back and down the head
will be pulled back, stretching primarily the muscle groups in the
front part of the neck and under the chin, FIG. 17. The stretch
action generated by this exercise will strengthen and restore the
physiological tonus in all the muscle groups in the area including
the soft palate muscles. It has been shown that the increase or the
reduction of the muscle tone of the soft palate muscles; tensor
veli palatinin, pterygoid, genioglossus, geniohyiod, and
sternohyoid, are the main cause of snoring. U.S. Pat. Nos.
6,573,241 and 6,587,725. Muscle toner, by its stretch mechanism
restores the physiological function of these muscle groups, thereby
eliminating the snoring problem.
[0039] Although the invention has been described above with a
certain degree of particularity with respect to the components and
arrangements thereof, it should be understood that this disclosure
has been made by way of example only. Consequently, changes in the
detail of the construction and in the arrangement of the elements
will be apparent to those familiar with the art, and may be made
without departing from the meaning, scope, or intent of the
inventions as claimed below:
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