PORTABLE CUSHION DEVICE FOR IMPROVING POSTURE
A cushion designed to alleviate or counteract the so-called forward head posture and/or its effects has a region sized and shaped to fit between a user's shoulder blades when the user lies in a supine position on a bed, a table or floor and the cushion is placed under the user's thoracic spine, especially upper thoracic spine. The height and/or firmness of the cushion is selected to cause the head and shoulders of the user to sag towards the substrate, thus counteracting the so called forward head posture and its effects, as well as opening the user's chest for improved wellness. And a therapeutic method for helping user reverse forward head posture and relieve its effects such pain and stiffness in the neck and shoulders.
This application is a formal application claiming the priority of provisional U.S. patent application No. 61/219,130, filed Jun. 22, 2009, the specification of which is incorporated by reference herewith in its entirety.
FIELD OF INVENTIONThis invention relates to cushions or pillows for improved personal wellness, especially to counteract the so-called forward head posture (FHP) and/or its effects. The device will hereinafter be referred to as a “cushion” or “cushion device”.
DISCUSSION OF PRIOR ARTModern lifestyle leads to the prevalence of forward head posture (or anterior head translation, or anterior head carriage) in our society. A person with such posture carries the head forward of the shoulders or of the gravitational center line of the upper body, as viewed from the side. Forward head posture places excessive strain on the spinal column and related muscles in the neck and shoulder, and often causes pain in the neck and shoulder area as well as a headache. Obviously, means to counteract the posture and its effects, beside the application of anesthetics or painkillers, are desirable.
A few ideas to this effect are proposed in the patent literature, for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,834,455 to Proctor, 5,303,480 to Chek, 6,739,007 to Talai, 6,902,537 to Geisert and 7,413,250 to Connolly et al. While these proposals may be useful, there remains a need for a simple, effective, inexpensive and portable device to help alleviate or relieve the forward head posture and its effects.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a cushion device which is devoid of head support, shoulder joint support and essentially shoulder blade support, the cushion device comprising an interscapular region shaped and sized to fit between the vertebral borders of a user's shoulder blades when the user lies in a supine position on a relatively flat support. The upper end of the interscapular region may extend from the user's upper thoracic spine (approximately T3) to upper cervical spine (approximately C2). The lower end of the interscapular region may extend from the user's upper thoracic spine (approximately T2) to lower thoracic spine (approximately T10). The height of the cushion, when in use, should be such as to lift the thoracic spine, especially the upper thoracic spine, of the user from said relatively flat support thus causing the head and the shoulders to sag. The head sagging, with the proper thickness or height of the cushion, should counteract, relieve or eliminate the forward-head-posture and/or its effects, while the sagging of the shoulders and shoulder blades should open the chest of the user.
The head should sag to such a degree that the forward shift of the first cervical vertebra (C1) relative to the last cervical vertebra (C7), when the person is standing, or the upward shift between C1 and C7 when the person is supine, is reduced, eliminated or even reversed.
The cushion may comprise a thoracic support region corresponding to a user's thoracic area above or below the shoulder blades.
The cushion may comprise a cervical support region corresponding to a user's cervical area.
The interscapular region has, in a top view, a generally columnar, elongated shape which may resemble the letter “I”. The embodiment with the additional thoracic support region may resemble the letter “T” or a reversed letter “T” where the thoracic support region is disposed at one end of the interscapular region, or a letter “H” when there are two thoracic support regions at both ends of the interscapular region, the placement of the thoracic support regions being such as to allow the sagging of the user's head, shoulders and shoulder blades. The embodiment with the additional cervical support region may resemble the letter “T” where the cervical support region is disposed at the top end of the interscapular region or the upper thoracic support region, the placement of the cervical support regions being such as to allow the sagging of the user's head, shoulders and shoulder blades. This implies, as stated above, that the cushion essentially does not provide a support to the shoulder blades, or only a minimal support thereto, when the user lies on the cushion in a supine position.
The cushion may have a hollow, flexible and enclosed shell having upper and lower sides, and being capable of containing fluid without substantial leakage.
The shell of the cushion may be inflatable and may have one or more ports for filling the shell with a fluid i.e. a gas or a liquid. Said shell may be mad of polymer material by means such as, but not limited to, heat sealing, adhesive bonding, rotational molding or blow molding.
The shell may include spacing means for maintaining the volume of the shell when the ports are open to ambient water or air pressure. The spacing means may be a structure comprising voluminous polymer material that allows flow of fluid inside said shell. Said voluminous polymer material may be, but not limited to, open cell foam, polymer fiber mass, etc. Said spacing means may also resemble the structure of a cage made of a polymeric material by a technology such as, but not limited to, rotational molding, blow molding, etc.
The shell may include spacing means for maintaining the structural integrity of the shell and allow easy inflation with gas and easy flow of the gas inside the shell. The spacing means may be substantially two-dimensional, made of a polymeric material by a technology such as, but not limited to, injection molding, extrusion, stamping, etc.
A therapeutic method for reversing forward head posture and/or relieving symptoms related thereof, comprising the steps of:
-
- a. providing a device of said invention,
- b. placing said device on a substantially solid, stable and leveled surface with said device inflated to a desired thickness.
- c. lying down, in a supine position, on said device with interscapular support region of said device placed in between the shoulder blades of the user. Gravity will gently reverse said user's head and open up said user's chest.
- d. continuing lying on said device for 20 minutes or an otherwise predetermined period according to said user's therapeutic needs.
- e. repeating above steps daily or according to an otherwise predetermined frequency according to said user's therapeutic needs, for 1 month or for an otherwise determined period according to said user's therapeutic needs.
Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The upper end of the interscapular region may extend from the user's upper thoracic spine (approximately T3) to upper cervical spine (approximately C2). The lower end of the interscapular region may extend from the user's upper thoracic spine (approximately T2) to lower thoracic spine (approximately T10). The cushion is not inflatable. It may be formed of, but not limited to, semi-rigid foam, semi-rigid rubber, compressed cotton, etc. housed in a soft shell made of e.g. cotton, leather, polyvinyl chloride or another suitable material. Said cushion ma also be made of, but not limited to, a wood block, or a polymer cage with sufficient stiffness made of by means such as, but not limited to, rotational molding or blow molding. The cushion may optionally have a pillow-type fabric cover (not illustrated) for the user's comfort.
The embodiment of
The thoracic support region is provided to increase the surface area of contact of the user's body with the cushion when the user lies on the cushion, and thus reduce the contact pressure which is desirable since the upper body of the user rests on a relatively small surface compared with a conventional bed.
The inflatable embodiment of the cushion (
The inflatable embodiment of the cushion (
As shown in
It is found to be effective in reversing forward head posture and/or relieving its related symptoms such as neck pain and shoulder pain that a user lies on said device with its interscapular support region placed in between the shoulder blades of the user, for 20 minutes twice daily for 1 month. The level of inflation or the thickness of said device should be increased gradually. Initially a low level of inflation or the thickness of the said device should be used which is intended not to cause any unnecessary pain. The duration and frequency of using said device should be determined according to the user's individual therapeutic conditions and needs. Said device should not be used by users with extreme kyphosis or hunched back, and/or surgically operated and/or fused spine.
The benefits of the invention are further illustrated in
The sagging of the shoulders will also open the user's chest. Such position (the sagging of the head and the shoulders) has been found to be beneficial to counteract the forward-head posture and/or its effects.
The intensity of the therapy can be easily adjusted by varying the level of filling of the cushion or by selecting a cushion of a different thickness and/or firmness and by selecting the desired height of the cushion 10 relative to the height of the pillow 26 or the level of the surface 22. The higher the cushion 10, the great reduction or reversal of said shift.
Claims
1. A cushion devoid of head support and shoulder support, the cushion comprising an interscapular region shaped to fit between the vertebral borders of a user's shoulder blades when the user lies in a supine position on a relatively flat support with the cushion placed under the user's thoracic spine, especially upper thoracic spine.
2. The cushion according to claim 1 wherein the interscapular region extends between the user's upper cervical spine and the lower thoracic spine.
3. The cushion according to claim 1 further comprising a thoracic support region corresponding to a user's thoracic area above or below the shoulder blades, the thoracic support region and the interscapular support region defining a letter “T”.
4. The cushion according to claim 3 comprising two thoracic support regions connected to the interscapular region so as to essentially encircle the user's shoulder blades and resemble a letter “H”.
5. The cushion according to claim 1, comprising a hollow, flexible and enclosed shell having upper and lower sides, and being capable of containing fluid without substantial leakage.
6. The cushion according to claim 5 wherein the shell is inflatable and has one or more ports for filling the shell with a fluid.
7. The cushion according to claim 6 comprising spacing means for maintaining the volume of the shell when the port or ports are open to ambient pressure.
8. The cushion according to claim 6 comprising spacing means for maintaining the structural integrity of the shell.
9. The cushion according to claim 1 further comprising a cervical support region corresponding to a user's cervical area, the cervical support region and the interscapular support region defining a letter “T”.
10. The cushion according to claim 9 further comprising a thoracic support region corresponding to a user's thoracic area below the shoulder blades, the cervical support region, the interscapular support region and the thoracic support region defining a letter “H”.
11. The cushion according to claim 9 further comprising two thoracic support regions connected to the interscapular region so as to essentially encircle the user's shoulder blades and resemble a letter “H”. The cervical support region, the upper thoracic support region, the interscapular support region and the lower thoracic support region defining a letter “H”.
12. The cushion according to claim 11 wherein the cervical support region and the upper thoracic support region are seamlessly connected,
13. A therapeutic method for reversing forward head posture and/or for relieving symptoms related thereof, comprising the steps of:
- a. providing a device of said invention,
- b. placing said device on a substantially solid, stable and leveled surface with said device inflated to a desired thickness.
- c. lying down, in a supine position, on said device with interscapular support region of said device placed in between the shoulder blades of the user. Gravity will gently reverse said user's head and open up said user's chest.
- d. continuing lying on said device for 20 minutes or an otherwise predetermined period according to said user's therapeutic needs.
- e. repeating above steps daily or according to an otherwise predetermined frequency according to said user's therapeutic needs, for 1 month or for an otherwise determined period according to said user's therapeutic needs.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 7, 2010
Publication Date: Dec 23, 2010
Inventor: Conghua Li (Markham)
Application Number: 12/794,980
International Classification: A47C 20/00 (20060101);