A massage apparatus and a method of its use for massage of the human body are provided, the massage apparatus including a frame supporting opposingly-located first and second massage tools mounted thereon to define between them a massage gap, wherein a body portion is receivable for massaging. The gap is adjustable while the apparatus is in use, for the massage tools in use to exert therapeutically effective force substantially continuously on a massage-receiving body portion received in the gap. The massage tools are interchangeable with massage tools of other shapes designed to provide different therapeutic effects. The frame is open- and closeable to accommodate limbs of different sizes.

Active comfort controlled bedding systems include a variable firmness control and/or variable climate control. The active comfort controlled bedding systems generally include a plurality of air bladders, each one of the plurality of air bladders includes a pressure sensor configured to measure pressure within a respective air bladder. A control unit configured to selectively operate a pump and valves to sequentially adjust a pressure in two or more of the plurality of air bladders having an applied load of an end user thereon to provide a repeating pattern within the two or more plurality of air bladders, wherein the repeating pattern is defined by a pressure increase and subsequent decrease in a selected one of the plurality of air bladders followed a pressure increase and subsequent decrease in a selected other one of the plurality of air bladders to provide a massaging action.

The movement inducing device includes a plurality of air bags, each being provided with a contacting portion configured to contact with a user and induce a movement of an intended skeletal muscle of the user; a drive mechanism configured to expand and compress the air bags by adjusting supply and discharge of air to and from each air bag and a control unit provided with a drive control unit configured to control driving of the drive mechanism to make the intended skeletal muscle of the user perform at least one of an isotonic muscle activity, an isometric muscle activity and an isokinetic muscle activity.

A handheld acoustic shock wave or pressure pulse applicator device has a body structure and an applicator head. The body structure has a proximal end and a distal end with a longitudinal axis extending between the ends. The applicator head is at the distal end. the head emits pressure pulses or shock waves at an inclined angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the body structure. The applicator head has a balloon or lens or membrane through which the emitted pressure pulses or shock waves pass. The lens or membrane is configured to be coupled directly or indirectly to an exposed soft tissue surface of a palate inside a patient's mouth to direct emitted pressure pulses or shock waves to the brain. The applicator device can be configured with the inclined obtuse angle fixed between 150 degrees and 90 degrees or can be adjustable between 180 degrees and 90 degrees.

Methods and devices that reduce stress, anxiety and/or depression in a human using mechanical affective touch therapy is provided. In on embodiment, the method comprises (1) generating mechanical vibrations using a sinusoidal waveform and a mechanical transducer of a transcutaneous mechanical stimulation device in response to an applied electronic drive signal, (2) controlling the mechanical vibrations of the electronic drive signal by a controller board so that the mechanical vibrations have a frequency of less than 20 Hz; and (3) delivering the mechanical vibrations to the body of the human via the mechanical stimulation device, thereby providing the human with transcutaneous mechanical stimulation that reduces the human's anxiety, stress and/or depression.

Apparatus and methods for positioning acupressure tools are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a template. A portion of the template is sized and shaped to be partially disposed about a curvature of a preselected portion of a body. The template defines a set of apertures. Each aperture from the set of apertures is configured to be disposed overlying a unique preselected acupoint of the body from a set of preselected acupoints of the body when the portion of the template is partially disposed about the curvature.

An apparatus (10) for minimally-invasive, including non-invasive, prevention and/or treatment of hydrocephalus and method for use of the same are disclosed. In one embodiment of the apparatus (10), a housing (50) is sized for superjacent contact with a skull having a fontanel. Within the housing (50), a compartment (12) includes a pressure applicator (88), such as a fluid-filled bladder (22), under the control of a pressure regulator (14). The pressure applicator (88) is configured to selectively apply an external pressure to the fontanel. The compartment (12) includes a pressure sensor (90) configured to measure intracranial pulse pressure of the fontanel. Further, in one embodiment, the apparatus (10) can cause pulse pressure modulation by adjusting the intracranial pulse pressure via the pressure applicator (88). This enables a non-invasive measurement of the pulse pressure and modulation thereof in infants, for example.

A gastrointestinal stimulation devices including a random stimulation delivery mechanism(s), configured to provide stimuli to a bodily tissue in a vicinity of the stimulation capsule, the provided random stimuli being characterized by a stimulation parameter, and a control circuitry in communication with said physical stimulation delivery mechanism, and configured to set and alter the stimulation parameter non-systematically, thereby altering the characterization of the stimuli provided to the bodily tissue. The algorithm may be patient tailored, and may have a learning machinery which responds to data being received from the patient.

A system can include a base configured to support a lower half of a human body. The system can also include a headrest elevated relative to the base, wherein the headrest is disposed adjacent to a proximal end of the base, where the headrest is configured to support a head of the human body. The system can further include a back platform having a first end and a second end, where the first end is coupled to the base, where the second end is disposed adjacent to the headrest, and where the back platform has a curvature, where the back platform is configured to support a torso of the human body. The system can also include a vibrating mechanism in communication with the back platform, where vibrations generated by the vibrating mechanism translate to the back platform.

A massage motion device and a massager for scratching head, and the massage motion device includes a mounting seat and a pair of swing arm assemblies; the swing arm assemblies being mounted to the mounting seat, the swing arm assemblies includes a rotating wheel and a swing arm mechanism, the swing arm mechanisms include a swinging arm, and a connecting member rotatably connected to the swinging arm via a second rotational shaft, the connecting arm is provided with a slot matched with the second rotational shaft, the slot is disposed in a direction parallel to the axis of the second rotational shaft, and the length extending direction of the slot is disposed in parallel to the extending direction of the guide pin. On the basis of realizing the imitating and scratching action of the human hand, and since the length extending direction of the slot is parallel to the extending direction of the guide pin, preventing the whole connecting member from affecting form the force parallel to the extending direction of the guide pin, thereby preventing the situation the connecting member from jumping in parallel with the extending direction of the guide pin, and enhance stability.