Posture improvement device and method of use

A method for improving the body alignment of a patient's upper torso using a posture improvement device comprising a garment configured to envelope the patient's torso and at least a portion of the patient's upper arms, the garment having an inner and outer surface, a front side, a back side, opposing lateral sides, and a pair of partial sleeves, the front side including a chest portion and a stomach portion, the back side including a back portion, the garment defining opposing shoulder portions and a waist portion extending about the garment, the device further comprising a pair of extendable tension straps releaseably secured to the back portion in diagonal relation to one another, each one of the tension straps having a strap midpoint and opposed free ends configured to be releaseably securable to the garment at respective ones of the chest and waist portion on the back side, the waist band having opposing free ends extending laterally outwardly therefrom, the method comprising the steps of:

• applying the garment to envelope the patient's torso with the patient's arms extending through the partial sleeves,
• attaching the tension straps to the back portion in diagonal relation to one another at respective ones of the strap midpoint;
• extending one of the free ends of each of the tension straps diagonally upwardly from the back portion and over one of the shoulder portions to releaseably secure the free end to the chest portion on the front side;
• extending the remaining one of the free ends of each one of the tension straps diagonally downwardly across the back portion and partially wrapping about the patient's torso on the opposing one of the lateral sides to releaseably secure the free end to the waist portion on the front side;
• adjusting the tension in the tension straps by moving the free ends relative to the garment such that the patient's shoulders are biased generally downwardly and the patient's chest is biased generally outwardly;
• extending the free ends of the waist band laterally about the patient's torso to securing the free ends to the waist portion on the front side.

A method for re-training the muscles of a user using muscular stimulation, comprising:

• placing a garment having a front side and a back side about the user's torso;
• extending tension straps having opposed ends from a front side of said garment, about a portion of the user's torso, to an approximate center of a back side of said garment, and releasably securing a releasable fastener on a middle portion of each strap, between the opposed ends of that strap, to a corresponding releasable fastener disposed at the approximate center of the back side of the garment, so that said tension straps are in direct contact with an outer surface of said garment along substantially their entire length;
• engaging in activities while wearing the garment, while retaining said tension straps in a fixed position relative to said front and back sides of said garment;
• such that said garment applies neuromuscular stimulation to retrain muscles in a desired portion of the user's torso.