Body traction device

A patient operated traction apparatus for the application of tension to the body of a patient comprising a generally U-shaped frame member having a distal foot portion extending between longitudinally extending side members each terminating in a proximal end and defining said U-shape, and a generally rectangular head member having opposed side elements and opposed cross pieces defining said rectangular shape having a proximal end and a distal end, means for adjustably pivotally securing the proximal ends of said longitudinally extending side members to the opposed side elements, respectively of said rectangular head member at a point intermediate the cross pieces thereof, the location of such pivot means being spaced from the cross piece located at the proximal end of said head member, whereby the portions of the side elements between the pivot means and the cross piece joining such portions at the proximal end of the head member provide parallel levers projecting from said pivot outwardly above said U-shaped frame and having said cross piece at the proximal end of said side elements and being selectively operable by the patient to apply or release tension, flexible strap means carried by the distal foot portion for attachment to the body of the patient, and flexible strap means carried by the distal cross piece of said head member for attachment to another part of the body of the patient, whereby when the extremities of the section of the patient's body to be treated are respectively secured to the strap means at each end of the apparatus, and the patient applies a force by pulling downwardly on said cross piece at the proximal end of said head member to activate said levers about said pivot, the lever action about said pivots tends to move the foot portion to which one body portion extremity is attached relatively away from the cross piece to which the other body portion extremity is attached thereby subjecting the body portion intermediate said strap means to tension.