Apparatus for exercise and rehabilitation of the muscles around the cervical spine and/or the motional pattern of the cervical spine via rotary training motion of the head

Apparatus for exercising muscles around a cervical spine or a motional pattern of the cervical spine with a rotation exercise movement of a person's head, said apparatus comprising:

• an equipment frame;
• a turning arbor mounted on the equipment frame with bearings permitting rotation of the arbor about a vertical axis;
• a head rest element for holding the head, said head rest element being connected to the turning arbor and comprising means for holding the head of the person performing the exercise movement substantially immobile in the head rest element;
• a turning device connecting the head rest element to the turning arbor so as to allow simultaneous turning of the head rest element about three axes comprising an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis, said axes being perpendicular to each other;
• the turning device comprising a first frame attached to the turning arbor and turning therewith about a vertical first swing axis;
• a second frame pivotally mounted on the first frame and turning about a second swing axis parallel to the x-axis;
• and a third frame pivotally mounted on the second frame and turning about a third swing axis parallel to the y-axis;
• said third swing axis being disposed near and perpendicular to the second swing axis;
• the head rest element being attached to said third frame;
• a control gear arranged to control the turning of the head rest element so that the head rest element turns about said axes in a predetermined proportion to the angle of rotation of the turning arbor;
• and
• said control gear comprising a first set of transmission elements for turning the second frame about the second swing axis parallel to the x-axis in relation to the first frame with a predetermined first transmission ratio when the turning arbor is turning about the first swing axis parallel to the z-axis.