Therapeutic appliance for improving functions of hand fingers

Abstract

A therapeutic appliance for improving the functions of an individual's carpal joints, hand and fingers includes a palm splint cloth shaped so as to accommodate a hand with its fingers spread apart. Finger retainer members are disposed on the front surface of the splint cloth for holding the fingers individually in their spread apart positions. A plurality of first bladders are disposed on the front surface of said palm splint cloth and positioned between each adjacent fingers except between the thumb and forefinger in a palmiped configuration for spreading the fingers apart form each other. A plurality of second bladders are disposed on the opposite surface of said palm splint cloth for extending the fingers, hand and the carpal joint and fluid supply and discharge tubes are connected to the first and second bladders for supplying and discharging fluid to and from the bladders. By supplying fluid simultaneously to all of the bladders or selectively to any selected one or more of the bladders through the tubes and discharging the fluid from the bladders through the tubes after a predetermined period of time which may be repeated, imparts extending and opening motions to the functionally incapacitated carpal joint, hand and fingers forcedly, rythmically and intermittently to thereby remedy the bending contracture and dysfunction in extending motion as well as to create a motive for triggering self-motivating capacity.