Posture Control and Therapy System

Abstract

A garment for wear by a person and a garment system of garments includes bands and elastic portions to apply tension and support to muscle groups when the garment is worn by a wearer. The garments include a vest with crossed back bands within the garment that are selectively fastenable to the exterior of the vest to exert tension from the shoulders to the hips. Also included is a cape with shoulder straps and hip straps to apply further tension when attached to the vest or another garment. A shirt includes a central back panel and one or more shoulder straps, the central panel extending to side straps at the hip. Shorts with a spiral strap apply tension from the body core to the leg of the wearer. Shirts and tops for women including for maternity wear include support specific to a woman's body. Some of the shirts, tops, shorts and vests have wearer adjustable straps to vary the tension applied by the straps. Auxiliary straps with fasteners are available for applying additional tension when mounted on the garments.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A garment for wear on a lower portion of a body, comprising:
 a lower center back panel having an upper edge, an opposite lower edge, and first and second opposing sides, the upper edge of the lower back panel being configured for wear at a waist of a wearer with the lower center back panel extending below the waist of the wearer and disposed on a lower back of the wearer;   first and second waist straps extending from respective ones of the first and second opposing sides of the lower center back panel, the first and second waist straps each having a first end connected to the respective opposing side of the lower center back panel adjacent the upper edge of the lower center back panel, the first and second waist straps each having a second free end opposite the first end;   first and second hip straps extending from respective ones of the first and second opposing sides of the lower center back panel, the first and second hip straps each having a first end connected to the respective first and second opposing sides at locations spaced a distance from the upper edge of the lower center back panel, the first and second hip straps each having a second free end opposite the first end;   a front center panel having an upper edge, an opposite lower edge and first and second opposing sides, the upper edge of the front center panel being configured for wear at the waist of the wearer at a front of a torso of the wearer;   fasteners operable for removably fasting the second free ends of the first and second waist straps and the second end of the first and second hip straps to the front center panel, the second ends being removable from and reattachable to the front center panel to enable the wearer to adjust tension on the waist straps and hip straps;   a crotch panel extending from the lower edge of the lower center back panel to the lower edge of the front center panel;   first and second leg portions attached to the lower center back panel and to the front center panel and to the crotch panel, each of the first and second leg portions including tubular portions configured for wear on legs of the wearer; and   first and second spiral straps each having first and second opposite ends, the first end of each of the first and second spiral straps being connected to the front center panel, the second opposite end of the first and second spiral straps being connected to respective ones of the first and second leg portions, the first and second spiral straps each extending in a spiral around each leg of the wearer, the first and second spiral straps being configured to exert a tension along their length.   
     
     
         2 . A garment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first and second spiral straps each attach to the lower center back panel at a location along the first and second spiral straps between the first and the second opposite ends of the spiral straps. 
     
     
         3 . A garment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the fasteners include hook and loop fasteners mounted to removably connect the second free ends of the waist straps and the hip straps to the front center panel. 
     
     
         4 . A garment as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a cover extending over the front center panel, the cover being attached to the front center panel at the upper edge and at the lower opposite edge, first and second sides of the cover being free of the front center panel and defining first and second openings between the cover and the front center panel, the first and second waist straps and the first and second hip straps extending through the respective openings when the free ends of the waist straps and hip straps are fastened to the front center panel.   
     
     
         5 . A garment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first and second spiral straps wrap about one and a half times around the respective leg of the wearer. 
     
     
         6 . A garment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the garment is a close fitting garment of including panels of stretchy fabric. 
     
     
         7 . A garment as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second opposite sides of the lower center back panel is fastenable onto an opposing edge of a respective first or second leg portion and is selectively releasable from the opposing edge of the respective first or second leg portion to open the garment for donning by or removal from the wearer. 
     
     
         8 . A garment as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 first and second fastening sites attached to the respective first and second leg portions and attached to the respective first and second spiral straps.   
     
     
         9 . A garment as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the garment is shorts and wherein the first and second fastening sites are adjacent hems of the leg portions of the shorts. 
     
     
         10 . A garment as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 first and second hip fastener sites between the central lower back panel and the front center panel.   
     
     
         11 . A garment as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the first and second hip fastener sites are beneath the first and second hip straps when the first and second hip straps are fastened at their second opposite ends to the front center panel. 
     
     
         12 . A garment as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the first and second fastener sites are first and second leg fastener sites, and further comprising:
 first and second hip fastener sites between the central lower back panel and the front center panel; and   at least one further garment attached to at least one of the first and second leg fastener sites or to the first and second hip fastener sites as a system.   
     
     
         13 . A garment as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the at least one further garment as a system is one of a strap, a cape, a shirt, or a vest. 
     
     
         14 . A method for treating a condition of a wearer, comprising:
 applying a first tension onto a lower torso and upper legs of the wearer by short of a compressive fabric;   applying an adjustable second tension to a lower center back and center front of the torso of the wearer, the adjustable second tension including an adjustable first tension from the lower center back to the center front at a waist of the wearer and an adjustable second tension from the lower center back to the center front at hips of the wearer; and   applying a third tension from a front center of the torso along a spiral about an upper portion of each leg of the wearer.