WO2002051313A1

WO2002051313A1 - Method and apparatus for implementing user-centric physiotherapy

Info

Publication number: WO2002051313A1
Application number: PCT/FI2001/001046
Authority: WO
Inventors: Raili Mannermaa; Kari Mannermaa
Original assignee: Raili Mannermaa; Kari Mannermaa
Priority date: 2000-12-01
Filing date: 2001-11-30
Publication date: 2002-07-04
Also published as: WO2002051313A8; FI20002645A0; AU2002220770A1; FI20002645A

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for producing physiotherapeutic self-care information for independent use by a user. The arrangement comprises a user terminal (230-238) provided for the user for presenting physiotherapeutic self-care information for use by the user, an information network (220) for transmitting information between the user terminal (230-238) and the server (220-214), which is configured to receive at least one parameter describing the user's physiotherapeutic condition from the user terminal (230-238), the server further comprising a selection model (208), which is configurated to automatically select one or more physioterapeutic series of movements for performance by the user on the basis of said parameter, the server bing configurated to transmit the series of movements selected by the selection model and intended to be performed by the user in physiotherapeutic self-care session to the user terminal (230-238) via the information network (220).

Description

Method and apparatus for -iiϊple-ϊienting user-centric physiotherapy.

FIELD

[0001] The invention relates to physiotherapy and in particular to a solution for implementing user-centric physiotherapy.

BACKGROUND

[0002] In general, physiotherapy refers to prevention of diseases and injuries, treatment and rehabilitation, and improvement and maintenance of the patient's functional ability by means of physical therapy, movement and exercise therapy, and instruction and guidance based on examination, plan- ning and assessment by a physiotherapist. Traditional physiotherapy is most often practical nursing intended for one individual but it may also be intended for a small group. Physiotherapy is typically manual work where, according to the established division of duties, the physiotherapist is the nurse, i.e. the subject, whereas the patient is the passive object of treatment. Physiotherapy is an example of expert, treatment and institution-centric ideology typical of modern health care.

[0003] Traditional physiotherapy involves some significant unsolved problems. The availability of treatment is limited by the fact that services are tied to a specific time, place and treating person. Studies have shown that physiotherapy centred on treatment provides relatively short-term results, which means that patients need repeated treatment series. Each treatment series, however, increases the costs. In fact, manual physiotherapy is a very expensive method of treatment. Management of treatment costs and ^{^}achievement of permanent treatment results have long been calling for new solutions. However, attempts to activate patients after periods of treatment-centric physiotherapy where patients are treated as objects have not led to any significant results.

[0004] US 5,810,747 describes a prior art solution which assists a health care professional, e.g. a doctor, by means of technology in providing guidance for patients suffering from neurological movement disorders. The apparatus described allows an expert to counsel several patients, e.g. eight, instead of only one patient at the same time and also from a distance. From a physiotherapeutic viewpoint, however, the solution described in the publication involves significant limitations. The invention is intended for neurological dis- eases, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, and thus it is based on expert-centric treatment. This kind of logic is not, however, applicable to solving problems caused by the western lifestyle and other increasingly common problems, such as muscular tension and tightness experienced by healthy persons due to unbalanced strain on a certain area. The solution de- scribed in the publication maintains the manual nature of physiotherapy since all embodiments require expert participation. Even though the solution enables simultaneous treatment of a small group of patients, it retains the traditional division of subject/object because it is a system based on control by an expert. In other words, it is not designed for efficient utilization of the patient's re- sources or for allowing the patient to act autonomously. Its basic logic is not based on a new solution but on utilization of the technology related to traditional treatment-centric thinking. Thus it does not provide a solution to the problems resulting from expert and treatment-centric thinking.

[0005] US 5,904,484 describes a prior art arrangement for perform- ing golf, other sports or physiotherapy at a distance from the coach or instructor. In the solution described, a model of performance by a top performer can be loaded to a computer screen, for example, and the student's performance is compared with this model with the aim of making the student's motions correspond to those of the top performer. From a physiotherapeutic viewpoint the solution described in the publication involves significant limitations. The comparison of motions with those of a top performer is poorly applicable to physiotherapy where the physiotherapeutic problem of a patient should be taken into account and the performance proportioned to this. The solution described is intended only for persons with no physiotherapeutic problems and is thus poorly suited for a person whose range of motions is limited by muscular tightness and tension, for example. This limitation of movement prevents both achievement of a top performance and training of it. The solution described in the publication does not take the patient's individual physiotherapeutic problem into account. However, solving this problem is the heart of physiotherapy. In the case of muscular tightness, for example, the object of physiotherapy is not to copy a top performance but to restore the patient's natural performance by removing tightness and tension from muscles and connective tissues.

[0006] In principle, the publications discussed above involve the same limitation that restricts their application to physiotherapy. They approach the problems of physiotherapy on terms other than those of physiotherapy. These publications are not only individual solutions; instead, they are exam- pies of a wider phenomenon: orthodox ways to think and act, i.e. paradigms. A paradigm is a key for interpreting reality, a description of the rules prevailing in a field. It is typical of a paradigm that it is used as an all-inclusive explanation and for solving every possible problem. At some point, however, the problem- solving capacity of a paradigm reaches its limits. Traditional treatment-centric physiotherapy has already reached this limit. It has not been possible to solve the problems associated with traditional physiotherapy by the treatment-centric paradigm. Neither can they be solved on terms of neurological treatment because it represents the same treatment paradigm. The sector of physical exer- cise, on the other hand, represents an exercise paradigm which is not sufficient for solving already existing physiotherapeutic problems. To solve the problems associated with traditional physiotherapy we need new logic, a completely new paradigm which does not rely on treatment or exercise-centric thinking. In other words, we need a paradigm which is not dependent on past solutions but is created independently in terms of the problems to be solved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0007] The object of the invention is to provide an improved solution for serving a user who needs physiotherapeutic treatment. This is achieved with a method of producing physiotherapeutic self-care information for inde- pendent use by the user. The method comprises establishing a connection from a user terminal via an information network to a server, which offers physiotherapeutic self-care information, transmitting at least one parameter describing the user's physiotherapeutic condition from the user terminal to the server, selecting one or more physiotherapeutic series of movements auto- matically at the server utilizing said one or more parameters describing the user's physiotherapeutic condition, transmitting the selected series of movements to the user terminal via the information network, and presenting the series of movements transmitted to the user by means of the user terminal for utilization in a physiotherapeutic self-care session carried out by the user. [0008] The invention also relates to an arrangement for producing physiotherapeutic self-care information for independent use by a user. The arrangement comprises a user terminal at the disposal of the user for presenting physiotherapeutic self-care information to the user, a server for producing physiotherapeutic self-care information for the user, an information network for transmitting information between the user terminal and the server, which is configured to receive at least one parameter describing the user's physiotherapeutic condition from the user terminal, the server further comprising a selection model configured to select automatically one or more physiotherapeutic series of movements for performance by the user on the basis of said parameter, and the server being configured to transmit the series of movements selected by means of the selection model and intended to be performed by the user in a physiotherapeutic self-care session to the user terminal via the information network.

[0009] The invention also relates to a server for producing physio- therapeutic self-care information. The server comprises data transmission means for receiving input information from a user terminal and for transmitting physiotherapeutic self-care information to the user terminal via an information network, a selection model configured to select automatically one or more physiotherapeutic series of movements by means of input information received by the user terminal and describing the user's physiotherapeutic condition, the selected physiotherapeutic series of movements being intended for use in a physiotherapeutic self-care session carried out independently by the user.

[0010] The solution according to the invention is thus related to a method and an apparatus for producing physiotherapeutic self-care information for a user-centric treatment session. The physiotherapeutic self-care information referred to in the description of this invention is related to movement and exercise therapy. It is used for treating various physiotherapeutic functional disorders, such as pain in the user's connective tissues and muscles, tightness and tension, of which the tension neck is a typical example. The above- mentioned problems are typical in western countries due to monotonous work, injuries, monotonous exercising, stress and decrease in everyday exercise. The object of physiotherapy is to restore the natural balanced state of tight and tense tissues. Here a physiotherapeutic series of movements refers to movements that follow one another in stages on a motion path and to breathing technique exercises. Transmission of information comprises bi-directional data transmission between a user terminal and a server.

[0011] The solution of the invention is particularly suitable for treatment performed completely independently by the user, in which case the user can apply physiotherapeutic treatment to himself without the physical presence of a physiotherapist. In addition to the self-care described above, one preferred embodiment of the invention is suitable for more difficult problems which re- quire presence of an expert, e.g. a physiotherapist, with the user/patient. The initial reason for treatment is e.g. muscular tightness, tension or pain felt by the user. The object is to make the user experience muscular relaxation and painlessness so that he reaches the natural and balanced condition. The in- vention is based on a user terminal which is at the disposal of the user and connected via an information network to a server offering physiotherapeutic services. The invention is not limited to the type of these terminals, i.e. the user terminal may be e.g. a computer, a mobile phone, a television set, a palmtop or the like, and the server may be e.g. a computer. In the solution according to the invention, a fixed telephone network, the Internet, a mobile communication network, a television network, a wireless local area network or a combination of these can be used as the information network.

[0012] In the method according to the invention the user employs the user terminal for establishing a connection via an information network to a server. The connection is established by prior art methods depending on the information network and terminals to be used. In practice, when the service offered by the server is a chargeable service, connection establishment preferably includes checking of the user's rights at the server and verification of the method of payment. After connection establishment one or more physiothera- peutic initial level parameters describing the user's physiotherapeutic condition are transmitted to the server by means of the user terminal. Here an initial level parameter refers at least to the target area which has become sore due to tightness and for treatment of which the user wishes to receive self-care information. The degree of tightness of the sore area is preferably also transmitted as an initial level parameter. The degree of tightness can be described e.g. how the user feels the tightness in such a manner that the user gives a numerical value describing tightness on a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is the maximal tightness. The solution based only on the feeling of tightness is very advantageous because the user does not need to have any separate measuring de- vices. The initial level parameters can also be determined e.g. by a camera, whose movement detection or pattern recognition functionality is used for determining the initial level of the user's tightness at the server. Alternatively, tightness can be determined by means of wireless or wired detectors. The detectors can function actively, in which case they produce measuring results themselves. Active detectors can also transmit measuring data to a user terminal and possibly further to a server for production of the actual measuring re- suits. The detectors can also be passive, in which case only their movement can be detected at a movement detection apparatus connected to the user terminal. The measuring apparatus is based e.g. on measurement of tightness or pain or on measurement of an EMG signal, which enables measurement of the level of muscular tightness or tension compared to the normal situation. The measuring device can be directly connected to the user terminal or the user may feed the measuring results to the terminal. The initial level parameters may also describe the patient's age, gender, treatment history of the target area, profession and sporting activities or the like. Physiotherapeutic parame- ters describing the tightness or the target area during exercising or after exercising are preferably measured in the same manner as the initial level parameters.

[0013] The purpose of physiotherapeutic parameters is to focus an exercise consisting of one or more physiotherapeutic series of movements on the right target areas of the user. Physiotherapeutic parameters are employed at the server for selecting the series of movements and/or adapting them to suit the user, for example. The selection and adaptation are preferably carried out by means of a selection model, such as a neural network. The neural network model utilizes information collected from several users for improvement of the model in the long run, in which case the function of the selection model is based on self-learning.

[0014] After selection and any adaptation the series of movements are transmitted via the information network to the user terminal for presentation to the user, who adapts them according to his feelings of tightness. Depending on the user terminal, the information can be presented to the user in various ways, e.g. on a television screen, on a computer screen, textually and/or visually by means of a printer connected to a computer, as a voice message using a mobile phone or in another similar manner. For example, the target area, initial position or optimal motion path is used in visual presentation of the se- ries of movements to the user. The target area refers to a muscle or a to a group of muscles and its connective tissues for which the movement is intended. When the user performs a movement following a certain motion path, he in practice starts to feel tightness in the target area.

[0015] The presentation of information to the user is preferably implemented by a virtual model, in an embodiment the virtual model is a two- dimensional model which shows a human figure. In another embodiment the virtual model is three-dimensional, and thus the user can move the model by rotating or turning it to get the best idea of the series of movements to be performed. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, information on the breathing technique related to the performance of the series of movements is trans- mitted to the user terminal for use by the user. This information is a very significant factor which helps the user to relax and achieve relaxation of the tense target area. Information on the breathing technique can be transmitted in the same manner as the series of movements, either before presentation of the series of movements or in connection with it. The information on breathing technique related to the series of movements can be implemented visually or by voice control, for example.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the server receives a tightness parameter e.g. as follows: the user employs the mouse to indicate on the screen of the user terminal the point of the series of move- ments where he started feeling tightness. In that case the user can, for example, use a test figure, which is shown on the screen and illustrates different degrees of tightness, for describing the degree of tightness e.g. on a scale from 1 to 5, where 5 is the maximal tightness. The tightness parameter can also be measured from the user in various ways. For example, performance of a series of movements by the user is imaged by a movement detection device connected to the user terminal and the imaged information is transmitted to the server so that the degree of tightness of the target area can be determined. The movement detection device may be e.g. a video camera connected to the user terminal. In an embodiment the movement detection device utilizes wire- less movement detectors attached to the user's body. In that case the user terminal preferably comprises pattern recognition software by means of which it can form an estimate of the user's movements on the basis of the image transmitted by the video camera. Cameras are used to image the initial level parameter, the end level parameter and the parameter during performance of the target area from the direction where the parameters are perceived best. By means of the movement detectors the server can assess the degree of tightness of the target area in connection with performance of the series of movements. The server preferably uses the tightness information to adapt the series of movement to be performed and any following series of movements to suit the user. In an embodiment the user is requested to give end level parameters after exercising, which the user utilizes for evaluating the relaxation achieved as a result of exercising. The end level parameters can be determined according to the user's feelings of tightness, measurements by measuring sensors or analysis by cameras. The server preferably adapts the series of movements utilizing the end level parameters by means of a neural network, for example. [0017] An advantage of the invention over the prior art is that it provides a solution where a large group of users can simultaneously and totally independently without a physiotherapist treat themselves using physiotherapeutic self-care information provided by a server. The service offered is user- specific since it takes the user's physiotherapeutic condition into account, e.g. any movement limitations and the degree of muscular tightness. In addition to being customized, the solution offered constantly also learns new things, thanks to the use of a neural network. In more difficult physiotherapeutic problems the invention can also be used under the guidance of a physiotherapist, if desired. [0018] The invention provides the service user with an opportunity of treating himself without a physiotherapist anywhere where he has access to an information network and at any time. The physiotherapeutic treatment service is available to the user all over the world via a network. The invention changes the traditional division of subject/object and makes the user an active subject. At the same time the invention also helps to restore responsibility for health to the person who needs the treatment service. The user's own resources can thus be utilized substantially better and the need for manual treatment services of an expert decreases.

[0019] While the solutions based on expert control which realize, within the experts' controlling capacity, economies of scale required by the cost crisis in the field, the present user-centric invention in principle enables simultaneous serving of an unlimited number of users. This means industrialization of the field based on manual work, i.e. 'mass-tailoring'. The costs of manual work become costs of digitized services accessible via a network , which means considerable savings in the treatment costs and enables real economies of scale required by the costs crisis in the field. All in all, the present invention solves the unsolved problems of treatment-centric physiotherapy in a new manner, by a new self-care paradigm. The invention provides a new solution to short-term treatment results, availability of treatment services and cost crisis in the field. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0020] In the following, the invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, where

Figure 1A shows a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention,

Figure 1B shows a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention,

Figure 1C shows a human figure for selecting the target areas to be treated, and Figure 2 shows a preferred embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] In the following, the invention will be described by means of some preferred embodiments with reference to attached Figures 1 and 2. Fig- ure 1A illustrates a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention. In the initial step 100 of the method a user, who wants physiotherapeutic treatment, utilizes a user terminal for obtaining it. According to step 102, the user establishes a connection to a server by means of the user terminal, which is a computer, for instance. The user establishes the connection via the Internet, for example, and thus employs an Internet browser as the connection software for using the service. The invention is also well suited for use at rehabilitation centres or firms, for example, in which case the user can establish a connection from the computer to the server via the company's local area network. The connection establishment may include the following sub-steps, for example: the user goes to the right Internet page, the user registers as a service user and pays the service fee. It is clear that a connection can be established in various ways depending on the devices used and that it is irrelevant to the invention to describe different ways of establishing a connection here. It is essential for the invention, however, that connection establishment allows the user of the user terminal to use the physiotherapeutic services provided by the server at a distance from the server.

[0022] In method step 104 it is checked whether the physiotherapeutic treatment offered by the server is suitable for the user. Suitability of treatment can be evaluated e.g. by means of an electronic questionnaire to find out whether the user's physiotherapeutic condition requires treatment by a doctor, for instance. To enable automatic processing of the questionnaire at the terminal, the questionnaire preferably consists of alternatives so that the user can select his answer to each question from among different alternatives. If the service is suitable for the user, the treatment session proceeds to the next step, otherwise an expert can be consulted.

[0023] Method step 106 comprises evaluating the initial level of the user's physiotherapeutic condition. This can be carried out e.g. by showing a map illustrating human muscles target area by target area from the front and from behind on a computer screen to the user. An example of a map of a per- son 140 seen from the front is shown in Figure 1C. Some exemplary target areas are marked in the map, two of them, 142A and 142B being numbered. In that case the user can select from the map the target areas where he feels pain, tension or tightness by clicking the mouse of a microcomputer. According to an embodiment, the user can specify the degree of tightness/tension experi- enced by him at each target area on a scale from 1 to 5, for example, where 1 means the normal condition of the target area with no tension. According to method step 106, the user can be asked other questions relevant to physiotherapy as initial level information, such as information related to the physical properties of the target area, treatment history of the target area, user's sport- ing activities and work. In method step 108 the server uses the received information to create a treatment program, which comprises e.g. 4 series of movements to be performed. The initial position of the series of movements and/or the series of movements are/is adapted to the user at the server by means of a neural network, for example, according to the initial information given by the user. This provides the advantage that the user's physiotherapeutic condition is taken into account in the series of movements to be presented to the user. This means that the series of movements presented to the users are not identical and they take each user's tightness and movement limitations into account. The first series of movements is transmitted to the user via the informa- tion network and presented by the user terminal. The series of movements is shown by means of the initial position and the motion path, for example. The user preferably informs the server of the degree of relaxation at the target area after performance of the series of movements. Relaxation is checked in step 112 and if the target area is relaxed, exercising can be finished. If the informa- tion on tightness indicates that the tightness and pain are still significant, an adapted series of movement is formed according to step 114. Naturally it is possible to proceed from method step 112 to performing the next series of movements, which is loaded from the network to the user terminal.

[0024] Figure 1B describes another preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention. In the method a physiotherapeutic self-care session is started by the user who establishes a connection to the server according to step 122. Step 124 comprises forming the initial level of the user's tightness, e.g. by means of a movement detection device. The initial level information is transmitted to the server using the Internet, for instance. In method step 126 the initial level information transmitted to the server is utilized for de- termining self-care information that is optimal in respect of the user's physiotherapeutic condition. The self-care information preferably includes the series of movements to be performed and information on breathing technique related to the series of movements. The self-care information based on the user's needs is transmitted to the user in step 128. Step 130 describes how the user performs physiotherapeutic self-care according to his feeling of tightness and tries to release tightness on the basis of the information he has received. Steps 124 to 130 can naturally be repeated several times, in which case the user's tightness information is measured during the treatment and transmitted to the server, which forms a new series of movements corresponding to the user's needs. The final step 132 of the self-care session comprises forming an end level parameter, which describes the degree of tightness experienced by the user at the end of the self-care session and transmitting this parameter to the server. At the server final measures are performed on the end level parameter as described in step 134, e.g. it is stored in a database or the user data are updated. The final measures may also include evaluation of the series of movements in terms of how efficiently relaxation was achieved utilizing the series of movements. This evaluation preferably influences the use of the series of movements in future treatment for the user in question or other users. The series of movements is selected e.g. by means of a neural network, in which case the end level parameters are also fed to the corresponding neural network.

[0025] Figure 2 describes a preferred embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention. Components 200 to 214 belong to the server and components 230 to 238 to the user terminal. The server and the terminal may communicate with each other via an information network 220. A communication unit 200 included in the server offers functionality for the server for com- municating with the information network and transmitting and receiving information to and from the information network. The communication unit is implemented by prior art techniques, in the case of the Internet, for example, the unit comprises functionality for processing IP packets. The communication unit 200 is connected to a control unit 202, which coordinates the function of the server. The control unit is connected for example to a registration unit 204, where procedures related to user registration and log-in are performed. In addition, the control unit 202 coordinates procedures related to billing 206 for the service. The user can be billed for the service e.g. according to the connection time used or the scope of the treatment program loaded to the user. [0026] A library or a database 208 including physiotherapeutic series of movements is preferably implemented as a separate unit at the server. The database 208 comprises, for example, physiotherapeutic series of movements as visual information, text information or audio information. Information on the breathing technique related to the series of movements is also stored in the database. Depending on the data transmission method used, different forms of information can be combined. For example, if the user terminal is a mobile phone, the user may wish to receive the treatment information as audio information, whereas in the case of a television screen, voice, image and text can be transmitted to the user. Unit 208 preferably also comprises a selection model for selecting series of movements and/or adapting them on the basis of the initial level information given by the user, the information obtained during performance of the series of movements or the end level parameters. The selection model is preferably implemented as a neural network, whose input pa- rameters include the patient's age, gender, profession, history information on the target area, feeling of tightness at the beginning of treatment and information provided on the tightness of the target areas by the measuring devices. The neural network can be taught utilizing controlled learning or self-learning, for instance. In controlled learning the neural network is taught with a large number of examples of input-output pairs and learning yields a general formula indicating how to respond to a certain input. In that case the network also responds sensibly to inputs that are not found in the teaching material but can be deduced from it. In self-learning input information is known whereas the output is not. In that case the purpose of learning is to find regularities in the given inputs for use in interpreting information. In the above-mentioned learning methods the coefficients of the neural network are updated on the basis of the end level parameters, which means that the neural network learns something from each treatment session.

[0027] Development of the neural network model described above is not significant only to self-care of an individual but also to the whole field of physiotherapy. In the solution of this preferred embodiment of the invention the model develops interactively with the users and at the same time it enables establishment of a considerable databank including physiotherapeutic information and thus development of a new self-care paradigm for the field of physiotherapy. The opportunities offered by the neural network are particularly impor- tant in a situation where a new self-care paradigm is developed on the basis of that paradigm, i.e. not on the basis of some other paradigm. When a new paradigm is developed, it cannot be assumed that different solutions would already exist and be final. Learning is the key in the development of a new paradigm. [0028] The server preferably also comprises a user information unit

210, in which user information is stored, e.g. information on the user's hobbies and work-related issues that are relevant to physiotherapy. The user information unit 210 is connected to a history database 212, which includes the user's treatment history. The treatment history may include information that has come up in a meeting with a doctor and a physiotherapist, for example. Furthermore, the treatment history is preferably provided with information on the previous times the user has used the server for use in the selection model, such as tightness measured before treatment and the degree of relaxation achieved as a result of treatment. The terminal preferably also comprises a help desk unit 214 which provides help for using the service and comprises a database of questions frequently asked about the treatment. In addition, the help desk unit 214 preferably provides users with an opportunity of asking questions about treatment through e-mail, news groups or discussion channels. The questions are answered by experts in the field, e.g. physiotherapists and doctors. It is clear that a discussion channel can also be utilized for spontaneous communication between users. The information network 220 can be any prior art network, such as a local area network, a mobile communication network, a television network, the Internet or the like. The server preferably provides a transmission connection to all user terminals employing different networks without being limited to any particular network. [0029] The user terminal 230-238 comprises a communication unit 230 which corresponds to that of the server. Furthermore, the user terminal comprises a control unit 232, which coordinates the function of the user terminal. The control unit 232 communicates with the presentation unit 234 of the user terminal, which is e.g. a screen for presenting visual information, a printer for printing textual information or a loudspeaker for presenting audio information. Supply means 236 allow the user to supply information to the server for transmission. The information to be supplied may be e.g. information on tightness, user information or billing information. Depending on the apparatus, the supply means 236 can be implemented e.g. with a keyboard, mouse or microphone for supply of information by voice control. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, tightness information is measured from the user's body by means of a measuring apparatus 238, e.g. using a tightness/pain meter or an EMG measuring device. The measuring apparatus 238 is either directly con- nected to the supply means 236 or the user feeds measuring information using the supply means 236. In a preferred embodiment the measuring apparatus 238 refers to video equipment connected to the user terminal, in which case real-time video information can be transmitted from the user terminal in a form supported by the server. The server can find the degree of tightness of the user's target area in the video information and adapt the series of movements to suit the user better by means of the selection model. According to another embodiment, the measuring apparatus 238 refers to movement sensors which measure information that is preferably transmitted to the server in real time.

[0030] In the solution described above with reference to Figure 2, the user terminal and the server are connected to each other via an information network. In an embodiment of the invention the user terminal functions locally as an independent unit without a separate server and thus without a connection to an information network. In that case the software offering a physiotherapeutic model is stored e.g. in the hard disk of the computer func- tioning as the user terminal or read from a CD-ROM.

[0031] The means implementing the invention at the server 200 to 214 and the means at the user terminal 230 to 238 are preferably implemented by software using microprocessors provided in the above-mentioned terminals. This does not, however, limit the invention to software implementation but the above-mentioned means can also be implemented as ASIC, with separate logic components or in another similar manner. [0032] Even though the invention was described above with reference to examples according to the attached drawings, it is clear that the invention is not limited thereto but it can be modified in various ways within the inventive concept disclosed in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for producing physiotherapeutic self-care information for independent use by a user, characterized by

(122) establishing a connection from a user terminal via an informa- tion network to a server offering physiotherapeutic self-care information;

(124) transmitting at least one parameter describing the user's physiotherapeutic condition from the user terminal to the server;

(126) selecting automatically one or more physiotherapeutic series of movements at the server utilizing said one or more parameters describing the user's physiotherapeutic condition;

(128) transmitting the selected series of movements to the user terminal via the information network; and

(130) presenting the series of movements transmitted to the user by the user terminal for utilization in a physiotherapeutic self-care session per- formed by the user.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized by presenting the series of movements to the user using a visual three dimensional virtual model, which the user can turn to the desired position for optimal examination of the series of movements.

3. A method according to claim 1, characterized by presenting information on breathing technique related to the performance of the series of movements to the user in connection with the presentation of the series of movements.

4. A method according to claim ^characterized by present- ing the series of movements to the user in one or more of the following ways: using voice control, textually or visually by means of the target area, initial position and motion path.

5. A method according to claim 1, characterized by transmitting one or more of the following as the parameter describing the physiothera- peutic condition: target area, degree of tightness, user's age, gender, profession, background information on exercising or treatment history.

6. A method according to claim 1, characterized by adapting the series of movements at the server at one or more of the following points: before performance of the series of movements, during performance of the series of movements, after performance of the series of movements.

7. A method according to claim 6, characterized by performing selection and adaptation of the series of movements at the server by means of a learning neural network model.

8. A method according to claim 1, characterized by measur- ing the parameter describing the user's physiotherapeutic condition by means of a movement detection device connected to the user terminal.

9. An arrangement for producing physiotherapeutic self-care information for independent use by a user, characterized in that the arrangement comprises: a user terminal (230-238) provided for the user for presenting physiotherapeutic self-care information to the user; a server (200-214) for producing physiotherapeutic self-care information for use by the user; an information network (220) for transmitting information between the user terminal (230-238) and the server (200-214), and the server (200-214) is configured to receive at least one parameter describing the user's physiotherapeutic condition from the user terminal (230- 238), the server further comprising a selection model (208), which is configured to automatically select one or more physiotherapeutic series of move- ments for performance by the user on the basis of said parameter, the server being configured to transmit the series of movements selected by the selection model and intended to be performed by the user in a physiotherapeutic self- care session to the user terminal (230-238) via the information network (220).

10. An arrangement according to claim 9, characterized in that the server is configured to produce physiotherapeutic self-care information for presentation by a three dimensional virtual model, and that the user terminal is configured to present the physiotherapeutic series of movements to the user by means of the three dimensional virtual model, and the user terminal is configured to receive information supplied by the user for turning the three di- mensional virtual model to the optimal position for examining the series of movements to be presented.

11. An arrangement according to claim 9, characterized in that the server is configured to produce information on breathing technique related to the performance of the series of movements, and attach the breath- ing technique information for presentation to the user by the user terminal to the physiotherapeutic self-care information to be transmitted to the user.

12. An arrangement according to claim 9, characterized in that the server is configured to produce physiotherapeutic self-care information to be presented to the user in a form which is to be presented to the user in one or more of the following manners: visually, using voice control, textually, and that the user terminal is configured to present the self-care information in a manner required by the information received from the server.

13. An arrangement according to claim 9, characterized in that the arrangement is configured to transmit the target area and the degree of tightness as the parameter describing the physiotherapeutic condition.

14. An arrangement according to claim 9, c h a racte r i ze d in that the selection model is a learning neural network.

15. An arrangement according to claim 9, characterized in that the server is configured to adapt the series of movements at the server on the basis of the parameter describing the user's physiotherapeutic condition and received from the user terminal at one or more of the following points: before performance of the series of movements, during performance of the series of movements, after performance of the series of movements.

16. An arrangement according to claim 9, characterized in that the arrangement comprises a movement detection device connected to the user terminal for producing a parameter describing the user's physiotherapeutic condition; the server is configured to receive the parameter describing the received physiotherapeutic condition from the user terminal and use it in one or more of the following: selection of the series of movements intended to be performed by the user, adaptation of the series of movements on the basis of the parameter describing the user's physiotherapeutic condition, update of the selection model for future use.

17. A server for producing physiotherapeutic self-care information, characterized in that the server (200-214) comprises:

(200) data transmission means for receiving input information from the user terminal (230-238) and transmitting physiotherapeutic self-care information to the user terminal (230-238) via an information network (220);

(208) a selection model which is configured to select automatically one or more physiotherapeutic series of movements on the basis of the input information received from the user terminal (230-238) and describing the user's physiotherapeutic condition, the selected physiotherapeutic series of movements being intended to be used in a physiotherapeutic self-care session performed independently by the user.