PROVE-THE-POINT

Myofunktional Exercise  Collection

Application:

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This exercise is an early aid to orientation for the patient with an unstable tongue (basic) position and therefore is indicated in the starting phase of the general therapy as well, as in the first phase of the TONGUE-TIP-ORIENTATION mainly in complicated cases of disorientation and sensibility deficits.

Contents:

Manipulated tactile-kinaesthetic instruction for the orientation of the tongue-tip, “learn-to-find”.

Materials:

Hand-mirror, skewer, small spatula.

Procedure:

- Previous exercises: This exercise represents a propaedeutic exercise by itself in its objective to lead the tongue-tip toward the palatinum to the “Point”. It might be followed by a group of syntropic exercises (see “Discussion”). Rationally the site of the “Point” and its significance should be explained previously.

-Starting position: For reasons of a mental join-in the patient should beforehand be instructed to take up a balanced body position as, for example, the SITTING-POSITION.

- Step-by-step-description:

-1 During the first time the patient follows the try-out in the hand-mirror to have a better access to a visual self-control. The mouth opens, the tongue looks out of the mouth just a bit.

-2 The therapist sets the end of the spatula on the Incisal Papilla.

-3 The tongue-tip touches the stick at a random point and glides upward till the “Point”.

-4 The stick is pulled away from the mouth, the tongue keeps its hold at the “Point” whereas the mouth opening width is still unimportant.

-Timing (Necessary instructions fort a schedule with

  frequency of repetition or lasting of a movement or

  position etc.

Characteristics:

Information, Motivation, Orientation, Stereognosis, Taktilkinästhesis, Feedback, PAUSE-POSITION, static, Manipulation.

Remarks:

Particular attention should be paid to this initial arranging of a correct tongue-tip position

Discussion:

The exercise is required in cases of severe deficits in tongue sensibility or orientation. After having gained the training objective the exercise should, respective to the specific degree of complexity, be replaced by POINT-Exercises like PROVE-THE-POINT, LICK, ,L’-POSITION followed by the self-manipulated RING LOCK-UP leading over to the KEEP-THE-POINT which furthermore will develop into a normal condition with the  ,L’- and ,L-M’-POSITION. The cited exercises may be arranged as a series of sequences representing an INCREASE-ARRANGEMENT (see also TONGUE-TIP-ORIENTATION).

Instructions:

Let’s take a pointer! Perhaps the little plastic straw as we want to point out the favourite seat for the tongue. For this purpose the mouth opens wide.

Now, look into the mirror and touch the POINT, the little gummy lump right in the middle behind the upper incisors. This is exactly the place where the tongue from now on will take its seat. Our pointer shows the way for it. The tongue touches the stick and slides up upon it till it reaches the end where the stick is resting on the POINT. There the tongue will keep its seat while the stick is taken out of the mouth. Now slowly count to twenty or what ever we have settled. Do it three times a day or more, at least after lunch and dinner.