WATER PUMP

Myofunktional Exercise  Collection

Application:

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Mainly statomotoric tone improving in lip and cheek musculature (see chapter Anatomy: „Gürtel-Gespann“ [Belt Group]) as well as a precise throat closure of the mouth cavity dorsally (see chapter Anatomy: Area III) for patients with a hypotonic (sleep apnoea, mouth breathing, insufficient lip closure).

Contents:

Rather statomotoric both straining of  the cheek muscles in a stretch position and training of a manipulated lip closure with an item (straw) under a forced hold-tension and moreover the velum closure against the throat space. Rather fine motoric controlled mobility training by letting flow in and out of the cavum oris a liquid while simultaneously continuing the nose breathing.

Materials:

Drinking straw, thin tube (catheter).

Procedure:

- Previous exercises: Recommendable the BALLOON, where the patient holds an enlarged air volume in the mouth under continued nose breathing. In the follow-up BLOW THE STRAW where under similar conditions only the outward flow (of air) is exercised.

-Starting position: -may be the ,L-M’-POSITION.

- Step-by-step-description:

-1 The straw is held centred between the lips.

-2 The distant straw end is dipped into a glass of water.

-3 From now on continuous, regular nose breathing.

-4 The oral cavity sucks in water through the straw by mainly lowering the mouth floor while it is retrally closed.

-5 when the uptake capacity of the mouth is reached the liquid is reversely pressed out again (not specifically hygienic).

-Timing: A special prescription for the exercise timing is not necessary. It may be exercised as one integrated phase. To form a series in the mode of an INCREASE-ARRANGEMENT the BALLOONand  BLOW THE STRAW  is being arranged in font followed by the WATERPUMP = one series.

Characteristics:

For the Belt Group and rear closure of the cavum rather crude motor static, for the mouth base more fine motor dynamic; manipulation, stretch, tone raising, coordination.

Remarks:

Particular emphasis should be laid upon the regular, even continuation of in and out flow of the liquid and nose-breathing; an accidental choking should be avoided.

Discussion:

The exercise is a follow-up to the BALLOONand the  BLOW THE STRAW  exercises and, therefore, may be combined with these to form a series of  INCREASE-ARRANGEMENT with the here discussed WATERPUMP in the conclusion. The technique is quite complicated and requires a high degree of concentration and coordination from the patient whereas the exercise is presumably suitable for adults especially those with pharynx closure problems as mouth breathers, snorers and sleep laboratory patients.

With unilateral breakdown of the Orbicularis motor function the straw may be held shifted to one side between the lips (UNILATERAL EXERCISE). A variation of this exercise should be mentioned here being still more complicated in its course and therefore less controllable; it may be particularly suitable for sleep-apnoea patients as it includes the tongue position. With this the stream through the straw is regulated by closing it with the tongue-tip. The tongue-tip is urged towards the region of the POINT and has to act purposefully fine motoric.

Similar effects are induced with the exercises  PEA-SHOOTER and SOAPBUBBLES.

A further variation implicating a strong motivative component without showing a reasonable flow in procedure is very similar to the PEA-SHOOTER exercise:

For this a straw with a paper cover is needed. The cover is opened cautiously on one side and drawn back for less than an inch. The end of the straw protruding from the cover is taken between the lips. With a short puff of air from the mouth volume it, then, is shot away.

Instructions:

The muscles closing the mouth hole towards the throat will have to learn shutting tightly. Therefore we have to exercise the BALLOON first where the mouth is blown up with air like a balloon. Next the balloon will be shut in the rear by the throat muscles and the breathing is continued quite evenly through the nose like in the exercise BLOW THE STRAW where you let the air flow out slowly through the straw. Quite the same is needed here when you hold the drinking straw between your lips dipping the other end into a glass of water. Next is essential: Keep on breathing slowly and evenly through the nose!

Now the room in the mouth will be enlarged –

and in streams the water, through the straw into the mouth –

breathe on through the nose!

Now you reduce the room in your mouth, the water squeezes out.

Then draw in – press out – in – out like a pump.

And meanwhile never stop breathing through the nose.

If you want to make it a very high degree of complexity you may build in a pump valve – the tongue.

It will be able to regulate the water flow in phases in and out.

The whole should run at least twenty times, then pause and repetition.