ONE RING EXERCISE

Myofunktional Exercise  Collect ion

Application:

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The action field of this exercise regards incorrect tongue positions (mispositionings) as the deep posture, Proversion, extroversion or faulty swallowing. The stepwise palatal orientation of the tongue back is to be achieved. The exercise may, depending on the state of the therapy, put to action for the first and/or second or third part of the tongue with the respective positioning or number of rings in different phases of the training. (Anatomie: II,B, Seite 21).

Contents:

Due to the feed-back stimulus through an object i.e. the elastic at the palate ( see also annotations in chapter RING LOCKER ) the power of the endurance of the musculature ( Hold and Stand-by Tonicity) is strengthened through targeted pushing up in a manipulated Hold-exercise. At the same time through that stimulus a precisely predefined orientation is achieved.

Materials:

Elastic (see above) or else alternatively a raisin slice, rice grain or the like, hand mirror.

Procedure:

- Previous exercises:

The therapist practices with the patient or an assisting person the positioning of the elastic(s) with hand mirror observation for the at home practicing later on.

-Starting position:

After having taken up the BASIC-POSITION the mouth opens and the tongue shows.

- Step-by-step-Description:

-1 Depending on the arrangements made respectively the state of training the elastic is now positioned

     a on the tongue tip

     b on the middle line of the second tongue third, in special cases together with the first (a)

     c on the middle of the back third possibly together wit position a and b.

(Hand mirror control)

-2 The tongue lifts up the ring(s) to the palate and consciously observes as and where the ring gets in contact to the palate.

-3 The position is kept while counting; later on the position will be held for a longer period of several minutes abandoning the counting.

- Timing:

The exercise is a sequence in itself. If the hold position is counted up the sequence gets a time limit which makes it possible to couple it with other exercises to form a series. Keeping the position over several minutes makes it an integrated work-out phase.

Characteristics:

Manipulation, feed-back, stereognosis, self monitoring.

Remarks:

See discussion in this chapter about the point of elastics.

Discussion:

As mentioned, this exercise may, depending on the positioning of the elastic, be prescribed for the first, second or third tongue third. This makes it resemble the  WORDEXERCISES 1, 2, 3 . It is left to the therapist if for the particular of the respective tongue thirds an elastic (object) should only be used on this actual third or if the “previous” third should keep wearing its ring, too. In the latter case the exercise may be shaped as an INCREASE-ARRANGEMENT: One elastic then two, up to three.

With the elastics in this arrangement swallow training is described in other exercises. In the relevant chapter the expediency of this method is discussed (see chapter RING LOCKER).