BLOW THE BALL

Sammlung myofunktioneller Übungen

Application:

The exercise will be applied for a gross motor airstream control during exhaling with a pharyngeal closure of the cavum nasi. (Anatomy: Area III, Seite 24).

Contents:

A simple manipulated air passage will create a certain coordination trough a motivative playful element. Improvement of the velum closure against the cavum nasi.

Materials:

Wad of cotton wool (see also remark in “Discussion”).

Procedure:

- Previous exercises:

As pre-exercise as well as for an ALTERNATIVE EXERCISE the exercises BALLOON or ,P-P-P’-Exercise May be chosen. To create a favourable start position the CHERRY MOUTH may be carried out before.

Starting Position:

CHERRY MOUTH. The face is looking “heavenwards“ to the ceiling.

- Step-by-step-Description:

-1 The therapist, later on the patient himself will hold the cotton wad in front of the patient’s lips.
-2 The patient now blows from his lungs against the wad to keep it hovering.
To make the exercise more varied the exercise would be carried out as a ball game with to players in combat. One player is blowing the wad in a great arc to the other player.
The same will work out with a small light balloon.

- Timing:

One “game”-sequence (round) should measure at least one minute; several sequences are coupled together.

Characteristics:

Remarks:

To control the air passages the patient inhales deeply to create a long “puff”. The therapist is positioned behind him. Shortly after the given order: “Blow!” the therapist holds his hand loosely over the patient’s mouth. The very moment the air stream should be blocked. If more air is streaming out the nasal cavity is not tightly closed. Then the practicing will immediately be carried on as in an exercise: Blow the air against the hand without letting slip some through the nose.

Discussion:

With several sequences connected game rules may be established. It is called the cotton wad tennis. Who lets the ball sink down will get a penalty point.

Winner is who has collected the fewest penalty points.

A suitable material will be long fibrous cotton wool plucked to form a round ball of table tennis ball size. As mentioned the exercise (game) may be held as well with a small light rubber balloon.

The discussed exercise compared to the BLOW THE FLAKE shows the latter to have a more delicately tuned coordination (see there). In both cases the nasal pharyngeal cavity is sealed by the velum. In a lengthier round the respective velum muscles are strengthened. Control: see “Remarks”.

Instructions: