MOUSE-SQUEAK

Myofunktional Exercise  Collect ion

Application:

to enlarge click Picture

The term is borrowed from the language of the ‘cock-and-bull stories’. With the lips a chirping noise is imitated which resembles the squeak of a mouse. In the Myofunctional Therapy this exercise is a pre-exercise for the  ,ZIP'-EXERCISE (see note in paragraph “Discussion”). It is applied in the construction of the swallow reflex  (Anatomy: Simultaneous action of tongue musculature [mainly extrinsic, longitudinal, Area II/A, Page 18] and Orbicularis [mainly central ring {c}; Area I/4, Page 13]).

Contents:

The movement to be worked out requires a fine motor coordination of lips and tongue tip. It is the initial motion within the reflex SWOLLOW- MECHANISM (see there). Mostly it is positioned within the first steps of the course for a swallow reflex correction (Anatomy: I.3.5, Page 25a).

Materials:

Not required.

Procedure:

- Previous exercises: The exercise may, for example, be installed directly after the LICK or the TONGUE-PLOP as here e similar motion sequence is given. Another possibility is given in preceding it with the STRAW SUCKING.

Generally the TONGUE-TIP-ORIENTATION

 should have been completed.

-Starting position: [Depending on the state of the adductor musculature (Anatomy: Area VII, Page 31) the practicing is absolved with the dental arches set on each other or apart in the physiological rest position.]

The ,L-M'-POSITION may be adopted.

- Step-by-step-description:

-1 The lips are slightly apart. The oral cavity remains closed retral in the pharynx; breathing is continued calmly (see also STRAW SUCKING).

-2 In the same way as for a merely hinted  TONGUE-PLOP a small whiff of air is sucked in through the interdental spaces and over the tongue tip by positioning the tongue body minimally retralwards through the extrinsic tongue musculature. The tongue tip meanwhile stays pressure-free rather near then at the POINT. The inflowing air finds its way between the palate (POINT) and the tongue surface (compare: ‘S’-Channel and thereby creates the chirping.

-2a  As a somewhat more complicated increase there exists an exercise variation to squirt a few drops of water with a pipette into the Vestibulum to be sucked in. This variation rather interrelates with the exercise ,ZIP'-EXERCISE .

-2b A further intensification is given by the variation to let practice the step 2a as a quasi ‘Silent Squeak’ with closed lips. This would form a continuous setup starting from the MNEMONIC: MOUSE-SQUEAK till the sucking up of the Vestibulum.

However the same effect may be gained when the ,ZIP'-EXERCISE is followed behind the here discussed in the course of training.

In the depicted course of a steady increase of  practicing requirements towards a physiological motion procedure in the partial reflex the ‘Silent Squeak’ with the few water drops squirted in as a next step would follow the sucking-in of a small amount of saliva – as it also happens with the exercise BLANK SWALLOW.

As a variation based on this the mechanism in the kind of the TEETHRINSING is offered  with the motion of letting the tongue tip springing forth and back to move a small amount of water, air or saliva from the Vestibulum to and fro through between front teeth.

This variation, too, may be replaced by a combination of the respective exercises mentioned in the text.

Important for this exercise would be the step 2.

-Timing: Besides the possible variations the short movement of chirping may form one sequence. The chirping may be repeated in a second beat and so build up a frequency tacted sequence of about ten to twenty repetitions.

After a break or an interposed loosening up with the BAGGY TONGUE (as ALTERNATIVE EXERCISE) a series may be established out of several similar sequences.

Characteristics:

Function Kinetics, Kinaesthesia, Myobalance, Coordination, Fine motor skills, Motility, Acoustic Feedback.

Remarks:

Should this exercise be used as designated in the program of a swallow reflex reconstruction it will have to be combined with the respective pre- and successive exercises and will require a highly precise execution and mental internalisation.

Discussion:

The above mentioned  ,ZIP'-EXERCISE represents a partial reflex in the start phase of the swallow reflex (see above). By this phase the Vestibulum is sucked in and by this emptied; during the procedure the lips are closed to gain the functional (emptying) effect. The here discussed exercise as a pre-stage or (in the work-out)  MNEMONIC for the ‚ZIP'-EXERCISE helps the patient in learning a muscle action which pretty much resembles the physiological action to be acquired but is easier to be demonstrated and trained. To integrate this partial reflex in a logical way into the total reflex course the exercise may be integrated into the onset of a specific modification of the ,1-2-3'-ÜBUNG. (See also  STRAW SUCKING)

The action course of the muscle action in this exercise may also be seen from an other point of view of Myofunction:

The DIMPLE (I.3.5, Page 25 a, Step 6) upon

the tongue tip adheres itself by suction on to the

POINT. In detaching itself from the POINT the

tongue air is being sucked into the Dimple volume

causing the chirping noise but as well the sucking in

of the Vestibulum.

Instructions:

How sounds am mouse?

The huntsmen know a trick to imitate the squeak of a mouse.

They leave their lips open, tongue tip to the POINT and then draw it back wit a little jerk. A tiny puff of air slips through between the tongue tip and the POINT and lets arise a noise that sound like a mouse squeak.

This will be practiced wit our exercise MOUSE-SQUEAK.

As not to be too easy the practicing will be done by breathing through the nose steadily and all the time.

Ten times – or as often as we agreed on – squeak and pause.