,P-P-P'-EXERCISE

Myofunktional Exercise  Collect ion

Application:

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An exercise for a controlled coordinated movement of the lip musculature for a mouth slit closure with monitoring the air stream and lip contact and for forming of plosives. (Anatomy: mainly Area I/4, Page 05).

Contents:

Playful fine motor mobility exercise with a motivative component, further useful for improving the tactile sensitivity of the lips.

Materials:

Not required.

Procedure:

- Previous exercises: As this exercise is designed in a fine motor kinetic manner the statics should have been practiced before, see:

-Starting position: The position of the ,O'-EXERCISE is taken up (see paragraph “Discussion”).

- Step-by-step-description:

-1 Maintaining the said position, now, the smallest possible amount of air is pushed out of the Cavum Oris through the Rima Oris which immediately afterwards closes to return to the former position (see also notes in paragraph “Discussion”).

-2 This course of motion, now, is repeated in a given beat and counted. It should be watched to build up a highest possible pressure in the shortest possible time in the interior of the mouth and then the collected air pushed out with a ,P’ with the shortest possible opening up of the lip slit.

Lips and cheeks are strained (,Belt’, Anatomy: Area I, Page 11).

-Timing: The sequence, one training unit, gets a frequency beat. The frequency will be orientated by the demand: In the introduction session the procedure will be introduced with instructions like “while counting  1-2-3…” or  “with counting 1 and  2 and 3 and…” what will lead to different velocity in the frequencies. As the length of a frequency depends on the respiratory volume as mentioned in paragraph “Discussion” it might be set with 10 seconds.

The training intensity will depend on the coupling to a longer or shorter series with for example five to ten sequences.

Two different variations are possible.

a.          referring to the above description the nasal  cavity will be closed throughout the action by the palatinal velum; the air is pressed up by the lungs.  

b.          If now the oral cavity gets filled with as much  air as possible like a BALLOON and then  closed at the rear towards the pharynx by the Velum Palatinum breathing goes on through  the nasal airway. The outer musculature of the BELT and oral diaphragm now build up pressure while the lips are sealing rostrally  and get opened in short pushes to release a ,P;. This can be repeated for four to six ,P’.

Characteristics:

Motivation (play exercise), fine motor skills, kinetic (kinaesthesia), sensitivity and orientation (lip surface).

Remarks:

Special consideration should be bestowed upon the modalities to create the air pressure (precision of pharyngeal closure and in the perioral musculature).

Discussion:

The here discussed exercise may also be applied for an intensification in the ORBICULARIS-EXERCISES which are directed on the circular fibres of the mouth constrictor. In this combination certain exercises may be changed from the static mode into a mixed or even a more kinetic one.

For the starting position in general the posture from the ,O'-EXERCISE is taken up. As the here discussed exercise is used  for training motility and orientation of the lips as well certain muscle groups in the Orbicularis can deliberately be addressed (see ORBIKULARISÜBUNGEN) if the relevant posture is taken up as the starting position as, for example, the TRUNK, the DUCKBILL or the like.

The air gust is not created out of the lungs but by a short straining of the oral diaphragm.

In this way the exercise becomes as well a kinetic exercise for this musculature. As a static exercise for this here discussed area the BALLOON may be introduced.

All exercises resembling each other in this connection are controllable with the TONOMETER.

If not – from therapeutic considerations – it will be decided differently, the pressure in the Cavum Oris is not drawn from the lungs but, as mentioned, built up in the cavum. From this arises the aspect that practicing will have to be carried out with the breath held which will influence the timing.

This, furthermore, also leads to the possibility to fit in the exercise for the motility training in the velum region (retral cavum closure).

In contrary to the exercise discussed here the BLOW THE FLAKE as a likewise more static exercise may be installed for the same target area.

The exercises may as well be combined perhaps as ALTERNATIVE EXERCISE.

Comparing the BLOW THE FLAKE with the BALLOON shows the first one to make the tone rise in the cheek region while the BALLOON exercise is diminishing it and causes an additional stretch-effect.

Instructions:

This is about getting more power, losing power in the lips.

At first you will carry out the ,O’-EXERCISE.

The lips are pulled together in the middle to shape a point.

Breathe in now and press the air from inside against the lips.

Meanwhile the face is fairly strained outside.

Now the mouth is opened just a bit for just a moment.

This creates a short strong ,P.

The mouth is immediately shut again and the air, again, is pressing against the lips from behind.

Now the ,P’s are repeated, as fast and as often as agreed upon.