DEGLUTITION

Myofunktional Exercise  Collect ion

Application:

no illustration

General remarks about the therapeutical access as a conscious / deliberate influence of the unconsciously and disturbed ongoing (swallow) activity. (Anatomy: Area III, Page3 24f.f.)

Contents:

Exercises cited in this context contain the correcting of the reflex pattern via control relevant sensors.

Materials:

Exercise specific.

Procedure:

Exercise specific.

Characteristics:

Senso-motor Function, Feed-back, Function-kinetic reflex.

Remarks:

For the contents of this paragraph see the following commentary.

Discussion:

The deglutition in the follow-up of its detail steps with the respective exercises is discussed in the catalogue under  SWALLOW REFLEX EXERCISES

 (/SWALLOWRIGHT). Just as individually described are the mutually tuned physiological muscle actions of the neuro-motoric coordinated reflex chain in its overall integration as the SWALLOW-MECHANISM  (see there).

Under the term SWALLOW MECHANISM here especially the control through the triggers and the therapeutic access are discussed which is starting at these.

The swallowing (deglutition) can be seen as the task of the orofacial system which is physiologically the matter of priority, meaning, most essential for the preservation of health in the organism. Thus it dominates the state of the system and, in the case of its failure provokes the most sustainable consequences for the involved textures but also, especially striking, for the organism in total. (Basically always the total organism will be influenced in some way by a sensomotor disorder.)

Primarily the initiation but, as well the process of the swallow reflex are sensor guided in a bio-feedback (biological slope) via triggers. Those are presumably situated in the mucose membrane of tongue back and Palatum Durum. Additionally we may start from the assumption that the receptors in the cheek mucosa, in the Periodont of the teeth and in the musculature itself are as well adding their signals to the piloting process. In a wider sense the neuromuscular course of action from Sternum to temporal bone is involved (lump in his throat).

 Reflex circuit and likewise trigger sensitivity do allow a certain span of variation. This fact leads us to the term of the ‘Physiological Frame’ through which actions are then going on in a physiological manner if they do not transgress the upper (maximum function) or lower (minimum function) border area set through the fulfilment of the function.

Extremes in the marginal area of the deglutition process, for example, are the rather fluently hinted process of saliva deglutition in contrary to the forced way of action when swallowing a pill. In this example the more and less intense precision stand against the strength of tonicity of the process.

Comparing the swallowing of a pill against the continuous drinking the great difference between the support of Mandibula against Maxilla will become evident. With pill swallowing the support will be granted by as well tongue body as molars set upon each other with a high tonicity.

With continuous drinking the with varying intensity rhythmically changing prop (bobbing up and down) of the tongue body will be sufficient while the dental occlusion is not necessary   or even a hindrance to the function.

These variation options in biomechanics are senor (trigger) guided via a (feed-back) control slope. This says that by the differing stimulations of the sensors different reactions can be set off, being variable through sensor triggering. This also means that an aimed access concerning the change of the reflex course is possible through the targeted activation of the sensors.

This is the launch point of MFT.

As an example for the reactivity of the system: Some one at my table shoves a piece of tasty cake, precisely my favourite, into his mouth. I catch myself at pinching together my lips and swallowing. This was the optical triggering of the swallow reflex, concededly an exceptional situation but showing the conscious and external starting point.

In choosing our measures and methods two possibilities are available with which we, in an aimed and deliberate manner, can exert an influence into the else unconsciously guided processes:

a). The pointed stimulation of the trigger. Like in the exercise TOUCH-THE-BUTTON the main shutter release and initiator of the swallow reflex is the target of the therapeutic provocation resp. exercise.

b).The pointed shut out of the trigger. As an example for this we might see the REMINDER ‘Lips-open’. In accordance with our definition (see there) the REMINDER has the assignment to direct the attention of the patient pointedly on the ongoing (to be corrected) neuro-motor process, to make it consciously influenced to a certain degree by this. In the discussed case (‘Lips-open’) the contact of the lips towards each other and against the outer surface of the front teeth, as it appears with the 'ZIP' , will be hindered. To initiate the reflex start under these conditions consciously a substitute trigger must be operated.

Through this technique the process is pushed into the conscious of the patient and, thus, gets controllable- or at least subjected to the conscious influence.

This principle is not only practicable for the deglutition process.

Now it is primarily our task to find out through diagnosis where the reflex chain is deviating from the norm. This also is valid as well for the swallow reflex as for the therapeutic procedure in general.

Next we will have to decide on what are the contents of the impaired neuro-muscular partial reflex step, what the target area of our therapeutic procedure is pointing out.

Furthermore the target area must be defined in respect of its neuro-muscular deficient action, meaning the deficient action to be seen in balance with the desired physiological action.

This will lead our attention precisely towards senso-motor disorder which has to be treated.

What we should do next is to “only” have in mind a complex catalogue of exercises,

gather up the fitting exercises from it,

amalgamate them together to make a concept (Timing)

and, last not least

create the necessary compliance in the patient

= MFT (Myofunctional Therapy.

Instructions:

Exercise specific.